Influence of biochars, compost and iron grit, alone and in combination, on copper solubility and phytotoxicity in a Cu-contaminated soil from a wood preservation site.

Science.gov (United States)

Oustriere, Nadège; Marchand, Lilian; Galland, William; Gabbon, Lunel; Lottier, Nathalie; Motelica, Mikael; Mench, Michel

2016-10-01

Two biochars, a green waste compost and iron grit were used, alone and in combination, as amendment to improve soil properties and in situ stabilize Cu in a contaminated soil (964mgCukg(-1)) from a wood preservation site. The pot experiment consisted in 9 soil treatments (% w/w): untreated Cu-contaminated soil (Unt); Unt soil amended respectively with compost (5%, C), iron grit (1%, Z), pine bark-derived biochar (1%, PB), poultry-manure-derived biochar (1%, AB), PB or AB+C (5%, PBC and ABC), and PB or AB+Z (1%, PBZ and ABZ). After a 3-month reaction period, the soil pore water (SPW) was sampled in potted soils and dwarf beans were grown for a 2-week period. In the SPW, all amendments decreased the Cu(2+) concentration, but total Cu concentration increased in all AB-amended soils due to high dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration. No treatment improved root and shoot DW yields, which even decreased in the ABC and ABZ treatments. The PBZ treatment decreased total Cu concentration in the SPW while reducing the gap with common values for root and shoot yields of dwarf bean plants. A field trial is underway before any recommendation for the PB-based treatments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlation of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization with plant growth, nodulation, and shoot npk in legumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javaid, A.; Anjum, T.; Shah, M.H.M.

2007-01-01

Correlation of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization with different root and shoot growth, nodulation and shoot NPK parameters was studied in three legumes viz. Trifolium alexandrianum, Medicago polymorpha and Melilotus parviflora. The three test legume species showed different patterns of root and shoot growth, nodulation, mycorrhizal colonization and shoot N, P and K content. Different mycorrhizal structures viz. mycelium, arbuscules and vesicles showed different patters of correlation with different studied parameters. Mycelial infection showed an insignificantly positive correlation with root and shoot dry biomass and total root length. Maximum root length was however, negatively associated with mycelial infection. Both arbuscular and vesicular infections were negatively correlated with shoot dry biomass and different parameters of root growth. The association between arbuscular infection and maximum root length was significant. All the three mycorrhizal structures showed a positive correlation with number and biomass of nodules. The association between arbuscular infection and nodule number was significant. Mycelial infection was positively correlated with percentage and total shoot N and P. Similarly percentage N was also positively correlated with arbuscular and vesicular infections. By contrast, total shoot N showed a negative association with arbuscular as well as vesicular infections. Similarly both percentage and total shoot P were negatively correlated with arbuscular and vesicular infections. All the associations between mycorrhizal parameters and shoot K were negative except between vesicular infection and shoot %K. (author)

Improved recovery of cryotherapy-treated shoot tips following thermotherapy of in vitro-grown stock shoots of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiaochun; Valkonen, Jari P T

2009-01-01

Raspberry bushy dwarf virus (RBDV) can be efficiently eradicated from raspberry plants (Rubus idaeus) by a procedure combining thermotherapy and cryotherapy. However, the bottleneck of this procedure is that, following thermotherapy, cryopreserved shoot tips become chlorotic during regrowth and eventually die after several subcultures. In addition, survival of heat-treated stock shoots and recovery of cryopreserved shoot tips following thermotherapy are low. The present study focused towards improving regrowth of cryopreserved raspberry shoot tips following thermotherapy. Results showed that preconditioning stock shoots with salicylic acid (SA; 0.01-0.1 mM) markedly increased survival of stock shoots after 4 weeks of thermotherapy. Regrowth of cryopreserved shoot tips following thermotherapy was also significantly enhanced when SA (0.05-0.1 mM) was used for preconditioning stock shoots. Addition of either Fe-ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (Fe-EDTA, 50 mg per L) or Fe-ethylenediaminedi(o)hydroxyphenylacetic acid (Fe-EDDHA, 50 mg per L) to post-culture medium strongly promoted regrowth and totally prevented chlorosis of shoots regenerated from cryopreserved shoot tips following thermotherapy. Using the parameters optimized in the present study, about 80 percent survival of heat-treated stock shoots and about 33 percent regrowth of cryopreserved shoot tips following thermotherapy were obtained. Morphology of plants regenerated from cryopreserved shoot tips following thermotherapy was identical to that of control plants, based on observations of leaf shape and size, internode length and plant height. Optimization of the thermotherapy procedure followed by cryotherapy will facilitate the wider application of this technique to eliminate viruses which can invade meristems.

Aided phytoextraction of Cu, Pb, Zn, and As in copper-contaminated soils with tobacco and sunflower in crop rotation: Mobility and phytoavailability assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hattab-Hambli, Nour; Motelica-Heino, Mikael; Mench, Michel

2016-02-01

Copper-contaminated soils were managed with aided phytoextraction in 31 field plots at a former wood preservation site, using a single incorporation of compost (OM) and dolomitic limestone (DL) followed by a crop rotation with tobacco and sunflower. Six amended plots, with increasing total soil Cu, and one unamended plot were selected together with a control uncontaminated plot. The mobility and phytoavailability of Cu, Zn, Cr and As were investigated after 2 and 3 years in soil samples collected in these eight plots. Total Cu, Zn, Cr and As concentrations were determined in the soil pore water (SPW) and available soil Cu and Zn fractions by DGT. The Cu, Zn, Cr and As phytoavailability was characterized by growing dwarf beans on potted soils and determining the biomass of their plant parts and their foliar ionome. Total Cu concentrations in the SPW increased with total soil Cu. Total Cu, Zn, Cr and As concentrations in the SPW decreased in year 3 as compared to year 2, likely due to annual shoot removals by the plants and the lixiviation. Available soil Cu and Zn fractions also declined in year 3. The Cu, Zn, Cr and As phytoavailability, assessed by their concentration and mineral mass in the primary leaves of beans, was reduced in year 3. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of microbial inoculation and chitosan in phytoextraction of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd by Elsholtzia splendens - a field case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Fayuan [Agricultural College, Henan University of Science and Technology, 70 Tianjin Road, Luoyang, Henan Province 471003 (China) and Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210008 (China)]. E-mail: wfy1975@163.com; Lin Xiangui [Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210008 (China); Yin Rui [Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province 210008 (China)

2007-05-15

A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of microbial inoculation on heavy metal phytoextraction by Elsholtzia splendens and whether chitosan could have a synergistic effect with the microbial inocula. The microbial inocula consisted of a consortium of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and two Penicillium fungi. Three treatments were included: the control, inoculation with microbial inocula, and the inoculation combined with chitosan. Microbial inoculation increased plant biomass especially shoot dry weight, enhanced shoot Cu, Zn and Pb concentrations but did not affect Cd, leading to higher shoot Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd uptake. Compared with microbial inoculation alone, chitosan application did not affect plant growth but increased shoot Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations except Cu, which led to higher phytoextraction efficiencies and partitioning to shoots of Zn, Pb and Cd. These results indicated synergistic effects between microbial inocula and chitosan on Zn, Pb and Cd phytoextraction. - Co-application of microbial inocula and chitosan enhanced heavy metal phytoextraction by E. splendens.

Role of microbial inoculation and chitosan in phytoextraction of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd by Elsholtzia splendens - a field case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fayuan; Lin Xiangui; Yin Rui

2007-01-01

A field experiment was carried out to study the effect of microbial inoculation on heavy metal phytoextraction by Elsholtzia splendens and whether chitosan could have a synergistic effect with the microbial inocula. The microbial inocula consisted of a consortium of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and two Penicillium fungi. Three treatments were included: the control, inoculation with microbial inocula, and the inoculation combined with chitosan. Microbial inoculation increased plant biomass especially shoot dry weight, enhanced shoot Cu, Zn and Pb concentrations but did not affect Cd, leading to higher shoot Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd uptake. Compared with microbial inoculation alone, chitosan application did not affect plant growth but increased shoot Zn, Pb and Cd concentrations except Cu, which led to higher phytoextraction efficiencies and partitioning to shoots of Zn, Pb and Cd. These results indicated synergistic effects between microbial inocula and chitosan on Zn, Pb and Cd phytoextraction. - Co-application of microbial inocula and chitosan enhanced heavy metal phytoextraction by E. splendens

Effects of warming on uptake and translocation of cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) in a contaminated soil-rice system under Free Air Temperature Increase (FATI).

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Li-Qiang; Cang, Long; Liu, Hui; Zhou, Dong-Mei

2016-07-01

Global warming has received growing attentions about its potential threats to human in recent, however little is known about its effects on transfer of heavy metals in agro-ecosystem, especially for Cd in rice. Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate Cd/Cu translocation in a contaminated soil-rice system under Free Air Temperature Increase (FATI). The results showed that warming gradually decreased soil porewater pH and increased water-soluble Cd/Cu concentration, reduced formation of iron plaque on root surface, and thus significantly increased total uptake of Cd/Cu by rice. Subsequently, warming significantly promoted Cd translocation from root to shoot, and increased Cd distribution percentage in shoot, while Cu was not significantly affected. Enhanced Cd uptake and translocation synergistically resulted in higher rice grain contamination with increasing concentration from 0.27 to 0.65 and 0.14-0.40 mg kg(-1) for Indica and Japonica rice, respectively. However increase of Cu in brown grain was only attributed to its uptake enhancement under warming. Our study provides a new understanding about the food production insecurity of heavy metal contaminated soil under the future global warming. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Shoot regeneration of limau purut (citrus hystrix) using shoot tip: assessment of calcium gluconate and silver nitrate in overcoming premature leaf senescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eng, W.H.; Aziz, M.A.; Sinniah, U.R.

2014-01-01

This study was carried out to establish an optimum In vitro shoot multiplication system using shoot tip explants derived from 7 week-old seedlings of Citrus hystrix. In the first experiment, shoot tips were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 0-13.33 mu M 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for 8 weeks. Shoot tips cultured on 2.22 mu M BAP produced the highest mean number of shoots (3.42 shoots) but the shoots had low number of leaves (1.14 leaves) due to the occurrence of premature leaf senescence and callus formation. Meanwhile, the medium devoid of BAP produced the lowest mean number of shoots (1.50 shoots) but highest mean number of leaves (5.41 leaves) indicating that BAP was likely responsible for the premature leaf senescence. In order to overcome the occurrence of premature leaf senescence on medium with BAP, a second experiment was carried out whereby shoot tips were cultured on medium containing 2.22 micro M BAP fortified with 2.00, 4.00 and 6.00 mM calcium gluconate (Ca-glu) and a control treatment with 2.22 mu M BAP. The shoot and leaf numbers were increased with the addition of 4.00 and 6.00 mM Ca-glu. The presence of Ca-glu reduced premature leaf senescence and callus formation to some extent. In the third experiment, the addition of silver nitrate (AgNO/sub 3/) at 10-80 micro M in media with 2.22 micro M BAP and 2.22 micro M BAP + 4 mM Ca-glu could totally overcome premature leaf senescence and callus formation. Media supplemented with 2.22 mirco M BAP + 4 mM Ca-glu + 20 micro M AgNOsub 3/ significantly induced among the highest mean number of shoots and highest mean number of leaves per shoot. (author)

Use of micro-PIXE to determine spatial distributions of copper in Brassica carinata plants exposed to CuSO4 or CuEDDS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cestone, Benedetta; Vogel-Mikuš, Katarina; Quartacci, Mike Frank; Rascio, Nicoletta; Pongrac, Paula; Pelicon, Primož; Vavpetič, Primož; Grlj, Nataša; Jeromel, Luka; Kump, Peter; Nečemer, Marijan; Regvar, Marjana; Navari-Izzo, Flavia

2012-01-01

A better understanding of the mechanisms that govern copper (Cu) uptake, distribution and tolerance in Brassica carinata plants in the presence of chelators is needed before significant progress in chelate-assisted Cu phytoextraction can be made. The aims of this study were therefore to characterise (S,S)-N,N′-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS)-assisted Cu uptake, and to compare the spatial distribution patterns of Cu in the roots and leaves of B. carinata plants. The plants were treated with 30 μM or 150 μM CuSO 4 or CuEDDS in hydroponic solution. Quantitative Cu distribution maps and concentration profiles across root and leaf cross-sections of the desorbed plants were obtained by micro-proton induced X-ray emission. In roots, the 30 μM treatments with both CuSO 4 and CuEDDS resulted in higher Cu concentrations in epidermal/cortical regions. At 150 μM CuSO 4 , Cu was mainly accumulated in root vascular bundles, whereas with 150 μM CuEDDS, Cu was detected in endodermis and the adjacent inner cortical cell layer. Under all treatments, except with a H + -ATP-ase inhibitor, the Cu in leaves was localised mainly in vascular tissues. The incubation of plants with 150 μM CuEDDS enhanced metal translocation to shoots, in comparison to the corresponding CuSO 4 treatment. Inhibition of H + -ATPase activity resulted in reduced Cu accumulation in 30 μM CuEDDS-treated roots and 150 μM CuEDDS-treated leaves, and induced changes in Cu distribution in the leaves. This indicates that active mechanisms are involved in retaining Cu in the leaf vascular tissues, which prevent its transport to photosynthetically active tissues. The physiological significance of EDDS-assisted Cu uptake is discussed. - Highlights: ► We localised Cu in Brassica carinata treated with CuSO 4 or CuEDDS by micro-PIXE. ► EDDS-assisted Cu uptake and transport resulted in preserved root endodermis. ► EDDS enhanced Cu transport from roots to shoots. ► Cu sequestration within leaf veins

Accumulation of lead (Pb) in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from a lake downstream a former shooting range.

Science.gov (United States)

Mariussen, Espen; Heier, Lene Sørlie; Teien, Hans Christian; Pettersen, Marit Nandrup; Holth, Tor Fredrik; Salbu, Brit; Rosseland, Bjørn Olav

2017-01-01

An environmental survey was performed in Lake Kyrtjønn, a small lake within an abandoned shooting range in the south of Norway. In Lake Kyrtjønn the total water concentrations of Pb (14µg/L), Cu (6.1µg/L) and Sb (1.3µg/L) were elevated compared to the nearby reference Lake Stitjønn, where the total concentrations of Pb, Cu and Sb were 0.76, 1.8 and 0.12µg/L, respectively. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) from Lake Kyrtjønn had very high levels of Pb in bone (104mg/kg w.w.), kidney (161mg/kg w.w.) and the gills (137mg/kg d.w), and a strong inhibition of the ALA-D enzyme activity were observed in the blood (24% of control). Dry fertilized brown trout eggs were placed in the small outlet streams from Lake Kyrtjønn and the reference lake for 6 months, and the concentrations of Pb and Cu in eggs from the Lake Kyrtjønn stream were significantly higher than in eggs from the reference. More than 90% of Pb accumulated in the egg shell, whereas more than 80% of the Cu and Zn accumulated in the egg interior. Pb in the lake sediments was elevated in the upper 2-5cm layer (410-2700mg/kg d.w), and was predominantly associated with redox sensitive fractions (e.g., organic materials, hydroxides) indicating low potential mobility and bioavailability of the deposited Pb. Only minor amounts of Cu and Sb were deposited in the sediments. The present work showed that the adult brown trout, as well as fertilized eggs and alevins, may be subjected to increased stress due to chronic exposure to Pb, whereas exposure to Cu, Zn and Sb were of less importance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of irradiation on physicochemical and sensory qualities of fermented shoot tip of sweet potato

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cui Li; Liu Chunquan; Li Dajing; Song Jiangfeng; Jiang Ning; Liu Chunju; Wu Haihong; Zhu Danyu

2011-01-01

The effect of irradiation on sensory quality, physicochemical and functional prosperities of fermented shoot tips of sweet potatoes were studied. The results showed that total content of free amino acids in fermented shoot tips of sweet potato were not influenced at 4 kGy irradiation, but increased at 6 kGy. Total content of organic acids in shoot tips were not influenced by 2 ∼ 6 kGy of irradiation. The total viable cells of the tips was reduced from 7.35 to 4.67 log CFU/g at 2 kGy irradiation, and no growth of total viable cells was observed at 4 and 6 kGy irradiated fermented shoot tips. It is recommended that 4 kGy was the endurance irradiation dose for fermented shoot tips of sweet potato to ensure the maximum retention of taste quality and health-relevant functionality. (authors)

Shoot regeneration and embryogenesis in lily shoot tips cryopreserved by droplet vitrification

Science.gov (United States)

Shoot regeneration and embryogenesis were, for the first time, achieved directly in shoot tips of Lilium Oriental hybrid ‘Siberia’ following cryopreservation by droplet-vitrification. Shoot tips (2 mm in length) including 2-3 leaf primordia were excised from 4-week-old adventitious shoots directly r...

Shoot growth of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevine varieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Borghezan

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to evaluate shoot growth of the grapevine varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, during 2006/2007, and Cabernet Sauvignon, during 2008/2009, in São Joaquim, SC, Brazil. The experiment was carried out in a commercial vineyard trained on a vertical trellis system. The shoots of the central part of the plants were selected, and the lengths from the base to the apex of 20 shoots per cultivar were evaluated. In 2006/2007, monitoring began at pruning, on 9/15/2006, and ended on 2/6/2007, totalizing 144 days of evaluation. During the 2008/2009 cycle, phenology and shoot growth for 'Cabernet Sauvignon' were assessed from grape development (1/13/2009 (pea-sized grapes until shoot vegetative growth had ceased. Budburst occurred in the second half of September, and shoot-growth cessation occurred during ripening. Higher growth rates (about 4 cm per day were observed in pre- and post-flowering, followed by reduction due to the competition for photosynthates for the formation of flowers and bunches. Temperature and photoperiod induce grapevine shoots to cease growth in the highland regions of Santa Catarina State, Brazil.

Morphological and functional responses of a metal-tolerant sunflower mutant line to a copper-contaminated soil series.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolbas, Aliaksandr; Kolbas, Natallia; Marchand, Lilian; Herzig, Rolf; Mench, Michel

2018-04-02

The potential use of a metal-tolerant sunflower mutant line for biomonitoring Cu phytoavailability, Cu-induced soil phytotoxicity, and Cu phytoextraction was assessed on a Cu-contaminated soil series (13-1020 mg Cu kg -1 ) obtained by fading a sandy topsoil from a wood preservation site with a similar uncontaminated soil. Morphological and functional plant responses as well as shoot, leaf, and root ionomes were measured after a 1-month pot experiment. Hypocotyl length, shoot and root dry weight (DW) yields, and leaf area gradually decreased as soil Cu exposure rose. Their dose-response curves (DRC) plotted against indicators of Cu exposure were generally well fitted by sigmoidal curves. The half-maximal effective concentration (EC 50 ) of morphological parameters ranged between 203 and 333 mg Cu kg -1 soil, corresponding to 290-430 μg Cu L -1 in the soil pore water, and 20 ± 5 mg Cu kg -1 DW in the shoots. The EC 10 for shoot Cu concentration (13-15 mg Cu kg -1 DW) coincided to 166 mg Cu kg -1 soil. Total chlorophyll content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were early biomarkers (EC 10 : 23 and 51 mg Cu kg -1 soil). Their DRC displayed a biphasic response. Photosynthetic pigment contents, e.g., carotenoids, correlated with TAC. Ionome was changed in Cu-stressed roots, shoots, and leaves. Shoot Cu removal peaked roughly at 280 μg Cu L -1 in the soil pore water.

Phytoextraction of Pb and Cu contaminated soil with maize and microencapsulated EDTA.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Zhiyi; Wu, Longhua; Chen, Nengchang; Liu, Chengshuai; Zheng, Yuji; Xu, Shengguang; Li, Fangbai; Xu, Yanling

2012-09-01

Chelate-assisted phytoextraction using agricultural crops has been widely investigated as a remediation technique for soils contaminated with low mobility potentially toxic elements. Here, we report the use of a controlled-release microencapsulated EDTA (Cap-EDTA) by emulsion solvent evaporation to phytoremediate soil contaminated with Pb and Cu. Incubation experiments were carried out to assess the effect of Cap- and non-microencapsulated EDTA (Ncap-EDTA) on the mobility of soil metals. Results showed EDTA effectively increased the mobility of Pb and Cu in the soil solution and Cap-EDTA application provided lower and more constant water-soluble concentrations of Pb and Cu in comparison with. Phytotoxicity may be alleviated and plant uptake of Pb and Cu may be increased after the incorporation of Cap-EDTA. In addition phytoextraction efficiencies of maize after Cap- and Ncap-EDTA application were tested in a pot experiment. Maize shoot concentrations of Pb and Cu were lower with Cap-EDTA application than with Ncap-EDTA. However, shoot dry weight was significantly higher with Cap-EDTA application. Consequently, the Pb and Cu phytoextraction potential of maize significantly increased with Cap-EDTA application compared with the control and Ncap-EDTA application.

Sirococcus Shoot Blight

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas H. Nicholls; Kathryn Robbins

1984-01-01

Sirococcus shoot blight, caused by the fungus Sirococcus strobilinus Preuss, affects conifers in the Northern United States and southern Canada. The fungus infects the new shoots; diseased seedlings and saplings are especially affected. In the United States, sirococcus shoot blight has become increasingly widespread since the early 1970's. When favorable...

PERBANDINGAN JUMP SHOOT DENGAN AWALAN DAN TANPA AWALAN TERHADAP PENINGKATAN KETEPATAN SHOOTING DALAM PERMAINAN BOLABASKET

OpenAIRE

I Gusti Ngurah Agung Cahya Prananta; N. Adiputra; I P G Adiatmika

2015-01-01

The effectiveness of  jump-shoot technique step jump shoot and still jump shoot in a game is still questionable,  because many different assumptions arise. One opinion stated that step jump shoot was more effective and the other stated that and still jump shoot was more efective. Therefore it is necessary to do research on the analysis of the results of step jump shoot and and still jump shoot to improve the accuracy of shooting in a basketball. The experimental research had been conducted on...

Exposure to lead in South African shooting ranges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathee, Angela; Jager, Pieter de; Naidoo, Shan; Naicker, Nisha

2017-01-01

Introduction: Lead exposure in shooting ranges has been under scrutiny for decades, but no information in this regard is available in respect of African settings, and in South Africa specifically. The aim of this study was to determine the blood lead levels in the users of randomly selected private shooting ranges in South Africa's Gauteng province. Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was conducted, with participants recruited from four randomly selected shooting ranges and three archery ranges as a comparator group. Results: A total of 118 (87 shooters and 31 archers) were included in the analysis. Shooters had significantly higher blood lead levels (BLL) compared to archers with 36/85 (42.4%) of shooters versus 2/34 (5.9%) of archers found to have a BLL ≥10 μg/dl (p<0.001). Conclusion: Shooting ranges may constitute an import site of elevated exposure to lead. Improved ventilation, low levels of awareness of lead hazards, poor housekeeping, and inadequate personal hygiene facilities and practices at South African shooting ranges need urgent attention. - Highlights: • This is the first study, to our knowledge, of lead exposure in shooting ranges in an African setting. • This study indicates highly elevated lead exposure amongst the users of certain private shooting ranges in South Africa. • Lead exposure may be a serious, yet under-studied, source of adult lead exposure in South Africa, and possibly elsewhere on the African continent.

Exposure to lead in South African shooting ranges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathee, Angela [South African Medical Research Council, Environment & Health Research Unit, PO Box 87373, Houghton 2041 (South Africa); University of the Witwatersrand (School of Public Health), PO Box Wits, Johannesburg 2050 (South Africa); University of Johannesburg (Environmental Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences), PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006 (South Africa); Jager, Pieter de [University of the Witwatersrand (School of Public Health), PO Box Wits, Johannesburg 2050 (South Africa); National Health Laboratory Service (Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, National Institute for Occupational Health), PO Box 4788, Johannesburg 2000 (South Africa); Naidoo, Shan [University of the Witwatersrand (School of Public Health), PO Box Wits, Johannesburg 2050 (South Africa); Naicker, Nisha [South African Medical Research Council, Environment & Health Research Unit, PO Box 87373, Houghton 2041 (South Africa); University of the Witwatersrand, School of Public Health, PO Box Wits, Johannesburg 2050 (South Africa); University of Johannesburg, Environmental Health Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2006 (South Africa)

2017-02-15

Introduction: Lead exposure in shooting ranges has been under scrutiny for decades, but no information in this regard is available in respect of African settings, and in South Africa specifically. The aim of this study was to determine the blood lead levels in the users of randomly selected private shooting ranges in South Africa's Gauteng province. Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was conducted, with participants recruited from four randomly selected shooting ranges and three archery ranges as a comparator group. Results: A total of 118 (87 shooters and 31 archers) were included in the analysis. Shooters had significantly higher blood lead levels (BLL) compared to archers with 36/85 (42.4%) of shooters versus 2/34 (5.9%) of archers found to have a BLL ≥10 μg/dl (p<0.001). Conclusion: Shooting ranges may constitute an import site of elevated exposure to lead. Improved ventilation, low levels of awareness of lead hazards, poor housekeeping, and inadequate personal hygiene facilities and practices at South African shooting ranges need urgent attention. - Highlights: • This is the first study, to our knowledge, of lead exposure in shooting ranges in an African setting. • This study indicates highly elevated lead exposure amongst the users of certain private shooting ranges in South Africa. • Lead exposure may be a serious, yet under-studied, source of adult lead exposure in South Africa, and possibly elsewhere on the African continent.

Branch architecture in Ginkgo biloba: wood anatomy and long shoot-short shoot interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Stefan A; Jacobs, Brooke; McKechnie, Steven J; Cooper, Ranessa L; Christianson, Michael L; Jernstedt, Judith A

2013-10-01

Ginkgo, centrally placed in seed plant phylogeny, is considered important in many phylogenetic and evolutionary studies. Shoot dimorphism of Ginkgo has been long noted, but no work has yet been done to evaluate the relationships between overall branch architecture and wood ring characters, shoot growth, and environmental conditions. • Branches, sampled from similar canopy heights, were mapped with the age of each long shoot segment determined by counting annual leaf-scar series on its short shoots. Transverse sections were made for each long shoot segment and an adjacent short shoot; wood ring thickness, number of rings, and number of tracheids/ring were determined. Using branch maps, we identified wood rings for each long shoot segment to year and developmental context of each year (distal short shoot growth only vs. at least one distal long shoot). Climate data were also analyzed in conjunction with developmental context. • Significantly thicker wood rings occur in years with distal long shoot development. The likelihood that a branch produced long shoots in a given year was lower with higher maximum annual temperature. Annual maximum temperature was negatively correlated with ring thickness in microsporangiate trees only. Annual minimum temperatures were correlated differently with ring thickness of megasporangiate and microsporangiate trees, depending on the developmental context. There were no significant effects associated with precipitation. • Overall, developmental context alone predicts wood ring thickness about as well as models that include temperature. This suggests that although climatic factors may be strongly correlated with wood ring data among many gymnosperm taxa, at least for Ginkgo, correlations with climate data are primarily due to changes in proportions of shoot developmental types (LS vs. SS) across branches.

The Effect of Nitrate Levels and Harvest Times on Fe, Zn, Cu, and K, Concentrations and Nitrate Reductase Activity in Lettuce and Spinach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Gheshlaghi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Leafy vegetables are considered as the main sources of nitrate in the human diet. In order to investigate the effect of nitrate levels and harvest times on nitrate accumulation, nitrate reductase activity, concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu and K in Lettuce and Spinach and their relation to nitrate accumulation in these leafy vegetables, two harvest times (29 and 46 days after transplanting, two vegetable species of lettuce and spinach and two concentrations of nitrate (10 and 20 mM were used in a hydroponics greenhouse experiment with a completely randomized design and 3 replications. Modified Hoagland and Arnon nutrient solutions were used for the experiment. The results indicated that by increasing nitrate concentration of solution, nitrate accumulation in roots and shoots of lettuce and spinach increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05, and the same trend was observed for the nitrate reductase activity in the shoots of the two species. Increasing the nitrate concentrations of solution, reduced the shoot dry weight and the concentration of Fe and Cu in both species, where as it increased the K and Zn concentrations in the shoots of the two species in each both harvest times, the nitrate accumulation increased, but the nitrate reductase activity decreased in the shoots of the two species over the course of the growth. The Concentration of Fe, Cu and K decreased in the shoots of lettuce and the spinach with the time, despite the increase in Zn concentration in the shoots. The results also indicated that increasing nitrate concentrations of solution to the levels greater than the plant capacity for reduction and net uptake of nitrate, leads to the nitrate accumulation in the plants. Nitrate accumulation in plant tissue led to decreases in fresh shoot yield and Fe and Cu concentrations and nitrate reductase activities in both lettuce and spinach.

Use of micro-PIXE to determine spatial distributions of copper in Brassica carinata plants exposed to CuSO{sub 4} or CuEDDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cestone, Benedetta, E-mail: benedettacestone@yahoo.it [Department of Biology of Crop Plants, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56121 Pisa (Italy); Vogel-Mikus, Katarina [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, S1-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Quartacci, Mike Frank [Department of Biology of Crop Plants, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56121 Pisa (Italy); Rascio, Nicoletta [Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35121 Padova (Italy); Pongrac, Paula [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, S1-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Pelicon, Primoz; Vavpetic, Primoz; Grlj, Natasa; Jeromel, Luka; Kump, Peter; Necemer, Marijan [Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Regvar, Marjana [Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna pot 111, S1-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Navari-Izzo, Flavia [Department of Biology of Crop Plants, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56121 Pisa (Italy)

2012-06-15

A better understanding of the mechanisms that govern copper (Cu) uptake, distribution and tolerance in Brassica carinata plants in the presence of chelators is needed before significant progress in chelate-assisted Cu phytoextraction can be made. The aims of this study were therefore to characterise (S,S)-N,N Prime -ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS)-assisted Cu uptake, and to compare the spatial distribution patterns of Cu in the roots and leaves of B. carinata plants. The plants were treated with 30 {mu}M or 150 {mu}M CuSO{sub 4} or CuEDDS in hydroponic solution. Quantitative Cu distribution maps and concentration profiles across root and leaf cross-sections of the desorbed plants were obtained by micro-proton induced X-ray emission. In roots, the 30 {mu}M treatments with both CuSO{sub 4} and CuEDDS resulted in higher Cu concentrations in epidermal/cortical regions. At 150 {mu}M CuSO{sub 4}, Cu was mainly accumulated in root vascular bundles, whereas with 150 {mu}M CuEDDS, Cu was detected in endodermis and the adjacent inner cortical cell layer. Under all treatments, except with a H{sup +}-ATP-ase inhibitor, the Cu in leaves was localised mainly in vascular tissues. The incubation of plants with 150 {mu}M CuEDDS enhanced metal translocation to shoots, in comparison to the corresponding CuSO{sub 4} treatment. Inhibition of H{sup +}-ATPase activity resulted in reduced Cu accumulation in 30 {mu}M CuEDDS-treated roots and 150 {mu}M CuEDDS-treated leaves, and induced changes in Cu distribution in the leaves. This indicates that active mechanisms are involved in retaining Cu in the leaf vascular tissues, which prevent its transport to photosynthetically active tissues. The physiological significance of EDDS-assisted Cu uptake is discussed. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We localised Cu in Brassica carinata treated with CuSO{sub 4} or CuEDDS by micro-PIXE. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer EDDS-assisted Cu uptake and transport resulted in preserved root

Prosopis juliflora--a green solution to decontaminate heavy metal (Cu and Cd) contaminated soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Senthilkumar, P; Prince, W S P M; Sivakumar, S; Subbhuraam, C V

2005-09-01

Soil and plant samples (root and shoot) of Prosopis juliflora were collected in the vicinity of metal based foundry units in Coimbatore and assessed for their heavy metal content (Cu and Cd) to ascertain the use of P. juliflora as a green solution to decontaminate soils contaminated with Cu and Cd. The results showed that Cu and Cd content was much higher in plant components compared to their extractable level in the soil. Furthermore, there exist a strong correlation between the distance of the sources of industrial units and accumulation of heavy metals in plants. Accumulation of Cd in roots is comparatively higher than that of shoots. However, in case of Cu no such clear trend is seen. Considering the accumulation efficiency and tolerance of P. juliflora to Cd and Cu, this plant can be explored further for the decontamination of metal polluted soils. On the other hand, in view of heavy metal accumulate the practice of providing foliage and pods as fodder for live stock should be avoided.

PERBANDINGAN JUMP SHOOT DENGAN AWALAN DAN TANPA AWALAN TERHADAP PENINGKATAN KETEPATAN SHOOTING DALAM PERMAINAN BOLABASKET

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I Gusti Ngurah Agung Cahya Prananta

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The effectiveness of  jump-shoot technique step jump shoot and still jump shoot in a game is still questionable,  because many different assumptions arise. One opinion stated that step jump shoot was more effective and the other stated that and still jump shoot was more efective. Therefore it is necessary to do research on the analysis of the results of step jump shoot and and still jump shoot to improve the accuracy of shooting in a basketball. The experimental research had been conducted on 20samples of people whowere selected randomly from the men's basketball club of the Faculty of Physical Educationand Health of Teacher Training Institute PGRI Bali. Samples were divided into two groups each  consisting of 10 people. Group I was given training step  jump shoot four sets of 10 reps  and Group II training still jump shoot four sets of 10 reps. The data before and after treatment were tested by SPSS computer program. The data were normally distributed and homogeneous so further tested using pairedt-test to compare the average values?? before and after training between each group, while the independent t-test was used to determine differences in mean values?? between the two groups. Paired t-test resulted the obtained data were significantly increased in both treatment groups p=0,001 in Group I and p=0,000 in Group II (p <0.05. Results of independent t-test found that both groups before training did not differ significantly p=0,926 (p>0.05 and after training both groups equally improve the accuracy of shooting because p=0,133 (p>0.05. It was concluded that botht raining improved the shooting accuracy and there was no difference between the effect of step jumps hoot and still jump shoot toward the shooting accuracy. It was suggested to improve the shooting accuracy in basketball used step jump shoot training and still jump shoot training four sets of 10 reps with a training frequency of 4 times a week for 6 weeks

Cuándo indicar una prótesis total de cadera

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L. Marcelo Somarriva

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Son varios los aspectos que hay que evaluar para tomar la decisión de cuándo indicar una Prótesis de Cadera en el caso de una Coxartrosis. Es fundamental considerar el daño de la articulación, la edad, el dolor, la capacidad funcional, el estado de las condiciones generales del paciente y finalmente, cuáles son sus expectativas luego del reemplazo total de su cadera. En el paciente mayor con limitación funcional se debe evitar una espera innecesaria, ya que esto sólo logrará peores resultados luego de la cirugía. En el paciente joven en cambio, la decisión se deberá tomar luego de hacer un análisis que considere todos los factores enunciados.

Mass shootings: a meta-analysis of the dose-response relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Laura C

2014-12-01

A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the dose-response theory as it relates to posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs) following mass shootings. It was hypothesized that greater exposure to a mass shooting would be associated with greater PTSSs. Trauma exposure in the current study was broadly defined as the extent to which a person experienced or learned about a mass shooting. The meta-analysis identified 11 qualifying studies that included 13 independent effect sizes from a total of 8,047 participants. The overall weighted mean effect size, based on a random effects model, was r = .19, p shooting on the relationship between exposure and PTSSs. Because so few studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, the present study also documents that this area of the literature is underresearched. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Photosynthesis of a scots pine shoot: the effect of shoot inclination on the photosynthetic response of a shoot subjected to direct radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oker-Blom, P.; Kellomaki, S.; Smolander, H.

1983-01-01

A set of photosynthetic responses of a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) shoot to light was derived from the shoot geometry and the photosynthetic response of a single needle. Computations showed that the shape of the photosynthesis light-curves varies substantially depending on the direction of radiation relative to the shoot position. Differences in the initial and maximum rates of photosynthesis were due to changes in the effective projection area and the irradiated fraction of the shoot, respectively

School Shootings and Student Performance

OpenAIRE

Panu Poutvaara; Olli Ropponen

2010-01-01

In this paper, we study how high school students reacted to the shocking news of a school shooting. The shooting coincided with national high-school matriculation exams. As there were exams both before and after the shooting, we can use a difference-in-differences analysis to uncover how the school shooting affected the test scores compared to previous years. We find that the average performance of young men declined due to the school shooting, whereas we do not observe a similar pattern for ...

A new technique for online measurement of total and water-soluble copper (Cu) in coarse particulate matter (PM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Dongbin; Shafer, Martin M.; Schauer, James J.; Sioutas, Constantinos

2015-01-01

This study presents a novel system for online, field measurement of copper (Cu) in ambient coarse (2.5–10 μm) particulate matter (PM). This new system utilizes two virtual impactors combined with a modified liquid impinger (BioSampler) to collect coarse PM directly as concentrated slurry samples. The total and water-soluble Cu concentrations are subsequently measured by a copper Ion Selective Electrode (ISE). Laboratory evaluation results indicated excellent collection efficiency (over 85%) for particles in the coarse PM size ranges. In the field evaluations, very good agreements for both total and water-soluble Cu concentrations were obtained between online ISE-based monitor measurements and those analyzed by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Moreover, the field tests indicated that the Cu monitor could achieve near-continuous operation for at least 6 consecutive days (a time resolution of 2–4 h) without obvious shortcomings. - Highlights: • A novel only PM sampling and Cu measuring technology is developed. • Very good particle collection efficiency for coarse PM is observed. • Excellent agreement is obtained between Cu ISE and offline ICP-MS measurements. • The new system can be continuously operated for at least 6 consecutive days. - A new technique for online measurements of Cu in coarse PM is described

NaCl protects against Cd and Cu-induced toxicity in the halophyte Atriplex halimus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bankaji, I.; Sleimi, N.; Gómez-Cadenas, A.; Pérez-Clemente, R.M.

2016-07-01

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the extent of Cd- and Cu-induced oxidative stress and the antioxidant response triggered in the halophyte species Atriplex halimus after metallic trace elements exposure. Plants were treated for one month with Cd2+ or Cu2+ (400 µM) in the absence or presence of 200 mM NaCl in the irrigation solution. The interaction between salinity and heavy metal stress was analyzed in relation to plant growth, tissue ion contents (Na+, K+ and Mg2+), oxidative damage and antioxidative metabolism. Data indicate that shoot and root weight significantly decreased as a consequence of Cd2+- or Cu2+-induced stress. Metallic stress leads to unbalanced nutrient uptake by reducing the translocation of K+ and Mg2+ from the root to the shoot. The levels of malondialdehyde increased in root tissue when Cd, and especially Cu, were added to the irrigation solution, indicating that oxidative damage occurred. Results showed that NaCl gave a partial protection against Cd and Cu induced toxicity, although these contaminants had distinct influence on plant physiology. It can be concluded that salinity drastically modified heavy metal absorption and improved plant growth. Salinity also decreased oxidative damage, but differently in plants exposed to Cd or Cu stress.

Carbon dioxide exchange in Norway spruce at the shoot, tree and ecosystem scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallin, G; Linder, S; Lindroth, A; Räntfors, M; Flemberg, S; Grelle, A

2001-08-01

Net CO2 exchange in a 35-year-old boreal Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) forest in northern Sweden was measured at the shoot (NSE), tree (NTE) and ecosystem levels (NEE) by means of shoot cuvettes, whole-tree chambers and the eddy covariance technique, respectively. We compared the dynamics of gross primary production (GPP) at the three levels during the course of a single week. The diurnal dynamics of GPP at each level were estimated by subtracting half-hourly or hourly model-estimated values of total respiration (excluding light-dependent respiration) from net CO(2) exchange. The relationship between temperature and total respiration at each level was derived from nighttime measurements of NSE, NTE and NEE over the course of 1 month. There was a strong linear relationship (r2 = 0.93) between the hourly estimates of GPP at the shoot and tree levels, but the correlation between shoot- and ecosystem-level GPP was weaker (r2 = 0.69). However, the correlation between shoot- and ecosystem-level GPP was improved (r2 = 0.88) if eddy covariance measurements were restricted to periods when friction velocity was > or = 0.5 m s(-1). Daily means were less dependent on friction velocity, giving an r2 value of 0.94 between shoot- and ecosystem-level GPP. The correlation between shoot and tree levels also increased when daily means were compared (r2 = 0.98). Most of the measured variation in carbon exchange rate among the shoot, tree and ecosystem levels was the result of periodic low coupling between vegetation and the atmosphere at the ecosystem level. The results validate the use of measurements at the shoot and tree level for analyzing the contribution of different compartments to net ecosystem CO2 exchange.

Genetic variation in pea (Pisum sativum L.) demonstrates the importance of root but not shoot C/N ratios in the control of plant morphology and reveals a unique relationship between shoot length and nodulation intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludidi, Ndiko N; Pellny, Till K; Kiddle, Guy; Dutilleul, Christelle; Groten, Karin; VAN Heerden, Philippus D R; Dutt, Som; Powers, Stephen J; Römer, Peter; Foyer, Christine H

2007-10-01

Nodule numbers are regulated through systemic auto-regulatory signals produced by shoots and roots. The relative effects of shoot and root genotype on nodule numbers together with relationships to organ biomass, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) status, and related parameters were measured in pea (Pisum sativum) exploiting natural genetic variation in maturity and apparent nodulation intensity. Reciprocal grafting experiments between the early (Athos), intermediate (Phönix) and late (S00182) maturity phenotypes were performed and Pearson's correlation coefficients for the parameters were calculated. No significant correlations were found between shoot C/N ratios and plant morphology parameters, but the root C/N ratio showed a strong correlation with root fresh and dry weights as well as with shoot fresh weight with less significant interactions with leaf number. Hence, the root C/N ratio rather than shoot C/N had a predominant influence on plant morphology when pea plants are grown under conditions of symbiotic nitrogen supply. The only phenotypic characteristic that showed a statistically significant correlation with nodulation intensity was shoot length, which accounted for 68.5% of the variation. A strong linear relationship was demonstrated between shoot length and nodule numbers. Hence, pea nodule numbers are controlled by factors related to shoot extension, but not by shoot or root biomass accumulation, total C or total N. The relationship between shoot length and nodule numbers persisted under field conditions. These results suggest that stem height could be used as a breeding marker for the selection of pea cultivars with high nodule numbers and high seed N contents.

Phytosterols elevation in bamboo shoot residue through laboratorial scale solid-state fermentation using isolated Aspergillus niger CTBU.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, X X; Chen, R S; Shen, Y; Yin, Z Y

2014-04-01

Aspergillus niger CTBU isolated from local decayed bamboo shoot residue was employed to solid-state fermentation (SSF) of bamboo shoot residue to elevate the content of phytosterols. Strain acclimatization was carried out under the fermentation condition using bamboo shoot as substrate for fermentation performance improvement. The optimal fermentation temperature and nitrogen level were investigated using acclimatized strain, and SSF was carried out in a 500-ml Erlenmeyer flask feeding 300-mg bamboo shoot residue chips under the optimal condition (33 °C and feeding 4 % urea), and 1,186 mg (100 g)(-1) of total phytosterol was attained after 5-day fermentation, in comparison, only 523 mg (100 g)(-1) of phytosterol was assayed in fresh shoots residue. HPLC analysis of the main composition of total phytosterols displays that the types of phytosterols and composition ratio of main sterols keep steady. This laboratorial scale SSF unit could be scaled up for raw phytosterols production from discarded bamboo shoot residue and could reduce its cost.

Violence and school shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Flannery, Daniel J; Modzeleski, William; Kretschmar, Jeff M

2013-01-01

Multiple-homicide school shootings are rare events, but when they happen they significantly impact individuals, the school and the community. We focus on multiple-homicide incidents and identified mental health issues of shooters. To date, studies of school shootings have concluded that no reliable profile of a shooter exists, so risk should be assessed using comprehensive threat assessment protocols. Existing studies primarily utilize retrospective case histories or media accounts. The field requires more empirical and systematic research on all types of school shootings including single victim incidents, those that result in injury but not death and those that are successfully averted. We discuss current policies and practices related to school shootings and the role of mental health professionals in assessing risk and supporting surviving victims.

PEMBELAJARAN LAY UP SHOOT MENGGUNAKAN MEDIA AUDIO VISUAL BASIC LAY UP SHOOT UNTUK MENINGKATKAN HASILBELAJAR LAY UP SHOOT PADA SISWA KELAS VIIIA SMP KANISIUS PATI TAHUN 2013/2014

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Frendy Nurochwan Febryanto

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the learning lay up shoot using basic audiovisual media shoot lay ups can improve learning outcomes shoot lay ups in class VIIIA Starch Canisius junior year 2013/2014 . This study uses Classroom Action Research ( CAR. The technique of collecting data through observation and assessment of learning outcomes shoot basketball lay up. Data analysis techniques used in this research is descriptive . At the end of the first cycle activity of teachers in teaching basic techniques lay up shoot using audio-visual media reaches 76.19%, whereas at the end of the first cycle of student activity during the learning process lay up shoot using audio-visualmediareaches78.57%. At the end of the second cycle of activity of teachers in teaching basic techniques lay up shoot using audio-visual media reaches 85.71%, whereas at the end of the second cycle of activity of students during the learning process lay up shoot using audio-visual media reaches 92.86%. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that learning the lay-up shoot using basic audiovisual media shoot lay ups can improve student learning outcomes at Canisius junior class VIIIA Pati year 2013/2014.

Adolescent mass shootings: developmental considerations in light of the Sandy Hook shooting.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, Timothy R; Hoffman, Leon

2015-05-01

Adolescent mass shootings are a special subset of mass killings, which continue despite significant preventative public health efforts. It is often held that these individuals have few salient warning signs that could have been identified. This piece proposes that mass shootings committed by adolescent and post-adolescent young males must be understood from a developmental perspective. The hypothesis proposed in this paper is that such killings occur as the result of the adolescent's frustrated effort to progress along normative development. The goal of normative separation from maternal figures by the boy is presented as a potential risk factor when this goal is thwarted. Childhood case material from the perpetrator of a recent adolescent mass shooting, the Sandy Hook shooting, is discussed as an illustration of this hypothesis. Implications for public health measures and for individualized treatment are presented and developed.

Fruit production and branching density affect shoot and whole-tree wood to leaf biomass ratio in olive.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosati, Adolfo; Paoletti, Andrea; Al Hariri, Raeed; Famiani, Franco

2018-02-14

The amount of shoot stem (i.e., woody part of the shoot) dry matter per unit shoot leaf dry matter (i.e., the shoot wood to leaf biomass ratio) has been reported to be lower in short shoots than in long ones, and this is related to the greater and earlier ability of short shoots to export carbon. This is important in fruit trees, since the greater and earlier carbon export ability of shoots with a lower wood to leaf biomass ratio improves fruit production. This ratio may vary with cultivars, training systems or plant age, but no study has previously investigated the possible effect of fruit production. In this study on two olive cultivars (i.e., Arbequina, with low growth rate, and Frantoio, with high growth rate) subject to different fruit production treatments, we found that at increasing fruit production, shoot length and shoot wood to leaf biomass ratio were proportionally reduced in the new shoots growing at the same time as the fruit. Specifically, fruit production proportionally reduced total new-shoot biomass, length, leaf area and average shoot length. With decreasing shoot length, shoot diameter, stem mass, internode length, individual leaf area and shoot wood to leaf biomass ratio also decreased. This may be viewed as a plant strategy to better support fruit growth in the current year, given the greater and earlier ability of short shoots to export carbon. Moreover, at the whole-tree level, the percentage of total tree biomass production invested in leaves was closely correlated with branching density, which differed significantly across cultivars. By branching more, Arbequina concentrates more shoots (thus leaves) per unit of wood (trunk, branches and root) mass, decreasing wood to leaf biomass ratio at the whole-tree level. Therefore, while, at the shoot level, shoot length determines shoot wood to leaf biomass ratio, at the canopy level branching density is also an important determinant of whole-tree wood to leaf biomass ratio. Whole-tree wood to leaf

Chemical Speciation and Quantitative Evaluation of Heavy Metal Pollution Hazards in Two Army Shooting Range Backstop Soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Islam, Mohammad Nazrul; Nguyen, Xuan Phuc; Jung, Ho-Young; Park, Jeong-Hun

2016-02-01

The chemical speciation and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in two shooting range backstop soils in Korea were studied. Both soils were highly contaminated with Cd, Cu, Pb, and Sb. The chemical speciation of heavy metals reflected the present status of contamination, which could help in promoting management practices. We-rye soil had a higher proportion of exchangeable and carbonate bound metals and water-extractable Cd and Sb than the Cho-do soil. Bioavailable Pb represented 42 % of the total Pb content in both soils. A significant amount of Sb was found in the two most bioavailable fractions, amounting to ~32 % in the soil samples, in good agreement with the batch leaching test using water. Based on the values of ecological risk indices, both soils showed extremely high potential risk and may represent serious environmental problems.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis differentially regulates the copper response of two maize cultivars differing in copper tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlos, Miguel A; Zitka, Ondrej; Vojtech, Adam; Azcón-Aguilar, Concepción; Ferrol, Nuria

2016-12-01

Arbuscular mycorrhiza can increase plant tolerance to heavy metals. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza on plant metal tolerance vary depending on the fungal and plant species involved. Here, we report the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis on the physiological and biochemical responses to Cu of two maize genotypes differing in Cu tolerance, the Cu-sensitive cv. Orense and the Cu-tolerant cv. Oropesa. Development of the symbiosis confers an increased Cu tolerance to cv. Orense. Root and shoot Cu concentrations were lower in mycorrhizal than in non-mycorrhizal plants of both cultivars. Shoot lipid peroxidation increased with soil Cu content only in non-mycorrhizal plants of the Cu-sensitive cultivar. Root lipid peroxidation increased with soil Cu content, except in mycorrhizal plants grown at 250mg Cu kg -1 soil. In shoots of mycorrhizal plants of both cultivars, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase activities were not affected by soil Cu content. In Cu-supplemented soils, total phytochelatin content increased in shoots of mycorrhizal cv. Orense but decreased in cv. Oropesa. Overall, these data suggest that the increased Cu tolerance of mycorrhizal plants of cv. Orense could be due to an increased induction of shoot phytochelatin biosynthesis by the symbiosis in this cultivar. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plant uptake of trace elements on a Swiss military shooting range: Uptake pathways and land management implications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Brett H. [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Universitaetstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zuerich (Switzerland)], E-mail: brett.robinson@env.ethz.ch; Bischofberger, Simone; Stoll, Andreas; Schroer, Dirk; Furrer, Gerhard; Roulier, Stephanie; Gruenwald, Anna; Attinger, Werner; Schulin, Rainer [Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Universitaetstrasse 16, CH-8092 Zuerich (Switzerland)

2008-06-15

Over 400 tons of Pb enters Swiss soils annually at some 2000 military shooting ranges (MSRs). We measured elements in the leaves of 10 plant species and associated rhizospheric soil on the stop butt of a disused MSR. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Sb, Cu, Ni in rhizospheric soils were 10,171 mg/kg, 5067 mg/kg, 4125 mg/kg and 917 mg/kg. Some species contained Pb, Cu and Ni, above concentrations (30 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg) shown to be toxic to livestock. Most contaminants in leaves resulted from surface deposition. However, at soil Pb concentrations >60,000 mg/kg, Equisetum arvense and Tussilago farfara took up >1000 mg/kg Pb into the leaves. These plants are not hyperaccumulators, having <100 mg/kg Pb in leaves at lower soil concentrations. Removal of soil with more than 30,000 Pb, from which one could smelt this metal to offset remediation costs, followed by revegetation, would minimise dust and hence leaf-borne contaminants. - Establishment of a complete vegetation cover on shooting ranges would reduce the contamination of plant leaves by toxic trace elements.

In-vitro morphogenesis of corn (Zea mays L.) : I. Differentiation of multiple shoot clumps and somatic embryos from shoot tips.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, H; Srinivasan, C; Sticklen, M B

1992-07-01

In-vitro methods have been developed to regenerate clumps of multiple shoots and somatic embryos at high frequency from shoot tips of aseptically-grown seedlings as well as from shoot apices of precociously-germinated immature zygotic embryos of corn (Zea mays L.). About 500 shoots were produced from a shoot tip after eight weeks of culture (primary culture and one subculture of four weeks) in darkness on Murashige and Skoog basal medium (MS) supplemented with 500 mg/L casein hydrolysate (CH) and 9 μM N(6)-benzyladenine (BA). In this medium, shoots formed in shoot tips as tightly packed "multiple shoot clumps" (MSC), which were composed of some axillary shoots and many adventitious shoots. When the shoot tips were cultured on MS medium containing 500 mg/L CH, 9 μM BA and 2.25 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), most of the shoots in the clumps were adventitious in origin. Similar shoot tips cultured on MS medium containing 500 mg/L CH, 4.5 μM BA and 2.25 μM 2,4-D regenerated many somatic embryos within eight weeks of culture. Somatic embryos were produced either directly from the shoot apical meristems or from calli derived from the shoots apices. Both the MSC and the embryos produced normal shoots on MS medium containing 2.25 μM BA and 1.8 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). These shoots were rooted on MS medium containing 3.6 μM IBA, and fertile corn plants were grown in the greenhouse. The sweet-corn genotype, Honey N Pearl, was used for the experiments described above, but shoot-tip cultures from all of 19 other corn genotypes tested also formed MSC on MS medium containing 500 mg/L CH and 9 μM BA.

Comparative proteomics reveals the physiological differences between winter tender shoots and spring tender shoots of a novel tea (Camellia sinensis L.) cultivar evergrowing in winter.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shengjie; Gao, Jiadong; Chen, Zhongjian; Qiao, Xiaoyan; Huang, Hualin; Cui, Baiyuan; Zhu, Qingfeng; Dai, Zhangyan; Wu, Hualing; Pan, Yayan; Yang, Chengwei; Liu, Jun

2017-11-20

A recently discovered tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze] cultivar can generate tender shoots in winter. We performed comparative proteomics to analyze the differentially accumulated proteins between winter and spring tender shoots of this clonal cultivar to reveal the physiological basis of its evergrowing character during winter. We extracted proteins from the winter and spring tender shoots (newly formed two leaves and a bud) of the evergrowing tea cultivar "Dongcha11" respectively. Thirty-three differentially accumulated high-confidence proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF / TOF MS). Among these, 24 proteins had increased abundance while nine showed were decreased abundance in winter tender shoots as compared with the spring tender shoots. We categorized the differentially accumulated proteins into eight critical biological processes based on protein function annotation including photosynthesis, cell structure, protein synthesis & destination, transporters, metabolism of sugars and polysaccharides, secondary metabolism, disease/defense and proteins with unknown functions. Proteins with increased abundance in winter tender shoots were mainly related to the processes of photosynthesis, cytoskeleton and protein synthesis, whereas those with decreased abundance were correlated to metabolism and the secondary metabolism of polyphenolic flavonoids. Biochemical analysis showed that the total contents of soluble sugar and amino acid were higher in winter tender shoots while tea polyphenols were lower as compared with spring tender shoots. Our study suggested that the simultaneous increase in the abundance of photosynthesis-related proteins rubisco, plastocyanin, and ATP synthase delta chain, metabolism-related proteins eIF4 and protease subunits, and the cytoskeleton-structure associated proteins phosphatidylinositol transfer protein and profilin may be because of the adaptation of the

Current perspectives on shoot branching regulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cunquan YUAN,Lin XI,Yaping KOU,Yu ZHAO,Liangjun ZHAO

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Shoot branching is regulated by the complex interactions among hormones, development, and environmental factors. Recent studies into the regulatory mecha-nisms of shoot branching have focused on strigolactones, which is a new area of investigation in shoot branching regulation. Elucidation of the function of the D53 gene has allowed exploration of detailed mechanisms of action of strigolactones in regulating shoot branching. In addition, the recent discovery that sucrose is key for axillary bud release has challenged the established auxin theory, in which auxin is the principal agent in the control of apical dominance. These developments increase our understan-ding of branching control and indicate that regulation of shoot branching involves a complex network. Here, we first summarize advances in the systematic regulatory network of plant shoot branching based on current information. Then we describe recent developments in the synthesis and signal transduction of strigolactones. Based on these considerations, we further summarize the plant shoot branching regulatory network, including long distance systemic signals and local gene activity mediated by strigolactones following perception of external envi-ronmental signals, such as shading, in order to provide a comprehensive overview of plant shoot branching.

Biological diversity of Salix taxa in Cu, Pb and Zn phytoextraction from soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Mleczek, Mirosław; Rutkowski, Paweł; Goliński, Piotr; Kaczmarek, Zygmunt; Szentner, Kinga; Waliszewska, Bogusława; Stolarski, Mariusz; Szczukowski, Stefan

2017-02-01

The aim of the study was to estimate the efficiency of copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) phytoextraction by 145 Salix taxa cultivated in an area affected by industrial activity. Survivability and biomass of plants were also analyzed. The highest Cu, Pb and Zn content in shoots was 33.38 ± 2.91 (S. purpurea × viminalis 8), 24.64 ± 1.97 (S. fragilis 1) and 58.99 ± 4.30 (S. eriocephala 7) mg kg -1 dry weight, respectively. In the case of unwashed leaves, the highest content of these metals was 135.06 ± 8.14 (S. purpurea 26), 67.98 ± 5.27 (S. purpurea 45) and 142.56 ± 12.69 (S. alba × triandra 2) mg kg -1 dw, while in washed leaves it was 106.02 ± 11.12 (S. purpurea 45), 55.06 ± 5.75 (S. purpurea 45) and 122.87 ± 12.33 (S. alba × triandra 2) mg kg -1 dw, respectively. The differences between the highest and lowest values for Cu, Pb and Zn were 545%, 20500% and 535% in shoots; 2692%, 2560% and 7500% in unwashed leaves; and 3286%, 2221% and 6950% in washed leaves, respectively. S. acutifolia was able to effectively accumulate all three metals jointly, producing shoots that were well developed in both length and diameter when compared with the other tested willows-an ability that would suggest its high suitability for practical application.

Copper bioavailability and extractability as related to chemical properties of contaminated soils from a vine-growing area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaignon, V.; Sanchez-Neira, I.; Herrmann, P.; Jaillard, B.; Hinsinger, P.

2003-01-01

Root Cu concentration is a good indicator of soil Cu bioavailability. - Vineyard soils have been contaminated by Cu as a consequence of the long-term use of Cu salts as fungicides against mildew. This work aimed at identifying which soil parameters were the best related to Cu bioavailability, as assessed by measuring the concentrations of Cu in shoots and roots of tomato cropped (in lab conditions) over a range of 29 (24 calcareous and five acidic) Cu-contaminated topsoils from a vine-growing area (22-398 mg Cu kg -1 ). Copper concentrations in tomato shoots remained in the adequate range and were independent of soil properties and soil Cu content. Conversely, strong, positive correlations were found between root Cu concentration, total soil Cu, EDTA- or K-pyrophosphate-extractable Cu and organic C contents in the 24 calcareous soils, suggesting a prominent role of organic matter in the retention and bioavailability of Cu. Such relations were not observed when including the five acidic soils in the investigated population, suggesting a major pH effect. Root Cu concentration appeared as a much more sensitive indicator of soil Cu bioavailability than shoot Cu concentration. Simple extractions routinely used in soil testing procedures (total and EDTA-extractable Cu) were adequate indicators of Cu bioavailability for the investigated calcareous soils, but not when different soil types were considered (e.g. acidic versus calcareous soils)

Soil pollution at outdoor shooting ranges: Health effects, bioavailability and best management practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Fayiga, A O; Saha, U K

2016-09-01

The total lead (Pb) concentrations of the surface soil, sub surface soil, vegetation and surface waters of outdoor shooting ranges are extremely high and above regulatory limits. Lead is dangerous at high concentrations and can cause a variety of serious health problems. Shooters and range workers are exposed to lead dust and can even take Pb dust home to their families while some animals around the shooting range can ingest the Pb bullets. The toxicity of Pb depends on its bioavailability which has been determined to be influenced greatly by the geochemical properties of each site. The bioavailability of Pb in shooting ranges has been found to be higher than other metal contaminated soils probably because of its very low residual Pb (soil, migration of Pb within shooting ranges and offsite has been reported in literature. Best management practices to reduce mobility of Pb in shooting ranges involve an integrated Pb management program which has been described in the paper. The adoption of the non-toxic "green bullet" which has been developed to replace Pb bullets may reduce or prevent environmental pollution at shooting ranges. However, the contaminated soil resulting from decades of operation of several shooting ranges still needs to be restored to its natural state. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shooting mechanisms in nature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sakes, Aimée; Wiel, van der Marleen; Henselmans, Paul W.J.; Leeuwen, van Johan L.; Dodou, Dimitra; Breedveld, Paul

2016-01-01

Background In nature, shooting mechanisms are used for a variety of purposes, including prey capture, defense, and reproduction. This review offers insight into the working principles of shooting mechanisms in fungi, plants, and animals in the light of the specific functional demands that these

Mass shooting and mass media : does media coverage of mass shootings inspire copycat crimes?

OpenAIRE

Mesoudi, A.

2013-01-01

In December 2012, twenty elementary school children and six adult staff members were shot and killed by a single individual at a school in Connecticut. Although this horrific event was met with widespread shock, Americans are sadly all too familiar with such mass shootings. From Columbine in 1999, to Virginia Tech in 2007, to the Colorado cinema shootings earlier in 2012, mass shootings seem to occur with alarming regularity. And although they appear to afflict the United States more than mos...

Arsenic speciation in moso bamboo shoot - A terrestrial plant that contains organoarsenic species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao Rui [Department of Chemistry, Key laboratory for Atomic and Molecular Nanosciences of Education Ministry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China (China); Zhao Mengxia [Department of Chemistry, Key laboratory for Atomic and Molecular Nanosciences of Education Ministry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Wang Hui [Department of Chemistry, Key laboratory for Atomic and Molecular Nanosciences of Education Ministry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Taneike, Yasuhito [Shimadzu Co Ltd, Spectroscopy Business Unit Analytical Instruments Div, Nakagyo Ku, Kyoto, 6048511 (Japan); Zhang Xinrong [Department of Chemistry, Key laboratory for Atomic and Molecular Nanosciences of Education Ministry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)]. E-mail: xrzhang@chem.tsinghua.edu.cn

2006-12-01

Arsenic is predominantly found as an inorganic species in most terrestrial plants. However, we found that a significant proportion of organic arsenic was present in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) shoot in a market survey of arsenic species in edible terrestrial plants. Moso bamboo shoots from different producing areas in China were collected for analysis to confirm the ubiquity of methylated arsenic species. The total arsenic concentrations of bamboo shoots were determined by hydride generation coupled atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HG-AFS), ranging from 27.7 to 94.0 {mu}g/kg. Information about arsenic species was acquired from cold trap-hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (CT-HG-AAS). Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) was present in the amount of 13.9% to 44.9% of sum of the arsenic species in all these samples. Monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO) were also detected in certain samples in the range of 4.2-16.5% and 11.8-18.4%, respectively. In addition, bamboo shoots collected in winter were found to have more total arsenic and organic arsenic than those collected in spring. To investigate the source of the organic arsenic in moso bamboo shoots, arsenic species in the rhizosphere soils of the plants were examined. The absence of organic arsenic in soils would suggest the possibility of formation of methylated arsenic in the plants. In addition, studies of arsenic speciation in the peel and core of winter bamboo shoots showed that all the cores contained organic arsenic while no organic arsenic was detected in the peels. The study provides useful information for better understanding of the distribution of arsenic species in terrestrial plants.

Variation in light-intercepting area and photosynthetic rate of sun and shade shoots of two Picea species in relation to the angle of incoming light.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Hiroaki; Hamada, Yoko; Utsugi, Hajime

2012-10-01

We investigated the effects of sun- and shade-shoot architecture on the photosynthetic rates of two Picea species by applying light from various angles in the laboratory. Compared with sun shoots, shade shoots were characterized by lower mass allocation per light-intercepting area, less leaf mass per shoot mass, less mutual shading among leaves and more efficient allocation of chlorophyll to photosynthesis. The shoot silhouette to total leaf area ratio (STAR(ϕ)) decreased with increasing shoot inclination angle (ϕ, the shoot axis angle relative to the projection plane) and was consistently higher for the shade shoots. Morphological and physiological characteristics of the shade shoots resulted in maximum rates of net photosynthesis at ϕ = 0° (P(max,0)) similar to that of the sun shoots when expressed on a leaf mass, total leaf area and chlorophyll basis. When the angle of incoming light was varied, P(max,ϕ) per total leaf area (P(max,ϕ )/A(T)) of the shade shoots increased linearly with increasing STAR(ϕ), while P(max,ϕ) per shoot silhouette area did not change. In contrast, the response of the sun shoots was non-linear, and an optimum angle of incoming light was determined. Our results suggest that shade-shoot morphology is adaptive for utilizing diffuse light incoming from various angles, while sun-shoot morphology is adaptive for avoiding the negative effects of strong direct radiation and for enhancing light diffusion into the canopy. We propose that the angle of incoming light should be taken into account when estimating photosynthetic rates of sun shoots of conifer trees in the field.

Chlordecone Transfer and Distribution in Maize Shoots.

Science.gov (United States)

Pascal-Lorber, Sophie; Létondor, Clarisse; Liber, Yohan; Jamin, Emilien L; Laurent, François

2016-01-20

Chlordecone (CLD) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) that was mainly used as an insecticide against banana weevils in the French West Indies (1972-1993). Transfer of CLD via the food chain is now the major mechanism for exposure of the population to CLD. The uptake and the transfer of CLD were investigated in shoots of maize, a C4 model plant growing under tropical climates, to estimate the exposure of livestock via feed. Maize plants were grown on soils contaminated with [(14)C]CLD under controlled conditions. The greatest part of the radioactivity was associated with roots, nearly 95%, but CLD was detected in whole shoots, concentrations in old leaves being higher than those in young ones. CLD was thus transferred from the base toward the plant top, forming an acropetal gradient of contaminant. In contrast, results evidenced the existence of a basipetal gradient of CLD concentration within leaves whose extremities accumulated larger amounts of CLD because of evapotranspiration localization. Extractable residues accounted for two-thirds of total residues both in roots and in shoots. This study highlighted the fact that the distribution of CLD contamination within grasses resulted from a conjunction between the age and evapotranspiration rate of tissues. CLD accumulation in fodder may be the main route of exposure for livestock.

High Frequency Multiple Shoot Induction of Curculigo orchioides Gaertn.: Shoot Tip V/S Rhizome Disc

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. S. Nagesh

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. is an endangered medicinal plant with anticancer properties. The rhizome and tuberous roots of the plant have been used extensively in India in indigenous medicine. Due to its multiple uses, the demand for Curculigo orchioides is constantly on the rise; however, the supply is rather erratic and inadequate. Destructive harvesting, combined with habitat destruction in the form of deforestation has aggravated the problem. The plant is now considered ‘endangered’ in its natural habitat. Therefore, the need for conservation of this plant is crucial. Here, we describe a successful protocol for multiple shoot induction of C. orchioides using shoot tip and rhizome disc. We find that proximal rhizome discs are optimal for high frequency shoot bud formation than shoot tip and distal rhizome disc. We observed a synergistic effect between 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP and kinetin (KN (each at 1 mg/L on the regeneration of shoot buds from proximal rhizome disc than shoot tip explant. Optimum root induction was achieved on half-strength MS liquid medium supplemented with 1 mg/L of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA. The in vitro raised plantlets were acclimatized in green house and successfully transplanted to natural condition with 90% survival.

COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT EXTRACTION METHODS REPRESENTING AVAILABLE AND TOTAL CONCENTRATIONS OF Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn IN SOIL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Ivezić

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Various extraction methods are used to predict plant uptake of trace metals. Most commonly it is total concentration that is used for risk assessment and evaluation of trace metal availability. However, recent studies showed that total concentration is a poor indicator of availability while concentrations in soil solution show good correlation with plant uptake. Present study was conducted on magricultural soils with low levels of trace metals where 45 soil samples were collected from different soil types. The main objective was to compare four different extraction methods and examine how total and reactive (EDTA trace metal concentrations correlate ,with soil solution concentration (in this study determined by water extraction. The samples were analyzed by four extraction methods: strong acid extraction (ultra-pure HNO3 extraction and aqua regia, weak acid extraction by EDTA and the most available fraction, fraction in soil solution, were represented by water extraction (weakest extractant. Five elements were investigated (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn. Water extraction significantly correlated with EDTA extraction for Cu, Fe and Mn, while total extraction (HNO3 extraction and aqua regia correlated significantly with water extraction only for Cu. No correlation between water extraction and total extraction confirmed poor role of total concentration as an indicator of availability. EDTA extraction can be used to represent reactive pool of trace metals in soil but it should be also taken with caution when using it to describe available fraction.

Methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism in date palms (Phoenix dactylifera L.) and their off-shoots.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, J-G; Chao, C T

2007-07-01

DNA methylation plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression in eukaryotes. In this study, the extent and patterns of DNA methylation were assessed in date palm mother-plants and their off-shoots using the methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) technique. Three types of bands were generated using 12 pairs of primers. Type I were present in both ECOR I + HPA II and ECOR I + MSP I lanes; type II were present in ECOR I + HPA II lanes, but not in ECOR I + MSP I lanes; and type III bands were present in ECOR I + MSP I lanes, but not in ECOR I + HPA II lanes. The total numbers of these three types of bands were 782, 55, and 34, respectively. Among these three types of bands, the polymorphic bands were, respectively, 37, 10, and 0. The distribution of polymorphic bands among mother-plants and off-shoots suggests the methylation variation was present in both the mother-plants and off-shoots. Forty- four out of these 47 polymorphic bands show clear difference between mother-plant and off-shoots: 38 were present only in off-shoots and 6 in both mother-plants and off-shoots. Compared to methylation status in mother-plants, the methylation variation during off-shoot growth of date palm can be characterized as a process involving primarily de-methylation. Hypomethylation of DNA in off-shoots, compared with mother-plants, reflects the marked expression of this molecular feature, which may be related to gene expression during off-shoot development. The methylation or de-methylation status of specific loci in the mother-plants and their off-shoots were probably random events.

Evolutionary potential of root chemical defense: genetic correlations with shoot chemistry and plant growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, J D; Salminen, J-P; Agrawal, Anurag A

2012-08-01

Root herbivores can affect plant fitness, and roots often contain the same secondary metabolites that act as defenses in shoots, but the ecology and evolution of root chemical defense have been little investigated. Here, we investigated genetic variance, heritability, and correlations among defensive phenolic compounds in shoot vs. root tissues of common evening primrose, Oenothera biennis. Across 20 genotypes, there were roughly similar concentrations of total phenolics in shoots vs. roots, but the allocation of particular phenolics to shoots vs. roots varied along a continuum of genotype growth rate. Slow-growing genotypes allocated 2-fold more of the potential pro-oxidant oenothein B to shoots than roots, whereas fast-growing genotypes had roughly equivalent above and belowground concentrations. Phenolic concentrations in both roots and shoots were strongly heritable, with mostly positive patterns of genetic covariation. Nonetheless, there was genotype-specific variation in the presence/absence of two major ellagitannins (oenothein A and its precursor oenothein B), indicating two different chemotypes based on alterations in this chemical pathway. Overall, the presence of strong genetic variation in root defenses suggests ample scope for the evolution of these compounds as defenses against root herbivores.

The Binomial Distribution in Shooting

Science.gov (United States)

Chalikias, Miltiadis S.

2009-01-01

The binomial distribution is used to predict the winner of the 49th International Shooting Sport Federation World Championship in double trap shooting held in 2006 in Zagreb, Croatia. The outcome of the competition was definitely unexpected.

Biosolids conditioning and the availability of Cu and Zn for rice Condicionamento de biossólidos e a disponibilidade de Cu e Zn para arroz

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Marlene Moreno Pires

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Sewage treatment process is a factor to be considered for biosolid use in agriculture. The greatest sewage treatment facility of São Paulo State (Barueri/SP altered in the year 2000 of its sludge treatment. The addition of ferric chloride and calcium oxide was substituted by the addition of polymers. This change can modify heavy metal phytoavailability. A green house experiment, using 2 soils treated with biosolids (three with and one without polymers with and without polymers was performed to evaluate Cu and Zn phytoavailability using rice (Oryza sativa L. as test plant. Three kilograms of two soils (Haphorthox abd Hapludox were placed in pots and the equivalent to 50 Mg ha-1 (dry basis of biosolid was added and incorporated. The statistical design adopted was completely randomized experiment, with five treatments (control plus four different biossolids each soil and four replications. Soil pH before and after harvesting, Cu and Zn concentrations in shoot were evaluated. Tukey (5% was used to compare the results. DTPA, HCl 0.1 mol L-1 and Mehlich 3 were used to estimate soil available Cu and Zn. Amounts extracted were correlated to those presented in rice shoot, to evaluate the efficiency of predicting Cu and Zn phytoavailabilities. Biosolids with polymers presented higher Cu and Zn phytoavailabilities, possibly due to the lower pH of these residues. In this case soil presented lowest values of pH and plant shoot had highest. All extractants were representative of Cu and Zn availability to rice plants.O processo gerador do biossólido é um fator a ser considerado na avaliação do uso agrícola deste resíduo. Em 2000, a adição de cloreto férrico+cal virgem durante o tratamento do esgoto foi substituída pela adição de polieletrólitos na maior Estação de Tratamento de Esgotos de São Paulo (Barueri, o que pode gerar mudanças na fitodisponibilidade dos metais pesados. Um experimento em casa de vegetação, com dois solos (Latossolo

Date of shoot collection, genotype, and original shoot position affect early rooting of dormant hardwood cuttings of Populus

Science.gov (United States)

R. S., Jr. Zalesny; A.H. Wiese

2006-01-01

Identifying superior combinations among date of dormant- season shoot collection, genotype, and original shoot position can increase the rooting potential of Populus cuttings. Thus, the objectives of our study were to: 1) evaluate variation among clones in early rooting from hardwood cuttings processed every three weeks from shoots collected...

[Identifying transcription factors involved in Arabidopsis adventious shoot regeneration by RNA-Seq technology].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xingchun; Chen, Zhao; Fan, Juan; He, Miaomiao; Han, Yuanhuai; Yang, Zhirong

2015-04-01

Transcriptional regulation is one of the major regulations in plant adventious shoot regeneration, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. In our study, the RNA-seq technology based on the IlluminaHiSeq 2000 sequencing platform was used to identify differentially expressed transcription factor (TF) encoding genes during callus formation stage and adventious shoot regeneration stage between wild type and adventious shoot formation defective mutant be1-3 and during the transition from dedifferentiation to redifferentiation stage in wildtype WS. Results show that 155 TFs were differentially expressed between be1-3 mutant and wild type during callus formation, of which 97 genes were up-regulated, and 58 genes were down-regulated; and that 68 genes were differentially expressed during redifferentiation stage, with 40 genes up-regulated and 28 genes down-regulated; whereas at the transition stage from dedifferentiation to redifferention in WS wild type explants, a total of 231 differentially expressed TF genes were identified, including 160 up-regualted genes and 71 down-regulated genes. Among these TF genes, the adventious shoot related transcription factor 1 (ART1) gene encoding a MYB-related (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog) TF, was up-regulated 3 217 folds, and was the highest up-regulated gene during be1-3 callus formation. Over expression of the ART1 gene caused defects in callus formation and shoot regeneration and inhibited seedling growth, indicating that the ART1 gene is a negative regulator of callus formation and shoot regeneration. This work not only enriches our knowledge about the transcriptional regulation mechanism of adventious shoot regeneration, but also provides valuable information on candidate TF genes associated with adventious shoot regeneration for future research.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal strategy for zinc mycoremediation and diminished translocation to shoots and grains in wheat

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Mycoremediation is an on-site remediation strategy, which employs fungi to degrade or sequester contaminants from the environment. The present work focused on the bioremediation of soils contaminated with zinc by the use of a native mycorrhizal fungi (AM) called Funneliformis geosporum (Nicol. & Gerd.) Walker & Schüßler. Experiments were performed using Triticum aestivum L. cv. Gemmeza-10 at different concentrations of Zn (50, 100, 200 mg kg-1) and inoculated with or without F. geosporum. The results showed that the dry weight of mycorrhizal wheat increased at Zn stressed plants as compared to the non-Zn-stressed control plants. The concentrations of Zn also had an inhibitory effect on the yield of dry root and shoot of non-mycorrhizal wheat. The photosynthetic pigment fractions were significantly affected by Zn treatments and mycorrhizal inoculation, where in all treatments, the content of the photosynthetic pigment fractions decreased as the Zn concentration increased in the soil. However, the level of minerals of shoots, roots, and grains was greatly influenced by Zn-treatment and by inoculation with F. geosporum. Treatment with Zn in the soil increased Cu and Zn concentrations in the root, shoot and grains, however, other minerals (P, S, K, Ca and Fe) concentration was decreased. Inoculation of wheat with AM fungi significantly reduced the accumulation of Zn and depressed its translocation in shoots and grains of wheat. In conclusion, inoculation with a native F. geosporum-improves yields of wheat under higher levels of Zn and is possible to be applied for the improvement of zinc contaminated soil. PMID:29145471

Myo-inositol esters of indole-3-acetic acid are endogenous components of Zea mays L. shoot tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Chisnell, J. R.

1984-01-01

Indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol esters have been demonstrated to be endogenous components of etiolated Zea mays shoots tissue. This was accomplished by comparison of the putative compounds with authentic, synthetic esters. The properties compared were liquid and gas-liquid chromatographic retention times and the 70-ev mass spectral fragmentation pattern of the pentaacetyl derivative. The amount of indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol esters in the shoots was determined to be 74 nanomoles per kilogram fresh weight as measured by isotope dilution, accounting for 19% of the ester indole-3-acetic acid of the shoot. This work is the first characterization of an ester conjugate of indole-3-acetate acid from vegetative shoot tissue using multiple chromatographic properties and mass spectral identification. The kernel and the seedling shoot both contain indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol esters, and these esters comprise approximately the same percentage of the total ester content of the kernel and of the shoot.

Training visual control in wheelchair basketball shooting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oudejans, R.R.D.; Heubers, S.; Ruitenbeek, J-R.J.A.C.; Janssen, T.W.J.

2012-01-01

We examined the effects of visual control training on expert wheelchair basketball shooting, a skill more difficult than in regular basketball, as players shoot from a seated position to the same rim height. The training consisted of shooting with a visual constraint that forced participants to use

Rampage shootings: an historical, empirical, and theoretical overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Rocque, Michael; Duwe, Grant

2018-02-01

Rampage shootings is a relatively new term to describe a phenomenon that has a long history. Rampage shootings are mass shootings (generally defined as involving four or more victims), taking place in a public location, with victims chosen randomly or for symbolic purposes. These shootings are isolated events, meaning they are not connected to another criminal act (such as robbery or terrorism). Research suggests that rampage shootings are not a new phenomenon, but have occurred throughout the US since the early 1900s. There is some evidence of an increase in recent years, but definitional differences across studies and data sources make interpreting trends somewhat tenuous. Theories regarding the perpetration of rampage shootings center on masculinity, mental illness, and contagion effects. Policies aimed at preventing rampage shootings remain somewhat controversial and not well-tested in the literature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling shoot-tip temperature in the greenhouse environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faust, J.E.; Heins, R.D.

1998-01-01

An energy-balance model is described that predicts vinca (Catharanthus roseus L.) shoot-tip temperature using four environmental measurements: solar radiation and dry bulb, wet bulb, and glazing material temperature. The time and magnitude of the differences between shoot-tip and air temperature were determined in greenhouses maintained at air temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 °C. At night, shoot-tip temperature was always below air temperature. Shoot-tip temperature decreased from 0.5 to 5 °C below air temperature as greenhouse glass temperature decreased from 2 to 15 °C below air temperature. During the photoperiod under low vapor-pressure deficit (VPD) and low air temperature, shoot-tip temperature increased ≈4 °C as solar radiation increased from 0 to 600 W·m -2 . Under high VPD and high air temperature, shoot-tip temperature initially decreased 1 to 2 °C at sunrise, then increased later in the morning as solar radiation increased. The model predicted shoot-tip temperatures within ±1 °C of 81% of the observed 1-hour average shoot-tip temperatures. The model was used to simulate shoot-tip temperatures under different VPD, solar radiation, and air temperatures. Since the rate of leaf and flower development are influenced by the temperature of the meristematic tissues, a model of shoot-tip temperature will be a valuable tool to predict plant development in greenhouses and to control the greenhouse environment based on a plant temperature setpoint. (author)

Selenium, zinc, copper, Cu/Zn ratio and total antioxidant status in the serum of vitiligo patients treated by narrow-band ultraviolet-B phototherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wacewicz, Marta; Socha, Katarzyna; Soroczyńska, Jolanta; Niczyporuk, Marek; Aleksiejczuk, Piotr; Ostrowska, Jolanta; Borawska, Maria H

2018-03-01

Vitiligo is a chronic, depigmenting skin disorder, whose pathogenesis is still unknown. Narrow band ultraviolet-B (NB-UVB) is now one of the most widely used treatment of vitiligo. It was suggested that trace elements may play a role in pathogenesis of vitiligo. The aim of this study was to estimate the concentration of selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and Cu/Zn ratio as well as total antioxidant status (TAS) in the serum of patients with vitiligo. We assessed 50 patients with vitiligo and 58 healthy controls. Serum levels of Se, Zn and Cu were determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry method, and the Cu/Zn ratio was also calculated. TAS in serum was measured spectrophotometrically. Serum concentration of Se in patients with vitiligo before and after phototherapy was significantly lower as compared to the control group. Zn level in the serum of patients decreased significantly after phototherapy. We observed higher Cu/Zn ratio (p vitiligo patients after NB-UVB. The current study showed some disturbances in the serum levels of trace elements and total antioxidant status in vitiligo patients.

Training Visual Control in Wheelchair Basketball Shooting

Science.gov (United States)

Oudejans, Raoul R. D.; Heubers, Sjoerd; Ruitenbeek, Jean-Rene J. A. C.; Janssen, Thomas W. J.

2012-01-01

We examined the effects of visual control training on expert wheelchair basketball shooting, a skill more difficult than in regular basketball, as players shoot from a seated position to the same rim height. The training consisted of shooting with a visual constraint that forced participants to use target information as late as possible.…

Radiosensitivity of in vitro Cultured Banana Shoot-Tips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elagamawy, M.R.

2002-01-01

Longitudinally dissected shoot apices of Grand Nain, Williams and Maghrabi banana cultivars were exposed to gamma irradiation with Cobalt 60 source at the doses of 0, 20, 40 and 60 Gy and immediately placed into proliferation medium. A number of micropropagation cycles after irradiation were necessary up to M1 V2 to M1 V4 stage to let mutated sectors developing into non-chimeric shoots. Radiosensitivity was evaluated by the rate of shoot proliferation and by the shoot fresh weight increase. Increasing gamma doses caused reduction in survival rates and average number of shoots. Grand Nain exhibited the highest multiplication- rate (3.1). The lower dose (20 Gy) enhanced shoot multiplication ratio specially in Williams and Maghrabi, which however decreased with increased doses. The doses of 20-40 Gy yielded Ld50, with sensible degree of shoot multiplication, which occurred hardly ever beyond 40 Gy. The dose of 60 Gy resulted 80% lethal shoot growth. Linear decrease in fresh weight was observed in post-irradiation recovery, notably in the Maghrabi. In contradictory vulnerable damage was observed in Williams which showed the highest fresh weight value. Shoot proliferation appeared generally on the surface of the corm. Root formation was observed without additional hormone. The roots were dark colored and was decreased with the increased of dosage

Antimony sinks in the weathering crust of bullets from Swiss shooting ranges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, Sonia; Giere, Reto; Newville, Matthew; Majzlan, Juraj

2009-01-01

Shooting ranges represent sites heavily polluted by Pb, Sb, Cu, Ni, and Zn, which are released during the weathering of bullets. The pristine bullets are made of a Pb-Sb core, Fe mantle, and minor amounts of Cu, Ni, and Zn in an interlayer between the core and mantle. At two selected sampling sites (Losone and Lucerne, both in Switzerland), corroding bullets were collected to determine the sinks of Sb within the weathering crust of the bullets. Bulk Sb concentrations in the crust were found to be as high as 1.3 wt.%. The oxalate-extractable fraction of Fe showed that the amorphous Fe oxides (e.g., ferrihydrite) prevail over goethite and lepidocrocite, which were identified by bulk X-ray diffraction experiments. Crystalline Pb phases are litharge (only found by X-ray diffraction) and cerussite, which result from weathering of the Pb core. No distinct Sb minerals were identified by X-ray diffraction. Investigations with electron microprobe (EMP) showed that Sb is mostly accumulated in those regions in the weathering crust where there is also a high concentration of Fe. In the weathering crust from Losone, such Fe-rich regions with Sb are represented by material that cements or rims silicate mineral grains. The cement was identified as lepidocrocite by micro-Raman analysis. At Lucerne, Sb is found in Fe-oxide aggregates, in sawdust particles where it may be bound to organic matter, or in aggregates enriched in Pb and depleted in Fe. Bulk EXAFS experiments suggested that the Fe oxides are the most important sink for Sb. Our modelling of Sb next-nearest neighbours suggests two types of inner-sphere complexes on the surfaces of Fe oxides. These are edge- and corner-sharing adsorption complexes. Hence, the predominant sink of Sb in the weathering crust of the bullets at the selected shooting ranges is Fe oxides, amorphous or crystalline

Total fragmentation cross section of 158A GeV lead projectiles in Cu target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mukhtar Ahmed Rana; Shahid Manzoor

2008-01-01

Total fragmentation cross section for the reaction 158A Pb ions + Cu target is measured using the most sensitive track detector CR-39. Measured values are compared with calculations. Exposures of target-detector stack with 158A Pb projectiles are made at CERN-SPS beam facility. Results of calibration of CR-39 detector in a charge region (63≤Z≤83) are also reported, which can be used for high energy particle identification using CR-39 and in determination of partial charge changing cross sections. The charge resolution σ Z achieved by this technique is about 0.2e. A systematic dependence of total fragmentation cross section on target properties is revealed and the corresponding results are presented. (authors)

Cu uptake and turnover in both Cu-acclimated and non-acclimated rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grosell, M.; Hogstrand, C.; Wood, C.M.

1997-01-01

-acclimation clearly involves changes in copper accumulation kinetics in the plasma. The acclimated fish showed a 65% reduced Cu-64 accumulation after 65 h and an increased turnover of Cu in the plasma compared to the non-acclimated fish. Total Cu in the plasma increased by 59% after 3 h of exposure in the non...... aortic catheter. By measuring both Cu-64 accumulation and total Cu concentrations, we were able to analyse the ongoing uptake and turnover of ambient Cu, independent of any Cu already present in the fish. Plasma accounted for at least 90% of the Cu-64 labelled Cu present in the blood and Cu...... h of exposure. Acclimation did not have an unambiguous effect on branchial Cu uptake and differences in branchial uptake could not explain the reduced accumulation in the plasma. The rapidly exchangeable Cu pools were 54% in the gills and 33% in the liver, suggesting a considerable hepatic Cu...

Effect of light on contents of coumarin compounds in shoots of Ruta graveolens L. cultivated in vitro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halina Ekiert

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Shoots of Ruta graveolens L. (Rutaceae were cultivated in stationary liquid culture under different light conditions: constant artificial light (900 lx, darkness, constant artificial light (900 ix following irradiation with UV-C light. The contents of five furanocoumarins: psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin and imperatorin, as well as biogenetic precursor of these metabolites, umbelliferone, were determined by HPLC method in shoots cultivated in vitro and in overground parts of plants growing in open air. It was shown that light conditions, tested in these experiments, significantly influenced contents of the metabolites in shoots cultivated in in vitro culture. Total content of the coumarin compounds in shoots cultivated under constant artificial light (900 lx was equal or higher than in plants growing under natural conditions. Therefore, it is suggested that stationary liquid shoot culture of R. graveolens. can be an alternative source for obtaining biologically active furanocoumarins.

A School Shooting Plot Foiled

Science.gov (United States)

Swezey, James A.; Thorp, Kimberly A.

2010-01-01

Dinkes, Cataldi, and Lin-Kelly (2007) claims that 78% of public schools reported one or more violent incidents during the 2005/2006 school year. School shootings are a rare but real threat on school campuses. Shootings at private schools are even less frequent with only a few recorded examples in the United States. This case study examines how a…

Mass Shootings, Mental Illness, and Gun Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Philpott-Jones, Sean

2018-03-01

In the wake of the Stoneman Douglas School shooting, Republican and Democratic leaders-like the American electorate they represent-remain sharply divided in their responses to gun violence. They are united in their condemnation of these mass shootings, but they disagree about whether stricter or looser gun control laws are the answer. Those on the right side of the political aisle suggest that the issue is one of mental illness rather than gun control. Conversely, those who are more liberal or progressive in their political learnings are quick to condemn attempts to reframe the issue of mass shootings as a mental health problem. Both sides are wrong. Mass shootings are indeed partially a mental health problem, albeit one poorly addressed by our current laws and policies. But the solution to mass shootings also needs to consider strategies that may reduce gun violence in general. © 2018 The Hastings Center.

SHOOT2.0: An indirect grid shooting package for optimal control problems, with switching handling and embedded continuation

OpenAIRE

Martinon , Pierre; Gergaud , Joseph

2010-01-01

The SHOOT2.0 package implements an indirect shooting method for optimal control problems. It is specifically designed to handle control discontinuities, with an automatic switching detection that requires no assumptions concerning the number of switchings. Special care is also devoted to the computation of the Jacobian matrix of the shooting function, using the variational system instead of classical finite differences. The package also features an embedded continuation method and an automati...

Total Fragmentation Cross Section of 158A GeV Lead Projectiles in Cu Target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rana, Mukhtar Ahmed

2008-01-01

Total fragmentation cross section for the reaction 158 A Pb ions + Cu target is measured using the most sensitive track detector CR-39. Measured values are compared with calculations. Exposures of target-detector stack with 158A Pb projectiles are made at CERN-SPS beam facility. Results of calibration of CR-39 detector in a charge region (63 ≤ Z ≤ 83) are also reported, which can be used for high energy particle identification using CR-39 and in determination of partial charge changing cross sections. The charge resolution σ z achieved by this technique is about 0.2e. A systematic dependence of total fragmentation cross section on target properties is revealed and the corresponding results are presented. (nuclear physics)

School shootings: law enforcement and school district networking

OpenAIRE

Topadzhikyan, Tigran

2013-01-01

CHDS State/Local School shootings have happened in the past and will happen again. The history of school shootings prompts all stakeholders to look at ways to prevent them from happening, and if they do happen, to be resilient. Change is needed in the prevention of school shootings. The case studies of Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, E. O. Green Junior High, and Beslan school shootings reveal that the lack of information sharing and lack of communication were flaws; and the incidents might have...

Cu-62, Cu-64 and Cu-66 production with 4.2 MeV deuterons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avila, Mario; Morales, J.R.; Riquelme, H.O.

1996-01-01

Full text: The natural copper irradiation with deuterons produces the Cu-62, Cu-64 and Cu-66 radionuclides. Of two radioisotopes, those with deficiencies in neutrons, are applied in nuclear medicine diagnostic processes, mainly for the nuclear characteristic of the decay modes. The positron emitters, of short life mean Cu-62 (9.1 min, β + ) and Cu(12.7 h), are radionuclides applied in radio pharmacological preparation for brain, core, blood flux studies. The radiochemical process consists in the de solution of the irradiated metallic copper target, in acid medium. The result solution, can be neutralized with a base or a buffer at wished pH. Using a deuteron beam of 4,2 ± 0,1 MeV energy has been obtained total yields of 1,103 ± 0,011 μCl/μAh medium for 62 Cu and of 0,148 ± 0,015 μCl/μAh for 64 Cu

Australia's 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, S; Alpers, P; Agho, K; Jones, M

2006-12-01

After a 1996 firearm massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people died, Australian governments united to remove semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns and rifles from civilian possession, as a key component of gun law reforms. To determine whether Australia's 1996 major gun law reforms were associated with changes in rates of mass firearm homicides, total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides, and whether there were any apparent method substitution effects for total homicides and suicides. Observational study using official statistics. Negative binomial regression analysis of changes in firearm death rates and comparison of trends in pre-post gun law reform firearm-related mass killings. Australia, 1979-2003. Changes in trends of total firearm death rates, mass fatal shooting incidents, rates of firearm homicide, suicide and unintentional firearm deaths, and of total homicides and suicides per 100,000 population. In the 18 years before the gun law reforms, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia, and none in the 10.5 years afterwards. Declines in firearm-related deaths before the law reforms accelerated after the reforms for total firearm deaths (p = 0.04), firearm suicides (p = 0.007) and firearm homicides (p = 0.15), but not for the smallest category of unintentional firearm deaths, which increased. No evidence of substitution effect for suicides or homicides was observed. The rates per 100,000 of total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides all at least doubled their existing rates of decline after the revised gun laws. Australia's 1996 gun law reforms were followed by more than a decade free of fatal mass shootings, and accelerated declines in firearm deaths, particularly suicides. Total homicide rates followed the same pattern. Removing large numbers of rapid-firing firearms from civilians may be an effective way of reducing mass shootings, firearm homicides and firearm suicides.

Shooting Mechanisms in Nature: A Systematic Review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aimée Sakes

Full Text Available In nature, shooting mechanisms are used for a variety of purposes, including prey capture, defense, and reproduction. This review offers insight into the working principles of shooting mechanisms in fungi, plants, and animals in the light of the specific functional demands that these mechanisms fulfill.We systematically searched the literature using Scopus and Web of Knowledge to retrieve articles about solid projectiles that either are produced in the body of the organism or belong to the body and undergo a ballistic phase. The shooting mechanisms were categorized based on the energy management prior to and during shooting.Shooting mechanisms were identified with projectile masses ranging from 1·10-9 mg in spores of the fungal phyla Ascomycota and Zygomycota to approximately 10,300 mg for the ballistic tongue of the toad Bufo alvarius. The energy for shooting is generated through osmosis in fungi, plants, and animals or muscle contraction in animals. Osmosis can be induced by water condensation on the system (in fungi, or water absorption in the system (reaching critical pressures up to 15.4 atmospheres; observed in fungi, plants, and animals, or water evaporation from the system (reaching up to -197 atmospheres; observed in plants and fungi. The generated energy is stored as elastic (potential energy in cell walls in fungi and plants and in elastic structures in animals, with two exceptions: (1 in the momentum catapult of Basidiomycota the energy is stored in a stalk (hilum by compression of the spore and droplets and (2 in Sphagnum energy is mainly stored in compressed air. Finally, the stored energy is transformed into kinetic energy of the projectile using a catapult mechanism delivering up to 4,137 J/kg in the osmotic shooting mechanism in cnidarians and 1,269 J/kg in the muscle-powered appendage strike of the mantis shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus. The launch accelerations range from 6.6g in the frog Rana pipiens to 5,413,000g in

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2016-06-27

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

Accurate inference of shoot biomass from high-throughput images of cereal plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tester Mark

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract With the establishment of advanced technology facilities for high throughput plant phenotyping, the problem of estimating plant biomass of individual plants from their two dimensional images is becoming increasingly important. The approach predominantly cited in literature is to estimate the biomass of a plant as a linear function of the projected shoot area of plants in the images. However, the estimation error from this model, which is solely a function of projected shoot area, is large, prohibiting accurate estimation of the biomass of plants, particularly for the salt-stressed plants. In this paper, we propose a method based on plant specific weight for improving the accuracy of the linear model and reducing the estimation bias (the difference between actual shoot dry weight and the value of the shoot dry weight estimated with a predictive model. For the proposed method in this study, we modeled the plant shoot dry weight as a function of plant area and plant age. The data used for developing our model and comparing the results with the linear model were collected from a completely randomized block design experiment. A total of 320 plants from two bread wheat varieties were grown in a supported hydroponics system in a greenhouse. The plants were exposed to two levels of hydroponic salt treatments (NaCl at 0 and 100 mM for 6 weeks. Five harvests were carried out. Each time 64 randomly selected plants were imaged and then harvested to measure the shoot fresh weight and shoot dry weight. The results of statistical analysis showed that with our proposed method, most of the observed variance can be explained, and moreover only a small difference between actual and estimated shoot dry weight was obtained. The low estimation bias indicates that our proposed method can be used to estimate biomass of individual plants regardless of what variety the plant is and what salt treatment has been applied. We validated this model on an independent

Sound propagation from a semi-open shooting range

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eerden, F.J.M. van der; Berg, F. van den

2011-01-01

Semi-open shooting ranges, in contrast to a fully open shooting range, are often used in the densely populated area of the Netherlands. The Ministry of Defense operates a number of these ranges. In these shooting ranges above the line of fire a number of screens are situated for safety precautions

Rhizobial symbiosis effect on the growth, metal uptake, and antioxidant responses of Medicago lupulina under copper stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Zhaoyu; Mohamad, Osama Abdalla; Deng, Zhenshan; Liu, Xiaodong; Glick, Bernard R; Wei, Gehong

2015-08-01

The effects of rhizobial symbiosis on the growth, metal uptake, and antioxidant responses of Medicago lupulina in the presence of 200 mg kg(-1) Cu(2+) throughout different stages of symbiosis development were studied. The symbiosis with Sinorhizobium meliloti CCNWSX0020 induced an increase in plant growth and nitrogen content irrespective of the presence of Cu(2+). The total amount of Cu uptake of inoculated plants significantly increased by 34.0 and 120.4% in shoots and roots, respectively, compared with non-inoculated plants. However, although the rhizobial symbiosis promoted Cu accumulation both in shoots and roots, the increase in roots was much higher than in shoots, thus decreasing the translocation factor and helping Cu phytostabilization. The rate of lipid peroxidation was significantly decreased in both shoots and roots of inoculated vs. non-inoculated plants when measured either 8, 13, or 18 days post-inoculation. In comparison with non-inoculated plants, the activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase of shoots of inoculated plants exposed to excess Cu were significantly elevated at different stages of symbiosis development; similar increases occurred in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase of inoculated roots. The symbiosis with S. meliloti CCNWSX0020 also upregulated the corresponding genes involved in antioxidant responses in the plants treated with excess Cu. The results indicated that the rhizobial symbiosis with S. meliloti CCNWSX0020 not only enhanced plant growth and metal uptake but also improved the responses of plant antioxidant defense to excess Cu stress.

Water Status Related Root-to-Shoot Communication Regulates the Chilling Tolerance of Shoot in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zi-Shan; Liu, Mei-Jun; Gao, Hui-Yuan; Jin, Li-Qiao; Li, Yu-Ting; Li, Qing-Ming; Ai, Xi-Zhen

2015-10-16

Although root-to-shoot communication has been intensively investigated in plants under drought, few studies have examined root-to-shoot communication under chilling. Here we explored whether root-to-shoot communication contributes to the chilling-light tolerance of cucumber shoots and clarified the key signal involves in this communication. After leaf discs chilling-light treatment, the photoinhibitions of Photosystem I (PSI) and Photosystem II (PSII) were similar in leaf discs of two cucumber varieties (JY-3 and JC-4). When the whole plants, including roots, were chilled under light, the photosynthetic performances in JC-4 leaves decreased more seriously than that in JY-3 leaves. However, when the water status of leaves was maintained by warming roots or floating the attached leaves on water, the PSII activity and amount of PSI in the leaves of the two varieties were similar after chilling-light treatment. In addition, the differences of PSII activities and amount of PSI between the two varieties under whole plant chilling-light treatment were independent of ABA pretreatment. Above results indicate that (1) the better water status in leaves under chilling contributes to the higher chilling tolerance of JY-3; (2) the water status, rather than an ABA signal, dominates root-to-shoot communication under chilling and the chilling tolerance of cucumber shoot.

Nutrient and mineral composition during shoot growth in seven species of Phyllostachys and Pseudosasa bamboo consumed by giant panda.

Science.gov (United States)

Christian, A L; Knott, K K; Vance, C K; Falcone, J F; Bauer, L L; Fahey, G C; Willard, S; Kouba, A J

2015-12-01

During the annual period of bamboo shoot growth in spring, free-ranging giant pandas feed almost exclusively on the shoots while ignoring the leaves and full- height culm. Little is known about the nutritional changes that occur during bamboo shoot growth, if nutritional changes differ among species, or how these changes might influence forage selection. Our objective was to examine the nutrient and mineral composition during three phases of shoot growth (180 cm) for seven species of bamboo (Phyllostachys (P.) aurea, P. aureosulcata, P. bissetii, P. glauca, P. nuda, P. rubromarginata, Pseudosasa japonica) fed to captive giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo. Total dietary fiber content of bamboo shoots increased (p 180 cm, while crude protein, fat and ash exhibited significant declines (p panda diets when available. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Characteristics of schools in which fatal shootings occur.

Science.gov (United States)

de Apodaca, Roberto Flores; Brighton, Lauren M; Perkins, Ashley N; Jackson, Kiana N; Steege, Jessica R

2012-04-01

School-based violence, and fatal school shootings in particular, have gained increased attention in the media and psychological literature. Most reports have focused on the characteristics of perpetrators, but there is a growing awareness that school-related factors may also influence the occurrence of fatal school shootings. The current study examined several key characteristics of all schools where random (38) and targeted (96) fatal shootings occurred in the United States between 1966 and 2009. These were compared with a group (138) of schools randomly selected to represent the population of all schools in the United States. The size of a school's enrollment, urban or suburban locale, public funding, and predominantly non-white enrollment were positively associated with fatal shootings. Universities and colleges were disproportionately associated with random shootings and high schools with targeted ones. It was proposed that characteristics of schools that allow feelings of anonymity or alienation among students may help create environmental conditions associated with fatal school shootings. Implications for future research and interventions are considered.

The Level of Vision Necessary for Competitive Performance in Rifle Shooting: Setting the Standards for Paralympic Shooting with Vision Impairment.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Peter M; Latham, Keziah; Mann, David L; Ravensbergen, Rianne H J C; Myint, Joy

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of vision impairment (VI) that would reduce performance in shooting; to guide development of entry criteria to visually impaired (VI) shooting. Nineteen international-level shooters without VI took part in the study. Participants shot an air rifle, while standing, toward a regulation target placed at the end of a 10 m shooting range. Cambridge simulation glasses were used to simulate six different levels of VI. Visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) were assessed along with shooting performance in each of seven conditions of simulated impairment and compared to that with habitual vision. Shooting performance was evaluated by calculating each individual's average score in every level of simulated VI and normalizing this score by expressing it as a percentage of the baseline performance achieved with habitual vision. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were constructed to evaluate the ability of different VA and CS cut-off criteria to appropriately classify these athletes as achieving 'expected' or 'below expected' shooting results based on their performance with different levels of VA and CS. Shooting performance remained relatively unaffected by mild decreases in VA and CS, but quickly deteriorated with more moderate losses. The ability of visual function measurements to classify shooting performance was good, with 78% of performances appropriately classified using a cut-off of 0.53 logMAR and 74% appropriately classified using a cut-off of 0.83 logCS. The current inclusion criteria for VI shooting (1.0 logMAR) is conservative, maximizing the chance of including only those with an impairment that does impact performance, but potentially excluding some who do have a genuine impairment in the sport. A lower level of impairment would include more athletes who do have a genuine impairment but would potentially include those who do not actually have an impairment that impacts performance in the sport. An

[Changes in bio-availability of immobilized Cu and Zn bound to phosphate in contaminated soils with different nutrient addition].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Ming-Gang; Zhang, Qian; Sun, Nan; Shen, Hua-Ping; Zhang, Wen-Ju

2009-07-15

Bio-availability of Cu and Zn fixed by phosphate in contaminated soils with application of nutrients were measured by pot experiment. It was simulated for the third national standardization of copper and zinc polluted soils by adding copper and zinc nitrate into red and paddy soils, respectively and together. Phosphate amendment was added to the soils to fix Cu and Zn, then added KCl and NH4Cl or K2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4 fertilizers following to plant Ryegrass, which was harvested after 40 d. Available Cu/Zn content in soils and biomass, Cu/Zn content in the shoot of Ryegrass were determined. Results showed that, compared with no nutrient application, adding KCl and NH4 Cl/K2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4 to polluted red and paddy soils increased the available Cu and Zn content in red soil significantly. The increasing order was KCl and NH4 Cl > K2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4. Especially in single Zn polluted red soil, the available Zn content increased by 133.4% in maximum. Although adding K2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4 could promote the growth of Ryegrass on red soil, and the largest increasing was up to 22.2%, it increased Cu and Zn content in the shoot of Ryegrass for 21.5%-112.6% remarkably. These nutrient effects on available Cu and Zn were not significantly in paddy soil. It was suggested that application of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers to soils could change the bioavailability of Cu/Zn. So it is necessary to take full account of the nutrient influence to the heavy metal stability which fixed by phosphate in contaminated soils when consider contaminated soils remediation by fertilization.

An experimental model of acute encephalopathy after total body irradiation in the rat: effect of liposome-entrapped Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamproglou, Ioannis; Magdelenat, Henri; Boisserie, Gilbert; Baillet, Francois; Mayo, Willy; Fessi, Hatem; Puisieux, Francis; Perderau, Bernard; Colas-Linhart, Nicole; Delattre, Jean-Yves

1998-01-01

Purpose: To develop an experimental model of acute encephalopathy following total body irradiation in rats and to define the therapeutic effect of liposome-entrapped Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase. Methods and Materials: A total of 120 4-month-old rats received 4.5 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) while 120 rats received sham irradiation. A behavioral study based on a conditioning test of negative reinforcement, the one-way avoidance test, was performed 5 hours before irradiation and repeated the following days. Subcutaneous treatment was started 1 hour after irradiation and repeated daily for 2 weeks. In both the irradiated and sham group, three subgroups were defined according to the treatment received: liposome-entrapped Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (0.5 mg/kg), liposomes only, normal saline. Results: This work comprised two consecutive studies. In study A (90 rats) the one-way avoidance test was administered daily from day 0 to day 4 with a recall session at day 14. In study B (validation phase in 150 rats) the behavioral test was performed only from day 0 to day 6. Before irradiation, all rats showed a similar behavioral response. Study A (6 groups of 15 rats): Following TBI, irradiated rats treated with liposomes only or saline demonstrated a significant delay in learning the one-way avoidance test in comparison with sham-irradiated rats (0.05 < p <0.001 depending upon the day of evaluation and the subgroup type). In contrast, irradiated rats treated with liposome-entrapped Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase did not differ from sham-irradiated rats. Study B (6 groups of 25 rats): The results were the same as those in study A, demonstrating a significant delay in the learning of the test in the liposome and saline-treated irradiated rats in comparison with sham-irradiated rats (0.02 < p < 0.001). The irradiated rats, treated with liposome-entrapped Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase did not differ from the sham-irradiated controls. Conclusion: This study indicates that a relatively

Root~Shoot Growth Interactions of Sorghmn (Sorghwn Bicolor L ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

growth. Studies on root-shoot intera'ctions in relation to mechanical impedance have only investigated the effect on shoots of ... growth regulators that may be responsible. Studies of root-shoot ... of germinating seeds to MI leaving roots in rela-.

Cu-62, Cu-64 and Cu-66 production with 4.2 MeV deuterons; Produccion de {sup 62} Cu y {sup 64} Cu con deuterones de 4,2 MeV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Avila, Mario; Morales, J R; Riquelme, H O [Chile Univ., Santiago (Chile). Facultad de Ciencias. Dept. de Fisica

1997-12-31

Full text: The natural copper irradiation with deuterons produces the Cu-62, Cu-64 and Cu-66 radionuclides. Of two radioisotopes, those with deficiencies in neutrons, are applied in nuclear medicine diagnostic processes, mainly for the nuclear characteristic of the decay modes. The positron emitters, of short life mean Cu-62 (9.1 min, {beta}{sup +}) and Cu(12.7 h), are radionuclides applied in radio pharmacological preparation for brain, core, blood flux studies. The radiochemical process consists in the de solution of the irradiated metallic copper target, in acid medium. The result solution, can be neutralized with a base or a buffer at wished pH. Using a deuteron beam of 4,2 {+-} 0,1 MeV energy has been obtained total yields of 1,103 {+-} 0,011 {mu}Cl/{mu}Ah medium for 62 Cu and of 0,148 {+-} 0,015 {mu}Cl/{mu}Ah for 64 Cu.

Protocol optimization for in vitro shoot multiplication of Jackfruit ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jemal

2017-01-11

Jan 11, 2017 ... Protocol optimization for in vitro shoot multiplication of ... shoot length and leaf number, whereby 2 mg/L BAP alone was found to be the best with a mean shoot .... Analysis of variance showed that the interaction between.

Micropropagation of Asparagus by in vitro shoot culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Stajner, Nataša

2013-01-01

Asparagus officinalis is most extensively studied species within the genus Asparagus, which is well known as garden asparagus. This species is dioecious with unisexual flowers, which means that generative propagation gives roughly equal number of male and female plants. Male plants are high yielders and preferred commercially over female plants. Tissue culture techniques could efficiently promote vegetative propagation of male plants and pave the way for efficient plant breeding.This chapter describes an efficient micropropagation protocol for developing rapid growing in vitro Asparagus shoot cultures. The source of explants, inoculation, and shoot proliferation, followed by shoot propagation, rooting, and acclimatization is described. The optimal medium for Asparagus micropropagation described in this chapter is composed of MS macro- and microelements and a combination of auxins and cytokinins. Plant growth regulators NAA, kinetin, and BA were used in various concentrations. Three different media representing the whole micropropagation protocol of Asparagus are described; medium for shoot initiation, medium for shoot multiplication, and medium for root formation. By in vitro propagation of Asparagus, root initiation is difficult, but can be promoted by adding growth retardant ancymidol which also greatly promotes shoot development and suppresses callus formation.

Regeneration of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus L.) via apical shoot ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abelmoschus esculentus L. Monech) via apical shoot culture system. The study of apical shoot culture system was found effective for regeneration of apical shoots. The okra (A. esculentus L. Monech) N-550 line evolved at R&D, Nirmal Seeds Pvt. Ltd., ...

Light requirement for shoot regeneration in horseradish hairy roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Saitou, T; Kamada, H; Harada, H

1992-08-01

Hairy roots of horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) were induced by inoculation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes harboring Ri plasmid and cultured on phytohormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium after eliminating the bacteria. Hairy roots grew vigorously and sometimes formed yellowish calli under dark conditions. On the other hand, growth of hairy roots stopped after several weeks of culture with light, then shoots were regenerated. Frequency of shoot formation from hairy roots increased as the culture period in light lengthened and the light intensity increased. The shoot regeneration was induced by treatment with white or red light, but not with far-red light. Shoot regeneration by red light was inhibited by following treatment with far-red light. Red and far-red light reversibly affected shoot regeneration. Excised roots of nontransformed plants grew quite slowly on phytohormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium and occasionally formed shoots under white light conditions.

Enhanced in vitro multiple shoot induction in elite Pakistani guava ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Elite guava (Psidium guajava L.) strains of cv. Safeda were explored in vitro for multiple shoot induction. Shoot induction was enhanced up to 83% with 3.5 to 4.25 shoots per single node cutting and shoot tip explants, respectively, using higher levels of benzyl amino purine (BAP) in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium.

The Level of Vision Necessary for Competitive Performance in Rifle Shooting: Setting the Standards for Paralympic Shooting With Vision Impairment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter M Allen

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to investigate the level of vision impairment that would reduce performance in shooting; to guide development of entry criteria to visually impaired (VI shooting. Nineteen international-level shooters without vision impairment took part in the study. Participants shot an air rifle, while standing, towards a regulation target placed at the end of a 10m shooting range. Cambridge simulation glasses were used to simulate six different levels of vision impairment. Visual acuity (VA and contrast sensitivity (CS were assessed along with shooting performance in each of seven conditions of simulated impairment and compared to that with habitual vision. Shooting performance was evaluated by calculating each individual’s average score in every level of simulated vision impairment and normalising this score by expressing it as a percentage of the baseline performance achieved with habitual vision. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC curves were constructed to evaluate the ability of different VA and CS cut-off criteria to appropriately classify these athletes as achieving ‘expected’ or ‘below expected’ shooting results based on their performance with different levels of VA and CS. Shooting performance remained relatively unaffected by mild decreases in VA and CS, but quickly deteriorated with more moderate losses. The ability of visual function measurements to classify shooting performance was good, with 78% of performances appropriately classified using a cut-off of 0.53 logMAR and 74% appropriately classified using a cut-off of 0.83 logCS. The current inclusion criteria for VI shooting (1.0 logMAR is conservative, maximising the chance of including only those with an impairment that does impact performance, but potentially excluding some who do have a genuine impairment in the sport. A lower level of impairment would include more athletes who do have a genuine impairment but would potentially include those who do not

Shoot and root morphogenesis from Eucalyptus grandis x urophylla ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Eucalyptus grandis x urophylla plantlets were regenerated via indirect organogenesis. Histological assessment of their development focused on identifying the calli, the differentiation of shoots from the calli and the shoot-root junction from the nascent shoots. Vascular tissue formation within the callus preceded that of ...

Structure–Function Relationships in Highly Modified Shoots of Cactaceae

Science.gov (United States)

MAUSETH, JAMES D.

2006-01-01

• Background and Aims Cacti are extremely diverse structurally and ecologically, and so modified as to be intimidating to many biologists. Yet all have the same organization as most dicots, none differs fundamentally from Arabidopsis or other model plants. This review explains cactus shoot structure, discusses relationships between structure, ecology, development and evolution, and indicates areas where research on cacti is necessary to test general theories of morphogenesis. • Scope Cactus leaves are diverse; all cacti have foliage leaves; many intermediate stages in evolutionary reduction of leaves are still present; floral shoots often have large, complex leaves whereas vegetative shoots have microscopic leaves. Spines are modified bud scales, some secrete sugar as extra-floral nectaries. Many cacti have juvenile/adult phases in which the flowering adult phase (a cephalium) differs greatly from the juvenile; in some, one side of a shoot becomes adult, all other sides continue to grow as the juvenile phase. Flowers are inverted: the exterior of a cactus ‘flower’ is a hollow vegetative shoot with internodes, nodes, leaves and spines, whereas floral organs occur inside, with petals physically above stamens. Many cacti have cortical bundles vascularizing the cortex, however broad it evolves to be, thus keeping surface tissues alive. Great width results in great weight of weak parenchymatous shoots, correlated with reduced branching. Reduced numbers of shoot apices is compensated by great increases in number of meristematic cells within individual SAMs. Ribs and tubercles allow shoots to swell without tearing during wet seasons. Shoot epidermis and cortex cells live and function for decades then convert to cork cambium. Many modifications permit water storage within cactus wood itself, adjacent to vessels. PMID:16820405

Structure-function relationships in highly modified shoots of cactaceae.

Science.gov (United States)

Mauseth, James D

2006-11-01

Cacti are extremely diverse structurally and ecologically, and so modified as to be intimidating to many biologists. Yet all have the same organization as most dicots, none differs fundamentally from Arabidopsis or other model plants. This review explains cactus shoot structure, discusses relationships between structure, ecology, development and evolution, and indicates areas where research on cacti is necessary to test general theories of morphogenesis. Cactus leaves are diverse; all cacti have foliage leaves; many intermediate stages in evolutionary reduction of leaves are still present; floral shoots often have large, complex leaves whereas vegetative shoots have microscopic leaves. Spines are modified bud scales, some secrete sugar as extra-floral nectaries. Many cacti have juvenile/adult phases in which the flowering adult phase (a cephalium) differs greatly from the juvenile; in some, one side of a shoot becomes adult, all other sides continue to grow as the juvenile phase. Flowers are inverted: the exterior of a cactus 'flower' is a hollow vegetative shoot with internodes, nodes, leaves and spines, whereas floral organs occur inside, with petals physically above stamens. Many cacti have cortical bundles vascularizing the cortex, however broad it evolves to be, thus keeping surface tissues alive. Great width results in great weight of weak parenchymatous shoots, correlated with reduced branching. Reduced numbers of shoot apices is compensated by great increases in number of meristematic cells within individual SAMs. Ribs and tubercles allow shoots to swell without tearing during wet seasons. Shoot epidermis and cortex cells live and function for decades then convert to cork cambium. Many modifications permit water storage within cactus wood itself, adjacent to vessels.

Australia's 1996 gun law reforms: faster falls in firearm deaths, firearm suicides, and a decade without mass shootings.

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Chapman, S; Alpers, P; Agho, K; Jones, M

2015-10-01

After a 1996 firearm massacre in Tasmania in which 35 people died, Australian governments united to remove semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns and rifles from civilian possession, as a key component of gun law reforms. To determine whether Australia's 1996 major gun law reforms were associated with changes in rates of mass firearm homicides, total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides, and whether there were any apparent method substitution effects for total homicides and suicides. Observational study using official statistics. Negative binomial regression analysis of changes in firearm death rates and comparison of trends in pre-post gun law reform firearm-related mass killings. Australia, 1979-2003. Changes in trends of total firearm death rates, mass fatal shooting incidents, rates of firearm homicide, suicide and unintentional firearm deaths, and of total homicides and suicides per 100 000 population. In the 18 years before the gun law reforms, there were 13 mass shootings in Australia, and none in the 10.5 years afterwards. Declines in firearm-related deaths before the law reforms accelerated after the reforms for total firearm deaths (p=0.04), firearm suicides (p=0.007) and firearm homicides (p=0.15), but not for the smallest category of unintentional firearm deaths, which increased. No evidence of substitution effect for suicides or homicides was observed. The rates per 100 000 of total firearm deaths, firearm homicides and firearm suicides all at least doubled their existing rates of decline after the revised gun laws. Australia's 1996 gun law reforms were followed by more than a decade free of fatal mass shootings, and accelerated declines in firearm deaths, particularly suicides. Total homicide rates followed the same pattern. Removing large numbers of rapid-firing firearms from civilians may be an effective way of reducing mass shootings, firearm homicides and firearm suicides. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For

Spine micromorphology of normal and hyperhydric Mammillaria gracilis Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) shoots.

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Peharec, P; Posilović, H; Balen, B; Krsnik-Rasol, M

2010-07-01

Artificial conditions of tissue culture affect growth and physiology of crassulacean acid metabolism plants which often results in formation of hyperhydric shoots. In in vitro conditions Mammillaria gracilis Pfeiff. (Cactaceae) growth switches from organized to unorganized way, producing a habituated organogenic callus which simultaneously regenerates morphologically normal as well as altered hyperhydric shoots. In this study, influence of tissue culture conditions on morphology of cactus spines of normal and hyperhydric shoots was investigated. Spines of pot-grown Mammillaria plants and of in vitro regenerated shoots were examined with stereo microscope and scanning electron microscope. The pot-grown plants had 16-17 spines per areole. In vitro grown normal shoots, even though they kept typical shoot morphology, had lower number of spines (11-12) and altered spine morphology. This difference was even more pronounced in spine number (six to seven) and morphology of the hyperhydric shoots. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed remarkable differences in micromorphology of spine surface between pot-grown and in vitro grown shoots. Spines of in vitro grown normal shoots showed numerous long trichomes, which were more elongated on spines of the hyperhydric shoots; the corresponding structures on spine surface of pot-grown plants were noticed only as small protrusions. Scanning electron microscopy morphometric studies showed that the spines of pot-grown plants were significantly longer compared to the spines of shoots grown in tissue culture. Moreover, transverse section shape varies from elliptical in pot-grown plants to circular in normal and hyperhydric shoots grown in vitro. Cluster and correspondence analyses performed on the scanning electron microscope obtained results suggest great variability among spines of pot-grown plants. Spines of in vitro grown normal and hyperhydric shoots showed low level of morphological variation among themselves despite the

Millet's Shooting Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Beech, M.

1988-12-01

In this essay two paintings by the French artist Jean-Francois Millet are described. These paintings, Les Etoiles Filantes and Nuit Etoilée are particularly interesting since they demonstrate the rare artistic employment of the shooting-star image and metaphor.

Multiple shoot regeneration of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) via ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2011-03-14

Mar 14, 2011 ... Induction of multiple shoots of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plant in two commercial varieties (Sahel and Varamin) using shoot apex was done. Explants were isolated from 3 - 4 days old seedlings, then they were cultured on a shoot induction media, modified MS nutrient agar with combinations: 1- ...

Production of polyploids from cultured shoot tips of Eucalyptus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Polyploids from cultured shoot tips of Eucalyptus globulus were produced by treatment with colchicine. Results showed that the combination of 0.5% colchicine and treating multiple shoot clumps for 4 days was the most appropriate conditions for E. globulus polyploidy induction and the effect of the use of multiple shoot ...

Metabolic changes associated with shoot formation in tobacco callus cultures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grady, K.L.

1982-08-01

Callus tissue derived from Nicotiana tabacum L. stem pith parenchyma cells was grown either on medium which maintains the callus in an undifferentiated state, or on medium which induces the formation of shoots. Two complementary types of studies were performed with the goal of establishing metabolic markers for the initiation of shoot formation: one designed to characterize the flow of radioactive sucrose into various metabolic pools, and one which allowed measurement of intermediary metabolite concentrations. In the former, callus tissue was incubated in (U-/sup 14/C)sucrose for periods up to one hour, and patterns of metabolite labelling in tissue grown on shoot-forming and non-shoot-forming media were compared. In the latter studies, tissue was grown for an entire subculture period on non-shoot-forming medium labelled with (U-/sup 14/C)sucrose, then subcultured to labelled non-shoot-forming or shoot-forming media, and sampled at intervals during the first week of growth. 189 references.

Metabolic changes associated with shoot formation in tobacco callus cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grady, K.L.

1982-08-01

Callus tissue derived from Nicotiana tabacum L. stem pith parenchyma cells was grown either on medium which maintains the callus in an undifferentiated state, or on medium which induces the formation of shoots. Two complementary types of studies were performed with the goal of establishing metabolic markers for the initiation of shoot formation: one designed to characterize the flow of radioactive sucrose into various metabolic pools, and one which allowed measurement of intermediary metabolite concentrations. In the former, callus tissue was incubated in [U- 14 C]sucrose for periods up to one hour, and patterns of metabolite labelling in tissue grown on shoot-forming and non-shoot-forming media were compared. In the latter studies, tissue was grown for an entire subculture period on non-shoot-forming medium labelled with [U- 14 C]sucrose, then subcultured to labelled non-shoot-forming or shoot-forming media, and sampled at intervals during the first week of growth. 189 references

Shooting mechanisms in Nature : A systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sakes, A.; van der Wiel, M.; Henselmans, P.W.J.; van Leeuwen, J.L.; Dodou, D.; Breedveld, P.

2016-01-01

Background
In nature, shooting mechanisms are used for a variety of purposes, including prey capture, defense, and reproduction. This review offers insight into the working principles of shooting mechanisms in fungi, plants, and animals in the light of the specific functional demands that these

Shoot organogenesis in oleaster (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-02-04

Feb 4, 2009 ... Regenerated plantlets were acclimatized and successfully transplanted to soil. Key words: shoot organogenesis, callus, ... saline and alkaline soils (Economou and Maloupa, 1995). Its fruits have been used as a .... cally inert compounds as reported by Kaminek (1992). Direct shoot organogenesis without ...

Cell fate regulation in the shoot meristem.

Science.gov (United States)

Laux, T; Mayer, K F

1998-04-01

The shoot meristem is a proliferative centre containing pluripotent stem cells that are the ultimate source of all cells and organs continuously added to the growing shoot. The progeny of the stem cells have two developmental options, either to renew the stem cell population or to leave the meristem and to differentiate, possibly according to signals from more mature tissue. The destiny of each cell depends on its position within the dynamic shoot meristem. Genetic data suggest a simple model in which graded positional information is provided by antagonistic gene functions and is interpreted by genes which regulate cell fate.

Radiographing roots and shoots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shariffah Noor Khamseah Al Idid

1985-01-01

The effect of seed orientation on germination time and on shoot and root growth patterns is studied. Neutron radiography is used to observe the development of 4 types of plants, maize, greenpea, soya bean and padi. These plants were grown in varying orientations; sand sizes, sand thicknesses, and level of water content. Radiography of the seeds and plants were obtained for time exposure ranging from 3-12 hours and at reactor thermal power level, ranging from 500-750 kilowatts. Results obtained showed that seeds planted in varying orientations need different length of time for shoot emergence. Neutron radiography is now developed to other areas of non-industrial applications in Malaysia. (A.J.)

Accuracy of Skill Performance in the Basketball Free Throw Shooting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Igawa Shoji

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study were to investigates how timing of shot of skilled player and assess performance accuracy of free throw shooting. Ten college students participated in this study (5 skilled players, and 5 naïve participants aged 18-23 years. They performed free throw shooting at 10 times. Shooting seen was recorded three cameras and analyzed shooting successful rate, off-target distance (the distance between the basketball through point and the center of the goal and shot timing. Shot timing was not significant difference. Shooting successful rate of skilled players was higher than unskilled players. Offtarget distance of skilled players was significant smaller than naive player. Consequently, skilled player is possible to aim at the center of the goal and shooting near the center of goal.

Journalism and School Shootings in Finland 2007 -2008

OpenAIRE

Raittila, Pentti; Koljonen, Kari; Väliverronen, Jari

2010-01-01

Two school shootings in Finland (Jokela in 2007 and Kauhajoki in 2008) resulted in the death of 20 people, and they shook not only the foundations of Finnish society but also of the profession that reported about the tragedies. This report is based on research conducted on school shootings at the University of Tampere Journalism Research and Development Centre between 2008 and 2009. The analysis concentrates on both the journalistic texts published on the shootings and journalists' actions...

Defense.gov Special Report: Fort Hood Shooting

Science.gov (United States)

identify possible insider threats, Army Secretary John M. McHugh told lawmakers. Story Obama: Soldiers ," Army Secretary John M. McHugh told lawmakers. Story President Praises Swift Response to Fort Hood Remarks on Fort Hood Shooting at White House McHugh, Odierno Address Fort Hood Shooting Before Congress

Contagion in Mass Killings and School Shootings.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherry Towers

Full Text Available Several past studies have found that media reports of suicides and homicides appear to subsequently increase the incidence of similar events in the community, apparently due to the coverage planting the seeds of ideation in at-risk individuals to commit similar acts.Here we explore whether or not contagion is evident in more high-profile incidents, such as school shootings and mass killings (incidents with four or more people killed. We fit a contagion model to recent data sets related to such incidents in the US, with terms that take into account the fact that a school shooting or mass murder may temporarily increase the probability of a similar event in the immediate future, by assuming an exponential decay in contagiousness after an event.We find significant evidence that mass killings involving firearms are incented by similar events in the immediate past. On average, this temporary increase in probability lasts 13 days, and each incident incites at least 0.30 new incidents (p = 0.0015. We also find significant evidence of contagion in school shootings, for which an incident is contagious for an average of 13 days, and incites an average of at least 0.22 new incidents (p = 0.0001. All p-values are assessed based on a likelihood ratio test comparing the likelihood of a contagion model to that of a null model with no contagion. On average, mass killings involving firearms occur approximately every two weeks in the US, while school shootings occur on average monthly. We find that state prevalence of firearm ownership is significantly associated with the state incidence of mass killings with firearms, school shootings, and mass shootings.

Contagion in Mass Killings and School Shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Towers, Sherry; Gomez-Lievano, Andres; Khan, Maryam; Mubayi, Anuj; Castillo-Chavez, Carlos

2015-01-01

Several past studies have found that media reports of suicides and homicides appear to subsequently increase the incidence of similar events in the community, apparently due to the coverage planting the seeds of ideation in at-risk individuals to commit similar acts. Here we explore whether or not contagion is evident in more high-profile incidents, such as school shootings and mass killings (incidents with four or more people killed). We fit a contagion model to recent data sets related to such incidents in the US, with terms that take into account the fact that a school shooting or mass murder may temporarily increase the probability of a similar event in the immediate future, by assuming an exponential decay in contagiousness after an event. We find significant evidence that mass killings involving firearms are incented by similar events in the immediate past. On average, this temporary increase in probability lasts 13 days, and each incident incites at least 0.30 new incidents (p = 0.0015). We also find significant evidence of contagion in school shootings, for which an incident is contagious for an average of 13 days, and incites an average of at least 0.22 new incidents (p = 0.0001). All p-values are assessed based on a likelihood ratio test comparing the likelihood of a contagion model to that of a null model with no contagion. On average, mass killings involving firearms occur approximately every two weeks in the US, while school shootings occur on average monthly. We find that state prevalence of firearm ownership is significantly associated with the state incidence of mass killings with firearms, school shootings, and mass shootings.

The effect of triacontanol on shoot multiplication and production of antioxidant compounds in shoot cultures of Salvia officinalis L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izabela Grzegorczyk

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This report describes the effect of triacontanol on shoot multiplication and production of antioxidant compounds (carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid in S. officinalis cultures grown on MS basal medium (agar solidified medium supplemented with 0.1 mg l-1 IAA, 0.45 mg l-1 BAP. It was found that shoot proliferation significantly increased when triacontanol at concentrations of 5, 10 or 20 µg l-1 was added to the medium. HPLC analysis of acetone and methanolic extracts of sage shoots showed that the production of diterpenoids, carnosic acid/carnosol ratio, as well as, contents of rosmarinic acid were also affected by the treatment with triacontanol. The highest stimulation effect of triacontanol was observed on the production of carnosol, where the treatment with 20 µg l l-1 increased the content of this diterpenoid 4.5-fold compared to that in the control (sage shoots growing on MS basal medium, only.

Essential Oil Composition of the Different Parts and In Vitro Shoot Culture of Eryngium planum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Kurowska

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from the different parts (inflorescence, stalk leaves, rosette leaves and root as well as from in vitro shoot culture of Eryngium planum L. were analyzed by GC-FID-MS in respect to their chemical composition. The different parts of E. planum and in vitro shoots showed different yields. The part with higher amount was the inflorescences, followed by the stalk leaves and in vitro shoots, rosette leaves and finally roots. The essential oils obtained from rosette leaves and in vitro-derived rosettes had totally different composition. Quantitative differences were also found between compounds of intact plant organs. The main components of stalk leaf oil and rosette leaf oil were monoterpene (limonene, α- and β-pinene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. In inflorescence oil cis-chrysanthenyl acetate (43.2% was accompanied by other esters (propionate, butanoate, hexanoate and octanoate and numerous oxygenated sesquiterpenes. Root oil and in vitro shoot oil contained mainly (Z-falcarinol and 2,3,4-trimethylbenzaldehyde. This is the first report on the chemical composition of this species.

Australian Mass Shootings: An Analysis of Incidents and Offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

McPhedran, Samara

2017-06-01

Mass shooting events are relatively underresearched, and most study comes from the United States. Despite significant international interest, little is known about other countries' experiences of these events. The current study examines Australian mass shooting incidents and offenders, with emphasis on mental illness, life strains, and offenders' life histories. Australia had 14 mass shootings between 1964 and 2014. Most offenders experienced acute life stressors and/or chronic strains leading up to the event; however, diagnosed mental illness was less commonly documented. These observations provide new information about mass shooting incidents and offenders, and can help to inform international policy development.

Shooting stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maurette, M.; Hammer, C.

1985-01-01

A shooting star passage -even a star shower- can be sometimes easily seen during moonless black night. They represent the partial volatilization in earth atmosphere of meteorites or micrometeorites reduced in cosmic dusts. Everywhere on earth, these star dusts are searched to be gathered. This research made one year ago on the Greenland ice-cap is this article object; orbit gathering projects are also presented [fr

thidiazuron improves adventitious bud and shoot regeneration

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Adipala Ekwamu

Induction of adventitious buds and shoots from intact leaves and stem internode segments of two recalcitrant. Ugandan sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivars was investigated in vitro on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with 3 different levels (0.5, 2.0 and 4.0 µM) of Thidiazuron (TDZ). Shoots were.

School shootings during 2013-2015 in the USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalesan, Bindu; Lagast, Kinan; Villarreal, Marcos; Pino, Elizabeth; Fagan, Jeffrey; Galea, Sandro

2017-10-01

Data on the factors associated with school shootings in the USA are limited. The public conversation has often suggested several factors that may be linked to these events, however with little empirical support. Aiming to fill this gap, we describe the characteristics of school shooting incidents in the USA between 2013 and 2015 and explore whether four factors that represent domains of firearm policy, educational policy and epidemiological risk factors for intentional firearm injuries-background check (BC) policies, per capita mental health expenditures (MHE), K-12 education expenditure (KEE) and urbanicity-were associated with school shootings during this period. We searched LexisNexis, a newspaper and broadcast media databases for school shooting incidents from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2015. Presence of BC laws was extracted from legal information in LexisNexis. State-level covariates of per capita MHE (2013), KEE (2013) and urbanicity (2010) rates were obtained from publicly available data sources. We used negative binomial regression models accounting for clustering by state to explore unadjusted associations between the BC laws, state-level covariates and school shootings to report IRR and 95% CI. We documented 154 school shootings (35, 55 and 64 each year). In unadjusted models, BC for firearm purchase (IRR=0.55, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.76), ammunition purchase (IRR=0.11, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.27), log per capita MHE (IRR=0.58, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.90), log per-capita KEE (IRR=0.09, 9% CI 0.02 to 0.29) and urbanicity (IRR=0.97, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) were associated with school shooting. School shootings are less likely in states with BC laws, higher MHE and KEE, and with greater per cent urban population. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Mental Health Consequences of Mass Shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Sarah R; Galea, Sandro

2017-01-01

Mass shooting episodes have increased over recent decades and received substantial media coverage. Despite the potentially widespread and increasing mental health impact of mass shootings, no efforts to our knowledge have been made to review the empirical literature on this topic. We identified 49 peer-reviewed articles, comprised of 27 independent samples in the aftermath of 15 mass shooting incidents. Based on our review, we concluded that mass shootings are associated with a variety of adverse psychological outcomes in survivors and members of affected communities. Less is known about the psychological effects of mass shootings on indirectly exposed populations; however, there is evidence that such events lead to at least short-term increases in fears and declines in perceived safety. A variety of risk factors for adverse psychological outcomes have been identified, including demographic and pre-incident characteristics (e.g., female gender and pre-incident psychological symptoms), event exposure (e.g., greater proximity to the attack and acquaintance with the deceased), and fewer psychosocial resources (e.g., emotion regulation difficulties and lower social support). Further research that draws on pre-incident and longitudinal data will yield important insights into the processes that exacerbate or sustain post-incident psychological symptoms over time and provide important information for crisis preparedness and post-incident mental health interventions. © The Author(s) 2015.

A comparative study of Cu, Ag and Au doped CeO_2 in the total oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aboukaïs, Antoine; Skaf, Mira; Hany, Sara; Cousin, Renaud; Aouad, Samer; Labaki, Madona; Abi-Aad, Edmond

2016-01-01

Total oxidation of two Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), propylene and toluene, was investigated over M/CeO_2 catalysts, where M is a metal from IB group (i.e. Au, Ag, Cu), prepared by two different methods: the conventional wet impregnation and the deposition-precipitation. The catalysts have been characterized by means of total surface area (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy (DR-UV/Vis), and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), in order to explain the differences observed in their catalytic activity towards the studied reactions. By comparing the two different preparation methods, the presence of metal in high oxidation state for gold and silver, and the presence of clusters for copper were the main factors responsible for the high catalytic activity. This latter was also found to be related, when comparing the different IB metals, to the values of the oxidation/reduction potential of the redox couples of the different metals. - Highlights: • IB metals (Au, Ag and Cu) were supported on ceria (CeO_2) by two different methods. • The solids were tested as catalysts for total oxidation of propylene and toluene. • The deposition-precipitation is better for Au whereas for Ag and Cu it is the impregnation. • High oxidation states of gold and silver and clusters of copper enhanced catalytic behavior. • Catalytic activity is linked to the oxidation/reduction potential of the redox IB couples.

Mass Shootings: The Role of the Media in Promoting Generalized Imitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Meindl, James N; Ivy, Jonathan W

2017-03-01

Mass shootings are a particular problem in the United States, with one mass shooting occurring approximately every 12.5 days. Recently a "contagion" effect has been suggested wherein the occurrence of one mass shooting increases the likelihood of another mass shooting occurring in the near future. Although contagion is a convenient metaphor used to describe the temporal spread of a behavior, it does not explain how the behavior spreads. Generalized imitation is proposed as a better model to explain how one person's behavior can influence another person to engage in similar behavior. Here we provide an overview of generalized imitation and discuss how the way in which the media report a mass shooting can increase the likelihood of another shooting event. Also, we propose media reporting guidelines to minimize imitation and further decrease the likelihood of a mass shooting.

Light Requirement for Shoot Regeneration in Horseradish Hairy Roots 1

Science.gov (United States)

Saitou, Tsutomu; Kamada, Hiroshi; Harada, Hiroshi

1992-01-01

Hairy roots of horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) were induced by inoculation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes harboring Ri plasmid and cultured on phytohormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium after eliminating the bacteria. Hairy roots grew vigorously and sometimes formed yellowish calli under dark conditions. On the other hand, growth of hairy roots stopped after several weeks of culture with light, then shoots were regenerated. Frequency of shoot formation from hairy roots increased as the culture period in light lengthened and the light intensity increased. The shoot regeneration was induced by treatment with white or red light, but not with far-red light. Shoot regeneration by red light was inhibited by following treatment with far-red light. Red and far-red light reversibly affected shoot regeneration. Excised roots of nontransformed plants grew quite slowly on phytohormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium and occasionally formed shoots under white light conditions. PMID:16669041

Effects of calcium gluconate and ascorbic acid on controlling shoot ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In vitro shoot necrosis is a quite widespread disorder affecting raspberry micropropagation. This study was conducted to investigate effects of calcium gluconate and ascorbic acid on shoot necrosis and dieback of raspberry shoots during micropropagation. Nodal segments of primocane-fruiting raspberry cultivars 'Allgold', ...

Tragedy and the Meaning of School Shootings

Science.gov (United States)

Warnick, Bryan R.; Johnson, Benjamin A.; Rocha, Samuel

2010-01-01

School shootings are traumatic events that cause a community to question itself, its values, and its educational systems. In this article Bryan Warnick, Benjamin Johnson, and Samuel Rocha explore the meanings of school shootings by examining three recent books on school violence. Topics that grow out of these books include (1) how school shootings…

Distributed trouble-shooting

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Post, W.M.; Bogaard, S.A.A. van den; Rasker, P.C.

2004-01-01

When knowledge, required for trouble-shooting at sea, can be supplied real-time but from a distance, problems, such as with the limited availability of specialists, and the high costs of maintenance, may be tackled. Unclear is, however, how this redistribution of knowledge will work in practice. We

Firearm Legislation and Fatal Police Shootings in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Kivisto, Aaron J; Ray, Bradley; Phalen, Peter L

2017-07-01

To examine whether stricter firearm legislation is associated with rates of fatal police shootings. We used a cross-sectional, state-level design to evaluate the effect of state-level firearm legislation on rates of fatal police shootings from January 1, 2015, through October 31, 2016. We measured state-level variation in firearm laws with legislative scorecards from the Brady Center, and for fatal police shootings we used The Counted, an online database maintained by The Guardian. State-level firearm legislation was significantly associated with lower rates of fatal police shootings (incidence rate ratio = 0.961; 95% confidence interval = 0.939, 0.984). When we controlled for sociodemographic factors, states in the top quartile of legislative strength had a 51% lower incidence rate than did states in the lowest quartile. Laws aimed at strengthening background checks, promoting safe storage, and reducing gun trafficking were associated with fewer fatal police shootings. Legislative restrictions on firearms are associated with reductions in fatal police shootings. Public Health Implications. Although further research is necessary to determine causality and potential mechanisms, firearm legislation is a potential policy solution for reducing fatal police shootings in the United States.

The correlation of the radiocaesium concentration of new shoots harvested in 2012 and old leaves, and new shoots harvested in 2011 grown in Kanagawa prefecture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiraki, Yoshiya; Takeda, Hajime; Okamoto, Tamotsu; Kita, Nobuhiro

2013-01-01

We conducted this study to analyze the correlation between 137 Cs concentration of new shoots harvested in the first crop of tea in 2012, and new shoots harvested in the shuto-bancha in 2011 and old leaves harvested at the same time respectively. In the first crop of tea in 2012, the 137 Cs concentration of new shoots was related to that of old leaves, and the correlation of the coefficient was 0.663(p 137 Cs concentration(new shoots/old leaves) was related to the days until harvest of the first crop of tea in 2012, and the correlation coefficient was -0.771(p 137 Cs concentration was derived from the dilution effect due to growth and development of tea plants. Regression analysis was performed to forecast the 137 Cs concentration of the new shoots in the first crop of tea. The 137 Cs concentration of new shoots in the harvested first crop of tea(Y) was related to the 137 Cs concentration of old leaves harvested the previous winter(X). The correlation of the coefficient was 0.783(p 137 Cs concentration of new shoots of the first crop of tea in 2012 decreased about 1/6 to 1/25 compared with that of new shoots of the first crop of tea in 2011. (author)

The Level of Vision Necessary for Competitive Performance in Rifle Shooting: Setting the Standards for Paralympic Shooting with Vision Impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Allen, P.M.; Latham, K.; Mann, D.L.; Ravensbergen, H.J.C.; Myint, J.

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the level of vision impairment (VI) that would reduce performance in shooting; to guide development of entry criteria to visually impaired (VI) shooting. Nineteen international-level shooters without VI took part in the study. Participants shot an air rifle,

Artificial neural network-based model for the prediction of optimal growth and culture conditions for maximum biomass accumulation in multiple shoot cultures of Centella asiatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Prasad, Archana; Prakash, Om; Mehrotra, Shakti; Khan, Feroz; Mathur, Ajay Kumar; Mathur, Archana

2017-01-01

An artificial neural network (ANN)-based modelling approach is used to determine the synergistic effect of five major components of growth medium (Mg, Cu, Zn, nitrate and sucrose) on improved in vitro biomass yield in multiple shoot cultures of Centella asiatica. The back propagation neural network (BPNN) was employed to predict optimal biomass accumulation in terms of growth index over a defined culture duration of 35 days. The four variable concentrations of five media components, i.e. MgSO 4 (0, 0.75, 1.5, 3.0 mM), ZnSO 4 (0, 15, 30, 60 μM), CuSO 4 (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 μM), NO 3 (20, 30, 40, 60 mM) and sucrose (1, 3, 5, 7 %, w/v) were taken as inputs for the ANN model. The designed model was evaluated by performing three different sets of validation experiments that indicated a greater similarity between the target and predicted dataset. The results of the modelling experiment suggested that 1.5 mM Mg, 30 μM Zn, 0.1 μM Cu, 40 mM NO 3 and 6 % (w/v) sucrose were the respective optimal concentrations of the tested medium components for achieving maximum growth index of 1654.46 with high centelloside yield (62.37 mg DW/culture) in the cultured multiple shoots. This study can facilitate the generation of higher biomass of uniform, clean, good quality C. asiatica herb that can efficiently be utilized by pharmaceutical industries.

The genetic architecture of shoot-root covariation during seedling emergence of a desert tree, Populus euphratica.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Miaomiao; Bo, Wenhao; Xu, Fang; Li, Huan; Ye, Meixia; Jiang, Libo; Shi, Chaozhong; Fu, Yaru; Zhao, Guomiao; Huang, Yuejiao; Gosik, Kirk; Liang, Dan; Wu, Rongling

2017-06-01

The coordination of shoots and roots is critical for plants to adapt to changing environments by fine-tuning energy production in leaves and the availability of water and nutrients from roots. To understand the genetic architecture of how these two organs covary during developmental ontogeny, we conducted a mapping experiment using Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica), a so-called hero tree able to grow in the desert. We geminated intraspecific F 1 seeds of Euphrates Poplar individually in a tube to obtain a total of 370 seedlings, whose shoot and taproot lengths were measured repeatedly during the early stage of growth. By fitting a growth equation, we estimated asymptotic growth, relative growth rate, the timing of inflection point and duration of linear growth for both shoot and taproot growth. Treating these heterochronic parameters as phenotypes, a univariate mapping model detected 19 heterochronic quantitative trait loci (hQTLs), of which 15 mediate the forms of shoot growth and four mediate taproot growth. A bivariate mapping model identified 11 pleiotropic hQTLs that determine the covariation of shoot and taproot growth. Most QTLs detected reside within the region of candidate genes with various functions, thus confirming their roles in the biochemical processes underlying plant growth. © 2017 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ferns: the missing link in shoot evolution and development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Robert George Plackett

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Shoot development in land plants is a remarkably complex process that gives rise to an extreme diversity of forms. Our current understanding of shoot developmental mechanisms comes almost entirely from studies of angiosperms (flowering plants, the most recently diverged plant lineage. Shoot development in angiosperms is based around a layered multicellular apical meristem that produces lateral organs and/or secondary meristems from populations of founder cells at its periphery. In contrast, non-seed plant shoots develop from either single apical initials or from a small population of morphologically distinct apical cells. Although developmental and molecular information is becoming available for non-flowering plants, such as the model moss Physcomitrella patens, making valid comparisons between highly divergent lineages is extremely challenging. As sister group to the seed plants, the monilophytes (ferns and relatives represent an excellent phylogenetic midpoint of comparison for unlocking the evolution of shoot developmental mechanisms, and recent technical advances have finally made transgenic analysis possible in the emerging model fern Ceratopteris richardii. This review compares and contrasts our current understanding of shoot development in different land plant lineages with the aim of highlighting the potential role that the fern C. richardii could play in shedding light on the evolution of underlying genetic regulatory mechanisms.

Peach water relations, gas exchange, growth and shoot mortality under water deficit in semi-arid weather conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahmati, Mitra; Davarynejad, Gholam Hossein; Génard, Michel; Bannayan, Mohammad; Azizi, Majid; Vercambre, Gilles

2015-01-01

In this study the sensitivity of peach tree (Prunus persica L.) to three water stress levels from mid-pit hardening until harvest was assessed. Seasonal patterns of shoot and fruit growth, gas exchange (leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and transpiration) as well as carbon (C) storage/mobilization were evaluated in relation to plant water status. A simple C balance model was also developed to investigate sink-source relationship in relation to plant water status at the tree level. The C source was estimated through the leaf area dynamics and leaf photosynthesis rate along the season. The C sink was estimated for maintenance respiration and growth of shoots and fruits. Water stress significantly reduced gas exchange, and fruit, and shoot growth, but increased fruit dry matter concentration. Growth was more affected by water deficit than photosynthesis, and shoot growth was more sensitive to water deficit than fruit growth. Reduction of shoot growth was associated with a decrease of shoot elongation, emergence, and high shoot mortality. Water scarcity affected tree C assimilation due to two interacting factors: (i) reduction in leaf photosynthesis (-23% and -50% under moderate (MS) and severe (SS) water stress compared to low (LS) stress during growth season) and (ii) reduction in total leaf area (-57% and -79% under MS and SS compared to LS at harvest). Our field data analysis suggested a Ψstem threshold of -1.5 MPa below which daily net C gain became negative, i.e. C assimilation became lower than C needed for respiration and growth. Negative C balance under MS and SS associated with decline of trunk carbohydrate reserves--may have led to drought-induced vegetative mortality.

Mental illness, mass shootings, and the politics of American firearms.

Science.gov (United States)

Metzl, Jonathan M; MacLeish, Kenneth T

2015-02-01

Four assumptions frequently arise in the aftermath of mass shootings in the United States: (1) that mental illness causes gun violence, (2) that psychiatric diagnosis can predict gun crime, (3) that shootings represent the deranged acts of mentally ill loners, and (4) that gun control "won't prevent" another Newtown (Connecticut school mass shooting). Each of these statements is certainly true in particular instances. Yet, as we show, notions of mental illness that emerge in relation to mass shootings frequently reflect larger cultural stereotypes and anxieties about matters such as race/ethnicity, social class, and politics. These issues become obscured when mass shootings come to stand in for all gun crime, and when "mentally ill" ceases to be a medical designation and becomes a sign of violent threat.

A comparative study of Cu, Ag and Au doped CeO{sub 2} in the total oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aboukaïs, Antoine, E-mail: aboukais@univ-littoral.fr [Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant EA 4492, ULCO, Equipe de Catalyse-UCEIV, MREI, 59140, Dunkerque (France); Skaf, Mira, E-mail: miraskaf@hotmail.com [Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant EA 4492, ULCO, Equipe de Catalyse-UCEIV, MREI, 59140, Dunkerque (France); Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Balamand, P.O. Box 100, Deir El Balamand, Kelhat-Tripoli (Lebanon); Hany, Sara, E-mail: sarahani@hotmail.com [Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant EA 4492, ULCO, Equipe de Catalyse-UCEIV, MREI, 59140, Dunkerque (France); Cousin, Renaud, E-mail: Renaud.Cousin@univ-littoral.fr [Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant EA 4492, ULCO, Equipe de Catalyse-UCEIV, MREI, 59140, Dunkerque (France); Aouad, Samer, E-mail: Samer.Aouad@balamand.edu.lb [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Balamand, P.O. Box 100, Deir El Balamand, Kelhat-Tripoli (Lebanon); Labaki, Madona, E-mail: mlabaki@ul.edu.lb [Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materials (LCPM)/PR2N, Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Fanar, PO Box 90656, Jdeidet El Metn (Lebanon); Abi-Aad, Edmond, E-mail: abiaad@univ-littoral.fr [Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant EA 4492, ULCO, Equipe de Catalyse-UCEIV, MREI, 59140, Dunkerque (France)

2016-07-01

Total oxidation of two Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), propylene and toluene, was investigated over M/CeO{sub 2} catalysts, where M is a metal from IB group (i.e. Au, Ag, Cu), prepared by two different methods: the conventional wet impregnation and the deposition-precipitation. The catalysts have been characterized by means of total surface area (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), diffuse reflectance ultra-violet-visible spectroscopy (DR-UV/Vis), and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), in order to explain the differences observed in their catalytic activity towards the studied reactions. By comparing the two different preparation methods, the presence of metal in high oxidation state for gold and silver, and the presence of clusters for copper were the main factors responsible for the high catalytic activity. This latter was also found to be related, when comparing the different IB metals, to the values of the oxidation/reduction potential of the redox couples of the different metals. - Highlights: • IB metals (Au, Ag and Cu) were supported on ceria (CeO{sub 2}) by two different methods. • The solids were tested as catalysts for total oxidation of propylene and toluene. • The deposition-precipitation is better for Au whereas for Ag and Cu it is the impregnation. • High oxidation states of gold and silver and clusters of copper enhanced catalytic behavior. • Catalytic activity is linked to the oxidation/reduction potential of the redox IB couples.

Multiple vantage points on the mental health effects of mass shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Shultz, James M; Thoresen, Siri; Flynn, Brian W; Muschert, Glenn W; Shaw, Jon A; Espinel, Zelde; Walter, Frank G; Gaither, Joshua B; Garcia-Barcena, Yanira; O'Keefe, Kaitlin; Cohen, Alyssa M

2014-09-01

The phenomenon of mass shootings has emerged over the past 50 years. A high proportion of rampage shootings have occurred in the United States, and secondarily, in European nations with otherwise low firearm homicide rates; yet, paradoxically, shooting massacres are not prominent in the Latin American nations with the highest firearm homicide rates in the world. A review of the scientific literature from 2010 to early 2014 reveals that, at the individual level, mental health effects include psychological distress and clinically significant elevations in posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety symptoms in relation to the degree of physical exposure and social proximity to the shooting incident. Psychological repercussions extend to the surrounding affected community. In the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting on record, Norway has been in the vanguard of intervention research focusing on rapid delivery of psychological support and services to survivors of the "Oslo Terror." Grounded on a detailed review of the clinical literature on the mental health effects of mass shootings, this paper also incorporates wide-ranging co-author expertise to delineate: 1) the patterning of mass shootings within the international context of firearm homicides, 2) the effects of shooting rampages on children and adolescents, 3) the psychological effects for wounded victims and the emergency healthcare personnel who care for them, 4) the disaster behavioral health considerations for preparedness and response, and 5) the media "framing" of mass shooting incidents in relation to the portrayal of mental health themes.

In vitro mass propagation of Salvia canariensis by axillary shoots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastiana Mederos Molina

2014-01-01

Full Text Available During the establishment of shoots of Salvia canariensis L., five environmental factor treatments were applied. For each axillary node two shoots grew well when explants were incubated at continued ligth for 15 days followed by 16 hrs photoperiod by 30 days. Shoots multiplication was improved on a modified Murashige and Skoog (MS (1962 medium - MS + 825 mg/l NH4NO3 - supplemented with 10-7 M BA and 10-7 M NAA. The shoots produced well developed root systems within three weeks after transfer to the same culture medium supplemented with 5x 10-7 M NAA.

Pre-performance Physiological State: Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Shooting Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, E; Wang, C J K

2018-03-01

Heart rate variability (HRV) is commonly used in sport science for monitoring the physiology of athletes but not as an indicator of physiological state from a psychological perspective. Since HRV is established to be an indicator of emotional responding, it could be an objective means of quantifying an athlete's subjective physiological state before competition. A total of 61 sport shooters participated in this study, of which 21 were novice shooters, 19 were intermediate shooters, and 21 were advanced level shooters. HRV, self-efficacy, and use of mental skills were assessed before they completed a standard shooting performance task of 40 shots, as in a competition qualifying round. The results showed that HRV was significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy and performance and was a significant predictor of shooting performance. In addition, advanced shooters were found to have significantly lower average heart rate before shooting and used more self-talk, relaxation, imagery, and automaticity compared to novice and intermediate shooters. HRV was found to be useful in identifying the physiological state of an athlete before competing, and as such, coaches and athletes can adopt practical strategies to improve the pre-performance physiological state as a means to optimize performance.

Morphological Evaluation of Shoots Regenerated from Hygromycin-Resistant Rice Callus (cv IACuba-28

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maylin Pérez Bernal

2007-01-01

Full Text Available An evaluation system based on the morphological characteristics of regenerated hygromycin-resistant rice callus shoots was established for correlating such characteristics with shoot viability on hygromycin. Embryogenic rice calli were transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens (EHA105/ pCAMBIA1300, containing the hygromycin-phosphotransferase gene as selection marker. After two weeks on selection medium, hygromycin-resistant calli were transferred to regeneration medium. Regenerated shoots were extracted every 5 days (over a 30-day period and classified into three classes according to their morphological structure: class I: vigorous shoot having typical bipolar structure; class II: shoot having small root compared to apical length, or shoot without roots; class III: shoots having an abnormal appearance, such as malformed leaves or albinism. Individualised shoots were transferred to MS medium containing hygromycin for evaluating their resistance to antibiotics. A relationship was observed between regenerated shoots’ morphological characteristics and the percentage of shoots’ viability on hygromycin. Class I prevailed at early shoot extraction and was the most resistant to hygromycin. Drastic class I reduction was found with later shoot extraction, whilst classes II and III became increased. Likewise, shoot viability became radically reduced on MS medium containing hygromycin. This result might be applied for improving efficiency regarding obtaining transgenic rice plants, taking into account the best time for obtaining high percentages of hygromycin-resistant shoots having the best morphological characteristics.

Shoot Differentiation in Callus Cultures of Datura Innoxia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engvild, Kjeld Christensen

1973-01-01

promoted shoot differentiation. Gibberellic acid inhibited shoot formation weakly, but inhibited proper leaf blade formation. Root differentiation was rare. The callus cultures of Datura innoxia grew rapidly (100-fold in 4 weeks) on a slightly modified Murashige and Skoog medium (0.5 mg/l thiamin · HCl, p...

Massive spalling of Cu-Zn and Cu-Al intermetallic compounds at the interface between solders and Cu substrate during liquid state reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Kotadia, H. R.; Panneerselvam, A.; Mokhtari, O.; Green, M. A.; Mannan, S. H.

2012-04-01

The interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) formation between Cu substrate and Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu-X (wt.%) solder alloys has been studied, where X consists of 0-5% Zn or 0-2% Al. The study has focused on the effect of solder volume as well as the Zn or Al concentration. With low solder volume, when the Zn and Al concentrations in the solder are also low, the initial Cu-Zn and Al-Cu IMC layers, which form at the solder/substrate interface, are not stable and spall off, displaced by a Cu6Sn5 IMC layer. As the total Zn or Al content in the system increases by increasing solder volume, stable CuZn or Al2Cu IMCs form on the substrate and are not displaced. Increasing concentration of Zn has a similar effect of stabilizing the Cu-Zn IMC layer and also of forming a stable Cu5Zn8 layer, but increasing Al concentration alone does not prevent spalling of Al2Cu. These results are explained using a combination of thermodynamic- and kinetics-based arguments.

Handgun Acquisitions in California After Two Mass Shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Studdert, David M; Zhang, Yifan; Rodden, Jonathan A; Hyndman, Rob J; Wintemute, Garen J

2017-05-16

Mass shootings are common in the United States. They are the most visible form of firearm violence. Their effect on personal decisions to purchase firearms is not well-understood. To determine changes in handgun acquisition patterns after the mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 and San Bernardino, California, in 2015. Time-series analysis using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving-average (SARIMA) models. California. Adults who acquired handguns between 2007 and 2016. Excess handgun acquisitions (defined as the difference between actual and expected acquisitions) in the 6-week and 12-week periods after each shooting, overall and within subgroups of acquirers. In the 6 weeks after the Newtown and San Bernardino shootings, there were 25 705 (95% prediction interval, 17 411 to 32 788) and 27 413 (prediction interval, 15 188 to 37 734) excess acquisitions, respectively, representing increases of 53% (95% CI, 30% to 80%) and 41% (CI, 19% to 68%) over expected volume. Large increases in acquisitions occurred among white and Hispanic persons, but not among black persons, and among persons with no record of having previously acquired a handgun. After the San Bernardino shootings, acquisition rates increased by 85% among residents of that city and adjacent neighborhoods, compared with 35% elsewhere in California. The data relate to handguns in 1 state. The statistical analysis cannot establish causality. Large increases in handgun acquisitions occurred after these 2 mass shootings. The spikes were short-lived and accounted for less than 10% of annual handgun acquisitions statewide. Further research should examine whether repeated shocks of this kind lead to substantial increases in the prevalence of firearm ownership. None.

The Effect of High School Shootings on Schools and Student Performance

OpenAIRE

Louis-Philippe Beland; Dongwoo Kim

2015-01-01

We analyze how fatal shootings in high schools affect schools and students using data from shooting databases, school report cards, and the Common Core of Data. We examine schools’ test scores, enrollment, and number of teachers, as well as graduation, attendance, and suspension rates at schools that experienced a shooting, employing a difference-in-differences strategy that uses other high schools in the same district as the comparison group. Our findings suggest that homicidal shootings s...

Methodology of shooting training using modern IT techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Gudzbeler, Grzegorz; Struniawski, Jarosław

2017-08-01

Mastering, improvement, shaping and preservation of skills of safe, efficient and effective use of the firearm requires the use of relevant methodology of conducting the shooting training. However reality of police trainings does not usually allow for intensive training shooting with the use of ammunition. An alternative solution is the use of modern training technologies. Example of this is the "Virtual system of improvement tactics of intervention services responsible for security and shooting training." Introduction of stimulator to police trainings will enable complete stuff preparation to achieve its tasks, creating potential of knowledge and experience in many areas, far exceeding the capabilities of conventional training.

[Genetic regulation of plant shoot stem cells].

Science.gov (United States)

Al'bert, E V; Ezhova, T A

2013-02-01

This article describes the main features of plant stem cells and summarizes the results of studies of the genetic control of stem cell maintenance in the apical meristem of the shoot. It is demonstrated that the WUS-CLV gene system plays a key role in the maintenance of shoot apical stem cells and the formation of adventitious buds and somatic embryos. Unconventional concepts of plant stem cells are considered.

THE PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE INFLUENCE OF SHOOTING RANGES ON ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karolina Wodnik

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the shooting activity on the environment. The studies were conducted in the area of the sports shooting range. The invertebrates assemblages were identified to the family level as well as morphospecies. The second method do not require the proficiency in identification. The following indices of the biodiversity were used for the assessment of the impact of sports shooting ranges: Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, Margalef, Berger-Parker and Menhinick. A decreased biodiversity was observed at two studied sites comparing to the reference site what proves the influence of shooting activity on the biodiversity and suggest disturbance of the ecosystem integrity because of shooting activity.

Can the soil fauna of boreal forests recover from lead-derived stress in a shooting range area?

Science.gov (United States)

Selonen, Salla; Liiri, Mira; Setälä, Heikki

2014-04-01

The responses of soil faunal communities to lead (Pb) contamination in a shooting range area and the recovery of these fauna after range abandonment were studied by comparing the communities at an active shotgun shooting range, an abandoned shooting range, and a control site, locating in the same forest. Despite the similar overall Pb pellet load at the shooting ranges, reaching up to 4 kg m(-2), Pb concentrations in the top soil of the abandoned range has decreased due to the accumulation of detritus on the soil surface. As a consequence, soil animal communities were shown to recover from Pb-related disturbances by utilizing the less contaminated soil layer. Microarthropods showed the clearest signs of recovery, their numbers and community composition being close to those detected at the control site. However, in the deepest organic soil layer, the negative effects of Pb were more pronounced at the abandoned than at the active shooting range, which was detected as altered microarthropod and nematode community structures, reduced abundances of several microarthropod taxa, and the total absence of enchytraeid worms. Thus, although the accumulation of fresh litter on soil surface can promote the recovery of decomposer communities in the top soil, the gradual release of Pb from corroding pellets may pose a long-lasting risk for decomposer taxa deeper in the soil.

Shoot growth of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevine varieties

OpenAIRE

Marcelo Borghezan; Olavo Gavioli; Hamilton Justino Vieira; Aparecido Lima da Silva

2012-01-01

The objective of this work was to evaluate shoot growth of the grapevine varieties Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, during 2006/2007, and Cabernet Sauvignon, during 2008/2009, in São Joaquim, SC, Brazil. The experiment was carried out in a commercial vineyard trained on a vertical trellis system. The shoots of the central part of the plants were selected, and the lengths from the base to the apex of 20 shoots per cultivar were evaluated. In 2006/2007, monitoring began at pruning, on 9/15/2006, ...

Lead and copper immobilization in a shooting range soil using soybean stover- and pine needle-derived biochars: Chemical, microbial and spectroscopic assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, Mahtab; Ok, Yong Sik; Rajapaksha, Anushka Upamali; Lim, Jung Eun; Kim, Byung-Yong; Ahn, Jae-Hyung; Lee, Young Han; Al-Wabel, Mohammad I; Lee, Sung-Eun; Lee, Sang Soo

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Biochar immobilizes Pb and Cu in a contaminated shooting range soil. • Soybean stover-biochar is an efficient metal immobilizer than pine needle-biochar. • Biochar produced at 700 °C showed significant potential of sequestering C in soil. • Biochar showed less impact on the bacterial community than feedstock biomass. - Abstract: Biochar (BC) could be a potential candidate for the remediation of metal contaminated soil. Mechanistic understandings are needed for the appropriate selection of BC and investigating molecular microbial ecological interactions. The soybean stover-derived BCs were more effective in immobilizing Pb (88%) and Cu (87%) than the pine needle-derived BCs in a contaminated shooting range soil. The sequential chemical extractions indicated that BCs stimulated the geochemical transformation of metal species. Spectroscopic investigations using scanning electron microscopic elemental dot mapping and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic measurements showed that Pb in the BCs amended soils was immobilized by the formation of stable chloropyromorphite. Soil organic C and microbial activity were also enhanced by BC. The non-labile C fraction in the soil amended with BCs produced at 700 °C was increased. Biochars showed less impact on the bacterial community than feedstock biomass as promulgated by the pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The feedstock type (namely soybean stover and pine needles) was the main factor influencing the BCs efficacy on metals’ (im) mobilization and bacterial health in soils.

Lead and copper immobilization in a shooting range soil using soybean stover- and pine needle-derived biochars: Chemical, microbial and spectroscopic assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Mahtab [Korea Biochar Research Center & Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Soil Sciences Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Ok, Yong Sik; Rajapaksha, Anushka Upamali; Lim, Jung Eun [Korea Biochar Research Center & Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Byung-Yong; Ahn, Jae-Hyung [Agricultural Microbiology Division, National Academy of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 565-851 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Young Han [Division of Plant Environment Research, Gyeongsangnam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Service, Jinju 660-360 (Korea, Republic of); Al-Wabel, Mohammad I [Soil Sciences Department, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, PO Box 2460, Riyadh 11451 (Saudi Arabia); Lee, Sung-Eun, E-mail: selpest@knu.ac.kr [School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Sang Soo, E-mail: sslee97@kangwon.ac.kr [Korea Biochar Research Center & Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 200-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

Highlights: • Biochar immobilizes Pb and Cu in a contaminated shooting range soil. • Soybean stover-biochar is an efficient metal immobilizer than pine needle-biochar. • Biochar produced at 700 °C showed significant potential of sequestering C in soil. • Biochar showed less impact on the bacterial community than feedstock biomass. - Abstract: Biochar (BC) could be a potential candidate for the remediation of metal contaminated soil. Mechanistic understandings are needed for the appropriate selection of BC and investigating molecular microbial ecological interactions. The soybean stover-derived BCs were more effective in immobilizing Pb (88%) and Cu (87%) than the pine needle-derived BCs in a contaminated shooting range soil. The sequential chemical extractions indicated that BCs stimulated the geochemical transformation of metal species. Spectroscopic investigations using scanning electron microscopic elemental dot mapping and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic measurements showed that Pb in the BCs amended soils was immobilized by the formation of stable chloropyromorphite. Soil organic C and microbial activity were also enhanced by BC. The non-labile C fraction in the soil amended with BCs produced at 700 °C was increased. Biochars showed less impact on the bacterial community than feedstock biomass as promulgated by the pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene. The feedstock type (namely soybean stover and pine needles) was the main factor influencing the BCs efficacy on metals’ (im) mobilization and bacterial health in soils.

A first-principles study of the possible magnetism of Rh in the Cu/Rh/Cu(001) system

CERN Document Server

Jang, Y R; Chang, C S; Cho, L H; Lee, J I

1999-01-01

Possible 4d magnetism of a Rh monolayer in a Cu/Rh/Cu(001) system is investigated using the full-potential linearized augmented-plane-wave (FLAPW) energy band method based on the local-spin-density approximation (LSDA). We have calculated the total energy of the Cu/Rh/Cu(001) system and have found that the Rh monolayer is ferromagnetic (FM) with a tiny magnetic moment. However, the total energy difference between the ferromagnetic and the paramagnetic states is found to be very small, and thus which state can be realized at room temperature is uncertain. The calculated charge densities and layer-projected density of states (LDOS) are presented and discussed in relation to the magnetic properties.

In vitro regeneration of Salix nigra from adventitious shoots.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyyra, Satu; Lima, Amparo; Merkle, Scott A

2006-07-01

Black willow (Salix nigra Marsh.) is the largest and only commercially important willow species in North America. It is a candidate for phytoremediation of polluted soils because it is fast-growing and thrives on floodplains throughout eastern USA. Our objective was to develop a protocol for the in vitro regeneration of black willow plants that could serve as target material for gene transformation. Unexpanded inflorescence explants were excised from dormant buds collected from three source trees and cultured on woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with one of: (1) 0.1 mg l(-1) thidiazuron (TDZ); (2) 0.5 mg l(-1) 6-benzoaminopurine (BAP); or (3) 1 mg l(-1) BAP. All plant growth regulator (PGR) treatments induced direct adventitious bud formation from the genotypes. The percentage of explants producing buds ranged from 20 to 92%, depending on genotype and treatment. Although most of the TDZ-treated inflorescences produced buds, these buds failed to elongate into shoots. Buds on explants treated with BAP elongated into shoots that were easily rooted in vitro and further established in potting mix in high humidity. The PGR treatments significantly affected shoot regeneration frequency (P < 0.01). The highest shoot regeneration frequency (36%) was achieved with Genotype 3 cultured on 0.5 mg l(-1) BAP. Mean number of shoots per explant varied from one to five. The ability of black willow inflorescences to produce adventitious shoots makes them potential targets for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation with heavy-metal-resistant genes for phytoremediation.

Shoot growth, radiation interception and dry matter production and partitioning during the establishment phase of Miscanthus sinensis 'Giganteus' grown at two densities in the UK

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)

Bringing sexy back: reclaiming the body aesthetic via self-shooting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tiidenberg, Katrin

2014-01-01

’s ‘technologies of the self’ to analyze self-shooting (taking photos of one-self). Constricting societal norms of sexuality, body shape and body practices influence how my participants (N=20, 10 female, 9 male, 1 transgender, ages 21 - 51, average age 34) live their embodied and sexual lives. Through self-shooting...... and by negotiating the community specific issues of control, power and the gaze, they are able to construct a new, empowered, embodied identity for themselves. I look at self-shooting and selfie-blogging as a practice of reclaiming control over one’s embodied self AND over the body-aesthetic, thus appropriating what...... is and is not ‘sexy’. The NSFW self-shooting community offers a safe space otherwise so hard to find within the body/sexuality-normative mainstream culture. This makes self-shooting a collective therapeutic activity. In their self-images participants construct themselves as ‘beautiful’, ‘sexy’, ‘devious’, ‘more than...

The Effect of High School Shootings on Schools and Student Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Beland, Louis-Philippe; Kim, Dongwoo

2016-01-01

We analyze how fatal shootings in high schools affect schools and students using data from shooting databases, school report cards, and the Common Core of Data. We examine schools' test scores, enrollment, number of teachers, graduation, attendance, and suspension rates at schools that experienced a shooting, employing a difference-in-differences…

Heavy metal contamination and accumulation in soil and wild plant species from industrial area of Islamabad, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malik, R.N.; Husain, S.Z.; Nazir, I.

2010-01-01

This study was designed to assess total contents of 6 toxic metals viz., Pb, Cu, Zn, Co, Ni, and Cr in the soil and plant samples of 16 plant species collected from industrial zone of Islamabad, Pakistan. The concentration, transfer and accumulation of metals from soil to roots and shoots was evaluated in terms of Biological Concentration Factor (BCF), Translocation Factor (TF) and Bioaccumulation Coefficient (BAC). Total metal concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Co, Ni, and Cr in soils varied between 2.0-29.0, 61.9-172.6, 8.9 to 357.4, 7.3-24.7, 41.4-59.3, and 40.2-927.2 mg/kg. Total metal concentrations pattern in roots were: Cu>Cr>Zn>Ni>Pb>Co. Grasses showed relatively higher total Zn concentration. Accumulation of Cu was highest in shoots followed by Zn, Cr, Pb, Co and Ni. None of plant species were identified as hyper accumulator; however, based on BCFs, TFs, and BACs values, most of the studied species have potential for phyto stabilization and phyto extraction. Parthenium hysterophoirus L., and Amaranthus viridis L., is suggested for phytoextraction of Pb and Ni, whereas, Partulaca oleracea L., Brachiaria reptans (L.) Gard. and Hubb., Solanum nigrum L., and Xanthium stromarium L., for hytostabilization of soils contaminated with Pb and Cu. (author)

Effect of Ni addition to the Cu substrate on the interfacial reaction and IMC growth with Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xudong; Hu, Xiaowu; Jiang, Xiongxin; Li, Yulong

2018-04-01

The formation and growth of intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at the interface between Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder and Cu- xNi ( x = 0, 0.5, 1.5, 5, 10 wt%) substrate during reflowing and aging were investigated. The soldering was conducted at 270 °C using reflowing method, following by aging treatment at 150 °C for up to 360 h. The experimental results indicated that the total thickness of IMC increased with increasing aging time. The scallop-like Cu6Sn5 and planar-like Cu3Sn IMC layer were observed between SAC305 solder and purely Cu substrate. As the content of Ni element in Cu substrate was 0.5% or 1.5%, the scallop-like Cu6Sn5 and planar-like Cu3Sn IMC layer were still found between solder and Cu-Ni substrate and the total thickness of IMC layer decreased with the increasing Ni content. Besides, when the Ni content was up to 5%, the long prismatic (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 phase was the only product between solder and substrate and the total thickness of IMC layer increased significantly. Interestingly, the total thickness of IMC decreased slightly as the Ni addition was up to 10%. In the end, the grains of interfacial IMC layer became coarser with aging time increasing while the addition of Ni in Cu substrate could refine IMC grains.

In vitro shoot multiplication of Ziziphus spina-christi by shoot tip culture

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

2010-02-08

Feb 8, 2010 ... Key words: Clonal propagation, cidir, shoot tip culture, Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. INTRODUCTION. Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf., locally known as cidir, is a multipurpose tree species belonging to the botanical family Rhamnaceae. It is an important cultivated tree and one of the few truly native tree ...

Ship and Shoot

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Ron

2012-01-01

Ron Woods shared incredibly valuable insights gained during his 28 years at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) packaging Flight Crew Equipment for shuttle and ISS missions. In particular, Woods shared anecdotes and photos from various processing events. The moral of these stories and the main focus of this discussion were the additional processing efforts and effects related to a "ship-and-shoot" philosophy toward flight hardware.

Disentangling the intertwined genetic bases of root and shoot growth in Arabidopsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Bouteillé

Full Text Available Root growth and architecture are major components of plant nutrient and water use efficiencies and these traits are the matter of extensive genetic analysis in several crop species. Because root growth relies on exported assimilate from the shoot, and changes in assimilate supply are known to alter root architecture, we hypothesized (i that the genetic bases of root growth could be intertwined with the genetic bases of shoot growth and (ii that the link could be either positive, with alleles favouring shoot growth also favouring root growth, or negative, because of competition for assimilates. We tested these hypotheses using a quantitative genetics approach in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana and the Bay-0 × Shahdara recombinant inbred lines population. In accordance with our hypothesis, root and shoot growth traits were strongly correlated and most root growth quantitative trait loci (QTLs colocalized with shoot growth QTLs with positive alleles originating from either the same or the opposite parent. In order to identify regions that could be responsible for root growth independently of the shoot, we generated new variables either based on root to shoot ratios, residuals of root to shoot correlations or coordinates of principal component analysis. These variables showed high heritability allowing genetic analysis. They essentially all yielded similar results pointing towards two regions involved in the root--shoot balance. Using Heterogeneous Inbred Families (a kind of near-isogenic lines, we validated part of the QTLs present in these two regions for different traits. Our study thus highlights the difficulty of disentangling intertwined genetic bases of root and shoot growth and shows that this difficulty can be overcome by using simple statistical tools.

Differential TOR activation and cell proliferation in Arabidopsis root and shoot apexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaojuan; Cai, Wenguo; Liu, Yanlin; Li, Hui; Fu, Liwen; Liu, Zengyu; Xu, Lin; Liu, Hongtao; Xu, Tongda; Xiong, Yan

2017-03-07

The developmental plasticity of plants relies on the remarkable ability of the meristems to integrate nutrient and energy availability with environmental signals. Meristems in root and shoot apexes share highly similar molecular players but are spatially separated by soil. Whether and how these two meristematic tissues have differential activation requirements for local nutrient, hormone, and environmental cues (e.g., light) remain enigmatic in photosynthetic plants. Here, we report that the activation of root and shoot apexes relies on distinct glucose and light signals. Glucose energy signaling is sufficient to activate target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase in root apexes. In contrast, both the glucose and light signals are required for TOR activation in shoot apexes. Strikingly, exogenously applied auxin is able to replace light to activate TOR in shoot apexes and promote true leaf development. A relatively low concentration of auxin in the shoot and high concentration of auxin in the root might be responsible for this distinctive light requirement in root and shoot apexes, because light is required to promote auxin biosynthesis in the shoot. Furthermore, we reveal that the small GTPase Rho-related protein 2 (ROP2) transduces light-auxin signal to activate TOR by direct interaction, which, in turn, promotes transcription factors E2Fa,b for activating cell cycle genes in shoot apexes. Consistently, constitutively activated ROP2 plants stimulate TOR in the shoot apex and cause true leaf development even without light. Together, our findings establish a pivotal hub role of TOR signaling in integrating different environmental signals to regulate distinct developmental transition and growth in the shoot and root.

Effects of planting times and plant densities of top-shoot cuttings on multiplication of breeder seed potato

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Md. Abdullah Al Mamun

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Top-shoot cuttings were planted with the whole tuber (as a control at different dates using three spacings at the Horticultural Research Farm of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University to evaluate the performance of top-shoots as planting material and to determine the optimum time of planting and the optimum spacing for top-shoot cuttings as planting material for breeder seed production. The survival of top shoot cuttings was more than 97.8% irrespective of the planting time and plant spacing. Significant variations were found among the treatment combinations for plant height at 45 and 60 days after planting (DAP, foliage coverage at 45 and 60 DAP, number of branches per plant, number of tubers per plant, individual tuber weight, tuber yields per plant and per hectare yield. The highest mean yield (46.57 t/ha was produced by whole tubers planted on 10 November with 50 × 10 cm spacing which was similar to whole tubers planted on 1 November with 50 × 10 cm spacing. On the other hand, plants from top-shoot cuttings yielded 34.82 t/ha in T3S2 followed by T1S1 (33.34 t/ha, T3S3 (30.70 t/ha. The total yield of potato increased 122.8% from a single, early crop due to taking two repeated cuttings compared with 89.6% from a single late crop. Early planting of top-shoot cuttings with closer spacing (50 × 10 cm and 50 × 15 cm is recommended for the multiplication of breeder seed potato.

Patterns of radial and shoot growth of five tree species in a gamma-irradiated northern Wisconsin forest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zavitkovski, J.; Buech, R.R.; Rudolph, T.D.; Bauer, E.O.

1977-01-01

Patterns of radial and shoot growth of Abies balsamea, Acer rubrum, A. saccharum, Betula papyrifera, and Populus tremuloides were observed before (1970) and during (1972) gamma-irradiation of forest communities in the Enterprise Radiation Forest. Measurements were made during the growing season along the radiation gradient, and year days (YD) of 10, 25, 50, 75, and 90 percent of total growth were obtained by interpolation. The experimental area was divided into an ''affected'' and a ''no-effect'' zone. The boundary of the affected zone coincided with radiation exposures that effectively reduced the 1972 radial growth of a given species in comparison to the preirradiation growth. In 1970 and in the no-effect zone in 1972, shoot growth of the four broadleaved species started and terminated earlier than the radial growth. In A. balsamea the radial growth started earlier and terminated later than the shoot growth. In all five species, duration of radial growth was significantly longer than that of shoot growth. Radial growth of A. rubrum, A. saccharum, and B. papyrifera started significantly earlier in 1972 than in 1970, but no difference between years was found in the early-starting A. balsamea and P. tremuloides. In contrast, shoot growth of all five species started earlier in 1970 than in 1972. It is suggested that temperature regimes during the early developmental stages were probably responsible for the difference. In the affected zone in 1972, the radiation depressed radial growth and changed its normal pattern in all five species

The effect of different position of grape clusters on the bearing shoot on production results of Cabernet Sauvignon clones

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Čoloveić Ana

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the differences were examined between clones of Cabernet sauvignon (clones ISV-F-V5, ISV-F-V6 and R5, i.e. the difference between uvological properties of grape clusters and grape berries, based on the different positions on the bearing shoot. Tests were conducted at the experimental field of the Faculty of Agriculture 'Radmilovac'. Standard ampelographic methods were used in numerous analyses of grape yield, as well as uvological properties of clones. All data were statistically analyzed and processed by the method of two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measuring of one factor (height and Tukey HSD test. Analysis of variance showed no significant differences between clones. The best results were achieved with grape clusters positioned in the base of bearing shoot. The first positioned grape clusters on the bearing shoot had the highest share in the total grape yield, the highest amount of sugar, and the highest positioned grape clusters had higher content of total acids. The differences determined between examined clones were in regard to productivity and quality of grapes which reflected also on production value.

Highly efficient in vitro adventitious shoot regeneration of Adenosma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Adenosma glutinosum (Linn.) Druce is an important aromatic plant, but no information is available regarding its regeneration, callus induction and proliferation from leaf explants. In this study, an in vitro shoot regeneration procedure was developed for native A. glutinosum using leaf explants. Callus induction and shoots ...

Structuring agreements for seismic group shoots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keeping, C.E.

1999-01-01

Sigma Explorations Inc. sells licenses to use Sigma owned seismic data. The company participates with exploration and production companies in the joint acquisition of semi-private participation surveys. This paper discusses three major types of seismic group shoots and the essential elements of the agreements that govern or should govern them. They are: (1) exploration and production company joint ventures, (2) publicly offered spec shoots, and (3) semi-private participation surveys. The key issue with the exploration and production company joint ventures is that the companies are owners of the seismic data in proportion to their contribution towards the cost of the program. Their use of the data should be restricted to those situations permitted by the other owners. These are not often well documented, and there is much concern in the industry as a result. The key issue with publicly offered spec shoots is that the seismic company ultimately owns the data and the client exploration and production company is a licensee and must behave as such. In most such cases the rights and responsibilities are well documented in formal agreements that are signed in advance of the program's beginning date

Effect of Hormones on Direct Shoot Regeneration in Hypocotyl Explants of Tomato

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Rizwan RASHID

2010-03-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted for developing a high frequency regeneration system in two genotypes of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., �Punjab Upma� and �IPA-3� for direct shoot regeneration from hypocotyl explants. The explants were excised from in vitro tomato seedlings and cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of hormones. Direct regeneration was significantly influenced by the genotype hormones combination and concentrations. The MS medium supplemented with (Kinetin 0.5 mg/l and (BAP 0.5 mg/l was found optimum for inducing direct shoot regeneration and number of shoots per explant from hypocotyl explants on this medium. Shoot regeneration per cent in �Punjab Upma� and �IPA-3� per cent was recorded to be highest i.e (86.02 and (82.57 respectively. Besides this, average number shoots per explant was also highest i.e (3.16 in case of �Punjab Upma� and (2.93 in case of �IPA-3�. A significant decline was observed in percent shoot regeneration and average number of shoots per explant with increase in the hormonal concentration. Shoots were obtained and transferred to the elongation medium (MS + BAP 0.3 mg/l. Hundred per cent rooting was induced in separated shoots upon culturing on MS and � MS basal media. Hardening on moist cotton showed maximum plantlet survival rate in case of both genotypes. After hardening, plants were transferred to soil. Thus, a tissue culture base line was established in tomato for obtaining direct regeneration using hypocotyl as explants.

Effect of Hormones on Direct Shoot Regeneration in Hypocotyl Explants of Tomato

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rizwan RASHID

2010-03-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted for developing a high frequency regeneration system in two genotypes of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill., Punjab Upma and IPA-3 for direct shoot regeneration from hypocotyl explants. The explants were excised from in vitro tomato seedlings and cultured on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of hormones. Direct regeneration was significantly influenced by the genotype hormones combination and concentrations. The MS medium supplemented with (Kinetin 0.5 mg/l and (BAP 0.5 mg/l was found optimum for inducing direct shoot regeneration and number of shoots per explant from hypocotyl explants on this medium. Shoot regeneration per cent in Punjab Upma and IPA-3 per cent was recorded to be highest i.e (86.02 and (82.57 respectively. Besides this, average number shoots per explant was also highest i.e (3.16 in case of Punjab Upma and (2.93 in case of IPA-3. A significant decline was observed in percent shoot regeneration and average number of shoots per explant with increase in the hormonal concentration. Shoots were obtained and transferred to the elongation medium (MS + BAP 0.3 mg/l. Hundred per cent rooting was induced in separated shoots upon culturing on MS and MS basal media. Hardening on moist cotton showed maximum plantlet survival rate in case of both genotypes. After hardening, plants were transferred to soil. Thus, a tissue culture base line was established in tomato for obtaining direct regeneration using hypocotyl as explants.

Water relations, gas exchange and growth of dominant and suppressed shoots of Arbutus unedo L.

Science.gov (United States)

Castell, C; Terradas, J

1995-06-01

Basal shoots produced by Arbutus unedo L. after cutting at ground level vary in size and growth rate, and are classified accordingly as dominant or suppressed. The suppressed shoots eventually cease growth and die. In this study, we investigated the role of light and water in the competition among shoots of A. unedo. Dominant and suppressed shoots of A. unedo showed similar leaf water potentials and tissue water relations over the year, suggesting that water status is not responsible for the lack of flushing in suppressed shoots. Although suppressed shoots did not flush under low light, they showed many characteristics of shade-tolerant plants. Leaves of suppressed shoots had lower leaf conductance and light-saturated photosynthetic rate, and higher specific leaf area than leaves of dominant shoots. We conclude that light was the main resource determining competition among shoots and the death of suppressed shoots.

Hospital-based shootings in the United States: 2000 to 2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelen, Gabor D; Catlett, Christina L; Kubit, Joshua G; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang

2012-12-01

Workplace violence in health care settings is a frequent occurrence. Emergency departments (EDs) are considered particularly vulnerable. Gunfire in hospitals is of particular concern; however, information about such workplace violence is limited. Therefore, we characterize US hospital-based shootings from 2000 to 2011. Using LexisNexis, Google, Netscape, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, we searched reports for acute care hospital shooting events in the United States for 2000 through 2011. All hospital-based shootings with at least 1 injured victim were analyzed. Of 9,360 search "hits," 154 hospital-related shootings were identified, 91 (59%) inside the hospital and 63 (41%) outside on hospital grounds. Shootings occurred in 40 states, with 235 injured or dead victims. Perpetrators were overwhelmingly men (91%) but represented all adult age groups. The ED environs were the most common site (29%), followed by the parking lot (23%) and patient rooms (19%). Most events involved a determined shooter with a strong motive as defined by grudge (27%), suicide (21%), "euthanizing" an ill relative (14%), and prisoner escape (11%). Ambient society violence (9%) and mentally unstable patients (4%) were comparatively infrequent. The most common victim was the perpetrator (45%). Hospital employees composed 20% of victims; physician (3%) and nurse (5%) victims were relatively infrequent. Event characteristics that distinguished the ED from other sites included younger perpetrator, more likely in custody, and unlikely to have a personal relationship with the victim (ill relative, grudge, coworker). In 23% of shootings within the ED, the weapon was a security officer's gun taken by the perpetrator. Case fatality inside the hospital was much lower in the ED setting (19%) than other sites (73%). Although it is likely that not every hospital-based shooting was identified, such events are relatively rare compared with other forms of workplace violence. The unpredictable nature of this type of

Model Persamaan Massa Karbon Akar Pohon dan Root-Shoot Ratio Massa Karbon (Equation Models of Tree Root Carbon Mass and Root-Shoot Carbon Mass Ratio

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elias .

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The case study was conducted in the area of Acacia mangium plantation at BKPH Parung Panjang, KPH Bogor. The objective of the study was to formulate equation models of tree root carbon mass and root to shoot carbon mass ratio of the plantation. It was found that carbon content in the parts of tree biomass (stems, branches, twigs, leaves, and roots was different, in which the highest and the lowest carbon content was in the main stem of the tree and in the leaves, respectively. The main stem and leaves of tree accounted for 70% of tree biomass. The root-shoot ratio of root biomass to tree biomass above the ground and the root-shoot ratio of root biomass to main stem biomass was 0.1443 and 0.25771, respectively, in which 75% of tree carbon mass was in the main stem and roots of tree. It was also found that the root-shoot ratio of root carbon mass to tree carbon mass above the ground and the root-shoot ratio of root carbon mass to tree main stem carbon mass was 0.1442 and 0.2034, respectively. All allometric equation models of tree root carbon mass of A. mangium have a high goodness-of-fit as indicated by its high adjusted R2.Keywords: Acacia mangium, allometric, root-shoot ratio, biomass, carbon mass

Interactive effects of salinity stress and nicotinamide on physiological and biochemical parameters of Faba bean plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelhamid, Magdi T; Sadak, Mervat Sh; Schmidhalter, Urs; El Saady, Abdel Kareem M.

2013-01-01

A possible survival strategy for plants under saline conditions is to use some compounds that could alleviate the salt stress effect. One of these compounds is nicotinamide (vitamin B3/niacin). The effect of exogenous application of nicotinamide with different concentrations (0,200 or 400 mg l-1) on faba bean (Vicia faba L.) plant grown at different NaCl levels (0,50 or 100 mM) was investigated in the wire house of the National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt. Salinity stress significantly reduced the photosynthetic pigments, polysaccharides, total carbohydrates, total-N contents of shoot, plant height, leaves number, fresh and dry weights of shoot, seed yield, total carbohydrates and total crude protein of the yielded seeds compared with those of the control plants. In contrast, salinity induced marked increases in sucrose, total soluble sugars, total free amino acids, proline, lipid peroxidation product (MDA) and some oxidative enzymes (polyphenol-oxidase and peroxidase). Also, salinity stress increased Na+ contents with the decreases of other macro and micro elements contents (P, K+, Mg_2+, Ca_2+, Fe_2+, Mn_2+, Zn_2+ and Cu_2+) of shoots and the yielded seeds of faba bean. Foliar spraying of nicotinamide alleviated the adverse effects of salinity stress through increased the photosynthetic pigments, polysaccharides, total carbohydrates, total N concentration of shoot, plant height, leaves number, fresh and dry weights of shoot, and seed yield as well as, sucrose, total soluble sugars, total free amino acids and proline, compared with those of the corresponding salinity levels, while decreased lipid peroxidation product as malondialdehyde (MDA) and the oxidative enzymes (polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase enzymes). Nicotinamide inhibited the uptake of Na+ and accelerated the accumulation of P, K+, Mg_2+, Ca_2+, Fe_2+, Mn_2+, Zn_2+ and Cu_2+ concentrations in the shoots of salt stressed plants and enhanced total carbohydrate and total crude protein percentage and

Youth Responses to School Shootings: A Reviw

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Travers, Áine

2018-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:This paper aims to synthesize research relating to youth responses to school shootings between 2014 and 2017. The main questions it addresses are how such events impact young people psychologically, and what risk or protective factors may contribute to different trajectories...... of recovery? RECENT FINDINGS:Recent research suggests that most young people exposed to school shootings demonstrate resilience, exhibiting no long-term dysfunction. However, a minority will experience severe and chronic symptoms. The likelihood of experiencing clinically significant reactions is influenced...

Efficient regeneration of plants from shoot tip explants of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dendrobium densiflorum Lindl. is one of the horticulturally important orchids of Nepal due to its beautiful yellowish flower and medicinal properties. The present study was carried out for plant regeneration from shoot tip explants of D. densiflorum by tissue culture technique. The shoot tip explants of this species, obtained ...

Metabolomic homeostasis shifts after callus formation and shoot regeneration in tomato

Science.gov (United States)

Kumari, Alka; Ray, Kamalika; Sadhna, Sadhna; Pandey, Arun Kumar; Sreelakshmi, Yellamaraju; Sharma, Rameshwar

2017-01-01

Plants can regenerate from a variety of tissues on culturing in appropriate media. However, the metabolic shifts involved in callus formation and shoot regeneration are largely unknown. The metabolic profiles of callus generated from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cotyledons and that of shoot regenerated from callus were compared with the pct1-2 mutant that exhibits enhanced polar auxin transport and the shr mutant that exhibits elevated nitric oxide levels. The transformation from cotyledon to callus involved a major shift in metabolite profiles with denser metabolic networks in the callus. In contrast, the transformation from callus to shoot involved minor changes in the networks. The metabolic networks in pct1-2 and shr mutants were distinct from wild type and were rewired with shifts in endogenous hormones and metabolite interactions. The callus formation was accompanied by a reduction in the levels of metabolites involved in cell wall lignification and cellular immunity. On the contrary, the levels of monoamines were upregulated in the callus and regenerated shoot. The callus formation and shoot regeneration were accompanied by an increase in salicylic acid in wild type and mutants. The transformation to the callus and also to the shoot downregulated LST8 and upregulated TOR transcript levels indicating a putative linkage between metabolic shift and TOR signalling pathway. The network analysis indicates that shift in metabolite profiles during callus formation and shoot regeneration is governed by a complex interaction between metabolites and endogenous hormones. PMID:28481937

Germination, seedling growth and relative water content of shoot in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-08-18

Aug 18, 2008 ... (mg), root : shoot length (R:S) ratio, and relative water content of shoot (RWC, %) were investigated in this study. The results ... seedlings may provide an advantage by allowing access ... Residual chlorine was eliminated by.

An Analysis of US School Shooting Data (1840-2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Paradice, David

2017-01-01

This paper describes the construction and descriptive analysis of a data set of United States school shooting events. Three hundred forty-three shooting events are included, spanning 175 years of United States educational history. All levels of US educational institution are included. Events are included when a firearm is discharged, regardless of…

Revisiting the Virginia Tech Shootings: An Ecological Systems Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jun Sung; Cho, Hyunkag; Lee, Alvin Shiulain

2010-01-01

School shooting cases since the late 1990s have prompted school officials and legislators to develop and implement programs and measures that would prevent violence in school. Despite the number of explanations by the media, politicians, organizations, and researchers about the etiology of school shootings, we are not united in our understanding…

The effect of time constraints and running phases on combined event pistol shooting performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadswell, Clare; Payton, Carl; Holmes, Paul; Burden, Adrian

2016-01-01

The combined event is a crucial aspect of the modern pentathlon competition, but little is known about how shooting performance changes through the event. This study aimed to identify (i) how performance-related variables changed within each shooting series and (ii) how performance-related variables changed between each shooting series. Seventeen modern pentathletes completed combined event trials. An optoelectronic shooting system recorded score and pistol movement, and force platforms recorded centre of pressure movement 1 s prior to every shot. Heart rate and blood lactate values were recorded throughout the event. Whilst heart rate and blood lactate significantly increased between series (P  0.05). Thus, combined event shooting performance following each running phase appears similar to shooting performance following only 20 m of running. This finding has potential implications for the way in which modern pentathletes train for combined event shooting, and highlights the need for modern pentathletes to establish new methods with which to enhance shooting accuracy.

Efficient regeneration of sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, from shoot-tip explant.

Science.gov (United States)

Syamala, D; Devi, Prathibha

2003-12-01

Novel protocols for production of multiple shoot-tip clumps and somatic embryos of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench were developed with long-term goal of crop improvement through genetic transformation. Multiple shoot-tip clumps were developed in vitro from shoot-tip explant of one-week old seedling, cultured on MS medium containing only BA (0.5, 1 or 2 mg/l) or both BA (1 or 2 mg/l) and 2,4-D (0.5 mg/l) with bi-weekly subculture. Somatic embryos were directly produced on the enlarged dome shaped growing structures that developed from the shoot-tips of one-week old seedling explants (without any callus formation) when cultured on MS medium supplemented with both 2,4-D (0.5 mg/l) and BA (0.5 mg/l). However, the supplementation of MS medium with only 2,4-D (0.5 mg/l) induced compact callus without any plantlet regeneration. Each multiple shoot-clump was capable of regenerating more than 80 shoots via an intensive differentiation of both axillary and adventitious shoot buds, the somatic embryos were capable of 90% germination, plant conversion and regeneration. The regenerated shoots could be efficiently rooted on MS medium containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA 1 mg/l). The plants were successfully transplanted to glasshouse and grown to maturity with a survival rate of 98%. Morphogenetic response of the explants was found to be genotypically independent.

Transcriptomic and Hormonal Analyses Reveal that YUC-Mediated Auxin Biogenesis Is Involved in Shoot Regeneration from Rhizome in Cymbidium.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yang; Zhang, Hai-Liang; Guo, He-Rong; Xie, Li; Zeng, Rui-Zhen; Zhang, Xiang-Qian; Zhang, Zhi-Sheng

2017-01-01

Cymbidium , one of the most important orchid genera in horticulture, can be classified into epiphytic and terrestrial species. Generally, epiphytic Cymbidium seedlings can be easily propagated by tissue culture, but terrestrial seedlings are difficult to propagate. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in the ease with which terrestrial and epiphytic cymbidiums can be propagated are largely unknown. Using RNA-sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Cymbidium 'Xiaofeng' (CXF), which can be efficiently micropropagated, and terrestrial Cymbidium sinense 'Qijianbaimo' (CSQ), which has a low regeneration ability, were used to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the micropropagation ability of Cymbidium species. To this end, 447 million clean short reads were generated, and 31,264 annotated unigenes were obtained from 10 cDNA libraries. A total of 1,290 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between CXF and CSQ during shoot induction. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in auxin pathway-related GO terms. Further analysis demonstrated that YUC and GH3 family genes, which play crucial roles in the regulation of auxin/IAA (indole-3-acetic acid) metabolism, acted quickly in response to shoot induction culture in vitro and were closely correlated with variation in shoot regeneration between CXF and CSQ. In addition, the study showed that IAA accumulated rapidly and significantly during shoot induction in CXF compared to that in CSQ; in contrast, no significant changes in other hormones were observed between CXF and CSQ. Furthermore, shoot regeneration in CXF was inhibited by a yucasin-auxin biosynthesis inhibitor, indicating that increased IAA level is required for high-frequency shoot regeneration in CXF. In conclusion, our study revealed that YUC-mediated auxin biogenesis is involved in shoot regeneration from rhizome in

Transcriptomic and Hormonal Analyses Reveal that YUC-Mediated Auxin Biogenesis Is Involved in Shoot Regeneration from Rhizome in Cymbidium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Liu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Cymbidium, one of the most important orchid genera in horticulture, can be classified into epiphytic and terrestrial species. Generally, epiphytic Cymbidium seedlings can be easily propagated by tissue culture, but terrestrial seedlings are difficult to propagate. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the differences in the ease with which terrestrial and epiphytic cymbidiums can be propagated are largely unknown. Using RNA-sequencing, quantitative reverse transcription PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Cymbidium ‘Xiaofeng’ (CXF, which can be efficiently micropropagated, and terrestrial Cymbidium sinense ‘Qijianbaimo’ (CSQ, which has a low regeneration ability, were used to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the micropropagation ability of Cymbidium species. To this end, 447 million clean short reads were generated, and 31,264 annotated unigenes were obtained from 10 cDNA libraries. A total of 1,290 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified between CXF and CSQ during shoot induction. Gene ontology (GO enrichment analysis indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in auxin pathway-related GO terms. Further analysis demonstrated that YUC and GH3 family genes, which play crucial roles in the regulation of auxin/IAA (indole-3-acetic acid metabolism, acted quickly in response to shoot induction culture in vitro and were closely correlated with variation in shoot regeneration between CXF and CSQ. In addition, the study showed that IAA accumulated rapidly and significantly during shoot induction in CXF compared to that in CSQ; in contrast, no significant changes in other hormones were observed between CXF and CSQ. Furthermore, shoot regeneration in CXF was inhibited by a yucasin-auxin biosynthesis inhibitor, indicating that increased IAA level is required for high-frequency shoot regeneration in CXF. In conclusion, our study revealed that YUC-mediated auxin biogenesis is involved in shoot

GPU based numerical simulation of core shooting process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-zhong Zhang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Core shooting process is the most widely used technique to make sand cores and it plays an important role in the quality of sand cores. Although numerical simulation can hopefully optimize the core shooting process, research on numerical simulation of the core shooting process is very limited. Based on a two-fluid model (TFM and a kinetic-friction constitutive correlation, a program for 3D numerical simulation of the core shooting process has been developed and achieved good agreements with in-situ experiments. To match the needs of engineering applications, a graphics processing unit (GPU has also been used to improve the calculation efficiency. The parallel algorithm based on the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA platform can significantly decrease computing time by multi-threaded GPU. In this work, the program accelerated by CUDA parallelization method was developed and the accuracy of the calculations was ensured by comparing with in-situ experimental results photographed by a high-speed camera. The design and optimization of the parallel algorithm were discussed. The simulation result of a sand core test-piece indicated the improvement of the calculation efficiency by GPU. The developed program has also been validated by in-situ experiments with a transparent core-box, a high-speed camera, and a pressure measuring system. The computing time of the parallel program was reduced by nearly 95% while the simulation result was still quite consistent with experimental data. The GPU parallelization method can successfully solve the problem of low computational efficiency of the 3D sand shooting simulation program, and thus the developed GPU program is appropriate for engineering applications.

Micropropagation of Plantago asiatica L. through culture of shoot-tips

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Joanna Makowczyńska

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Shoot-tip multiplication of the medicinal species - Plantago asiatica was carried on MS medium with IAA and BAP or kinetin. Best results in micropropagation were achieved by adding 0.1 mg/dm3 IAA and 1 mg/dm3 BAP. After 6 weeks shoots were transferred to MS medium for rooting. The resulting plantlets were transferred after 8 weeks into pots and after a period of adaptation into the ground (field culture. The species Plantago asiatica was propagated in vitro by shoot-tip multiplication for the first time.

Lippia dulcis shoot cultures as a source of the sweet sesquiterpene hernandulcin.

Science.gov (United States)

Sauerwein, M; Flores, H E; Yamazaki, T; Shimomura, K

1991-04-01

The axenic shoot culture of Lippia dulcis Trev., Verbenaceae, was established on hormone-free Murashige-Skoog solid medium containing 3% sucrose. Shoots were cultured in various liquid or solid media. Woody Plant liquid medium was best for shoot multiplication, but the production of hernandulcin was relatively low. The highest hernandulcin content (2.9% dry wt) was obtained after 28 days of culture on Murashige-Skoog solid medium containing 2% sucrose. The addition of chitosan to the culture media enhanced the growth of shoots as well as the production of hernandulcin, especially with the liquid medium.

The effects of increased phosphorus application on shoot dry matter ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of increased phosphorus application on shoot dry matter, shoot P and Zn concentrations in wheat ( Triticum durum L.) and maize ( Zea mays L.)wheat ( Triticum durum L.) and maize ( Zea mays L.) grown in a calcareous soil.

Variation in shoot tolerance mechanisms not related to ion toxicity in barley

KAUST Repository

Tilbrook, Joanne

2017-09-27

Soil salinity can severely reduce crop growth and yield. Many studies have investigated salinity tolerance mechanisms in cereals using phenotypes that are relatively easy to measure. The majority of these studies measured the accumulation of shoot Na+ and the effect this has on plant growth. However, plant growth is reduced immediately after exposure to NaCl before Na+ accumulates to toxic concentrations in the shoot. In this study, nondestructive and destructive measurements are used to evaluate the responses of 24 predominately Australian barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines at 0, 150 and 250mMNaCl. Considerable variation for shoot tolerance mechanisms not related to ion toxicity (shoot ion-independent tolerance) was found, withsome lines being able to maintain substantial growth rates under salt stress, whereas others stopped growing. Hordeum vulgare spp. spontaneum accessions and barley landraces predominantly had the best shoot ion independent tolerance, although two commercial cultivars, Fathom and Skiff, also had high tolerance. The tolerance of cv. Fathom may be caused by a recent introgression from H. vulgare L. spp. spontaneum. This study shows that the most salt-tolerant barley lines are those that contain both shoot ion-independent tolerance and the ability to exclude Na+ from the shoot (and thus maintain high K+: Na+ ratios).

Variation in shoot tolerance mechanisms not related to ion toxicity in barley

KAUST Repository

Tilbrook, Joanne; Schilling, Rhiannon K.; Berger, Bettina; Garcia, Alexandre F.; Trittermann, Christine; Coventry, Stewart; Rabie, Huwaida; Brien, Chris; Nguyen, Martin; Tester, Mark A.; Roy, Stuart J.

2017-01-01

Soil salinity can severely reduce crop growth and yield. Many studies have investigated salinity tolerance mechanisms in cereals using phenotypes that are relatively easy to measure. The majority of these studies measured the accumulation of shoot Na+ and the effect this has on plant growth. However, plant growth is reduced immediately after exposure to NaCl before Na+ accumulates to toxic concentrations in the shoot. In this study, nondestructive and destructive measurements are used to evaluate the responses of 24 predominately Australian barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines at 0, 150 and 250mMNaCl. Considerable variation for shoot tolerance mechanisms not related to ion toxicity (shoot ion-independent tolerance) was found, withsome lines being able to maintain substantial growth rates under salt stress, whereas others stopped growing. Hordeum vulgare spp. spontaneum accessions and barley landraces predominantly had the best shoot ion independent tolerance, although two commercial cultivars, Fathom and Skiff, also had high tolerance. The tolerance of cv. Fathom may be caused by a recent introgression from H. vulgare L. spp. spontaneum. This study shows that the most salt-tolerant barley lines are those that contain both shoot ion-independent tolerance and the ability to exclude Na+ from the shoot (and thus maintain high K+: Na+ ratios).

EPICORMIC SHOOTS INDUCTION AND ROOTING CUTTINGS OF Calophyllum brasiliense

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Dagma Kratz

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Calophyllum brasiliense is present in a wide natural distribution range in Brazil and its monopodial growth, with a rectilinear stem and a moderately dense timber has attracted the attention from the logging industry in recent decades. In the meantime, the lack of efficient rescue and vegetative propagation methods of adult plants has been a narrowing condition for the selection of superior genotypes in breeding programs of the species. Therefore, we evaluate epicormic shoots induction methods and the rooting cuttings of 14 year-old Calophyllum brasiliense trees. From this scope, three methods of epicormic shoots induction were evaluated: coppicing, girdling and partial girdling. We evaluate the number of produced sprouts and the percentage of sprouted trees at 06, 12 and 15 months’ after the experiment installation. Results have indicated the feasibility of Calophyllum brasiliense vegetative rescue by cuttings method using epicormic shoots induced by coppicing and girdling. In contrast, partial girdling was not effective in epicormic shoots emission. Concerning adventitious roots, the sprouting technique had no influence in the rooting of cuttings, showing variation among the different stock plants.

How to talk (and not to talk) about school shootings

OpenAIRE

Scheper-Hughes, N

2018-01-01

© RAI 2018 In this guest editorial, the author addresses the latest school shootings at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This event is weighed up against reports written by prominent academics, including anthropologists, during previous school shootings.

Phytochemical screening, total phenolic content and phytotoxic activity of corn (Zea mays) extracts against some indicator species.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Hiwa M

2018-03-01

Allelopathic effects of corn (Zea mays) extracts was studied, against seed germination and seedling growth of Phalaris minor, Helianthus annuus, Triticumaestivum, Sorghum halepense, Z. mays. Bioassay results showed that aqueous extracts of corn root and shoot, markedly affected seed germination, and other parameters compared with related controls. Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of various phytochemicals such as tannins, phlobatannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids in both roots and shoot aqueous extracts. However, saponins were only present in the shoot aqueous extract, while in shoot ethanol extracts, only terpenoids and alkaloids were detected. Additionally, total polyphenolic (TPC) content in aqueous extracts of corn root and shoot, plus ethanol extracts of corn shoot were determined using an Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Results revealed TPC content of the corn shoot aqueous extract showed the highest yield, compared to other extracts. These findings suggest that phytochemicals present in Z. mays extracts may contribute to allelopathy effect.

School Shootings Stun Reservation

Science.gov (United States)

Borja, Rhea R.; Cavanagh, Sean

2005-01-01

This article deals with the impact brought by the school shootings at Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota to the school community. A deeply troubled 16-year-old student shot and killed seven other people and himself at a high school. The nation's deadliest school attack since the 1999 slayings at Colorado's suburban Columbine High School took…

Violent mass shootings in Sweden from 1960 to 1995: profiles, patterns, and motives.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindquist, O; Lidberg, L

1998-03-01

During the past few decades, violent mass shooting in Sweden has increased rapidly. In the 36 years between 1960 and 1995, fourteen such occasions were recorded, during which 32 people were killed and 57 were wounded. The 14 offenders were men between the ages of 17 and 61 years. In the 20 years from 1960 to 1979, five shootings were committed by five offenders, leaving 10 dead and 13 wounded; in the 16 years between 1980 and 1995, there were nine different shootings committed by nine offenders, with 22 dead and 44 wounded. Seven of the shootings were classified as mass shootings, six as spree shootings, and one as a serial shooting. In all but four of these cases, the firearms used were illegal weapons. The four legal firearms belonged to an unemployed young laborer, an officer, a former United Nations (U.N.) soldier, and a member of the Swedish military volunteer corps. Of those killed, 68.8% were strangers to the offender; among the wounded, the corresponding figure was 89.5%. Profiles of the offenders and of the victims were studied. The psychiatric diagnoses among the offenders and the measures taken to prevent the increase in mass shooting in Sweden are presented.

Direct shoot organogenesis of Digitalis trojana Ivan., an endemic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2010-03-15

Mar 15, 2010 ... An efficient protocol for in vitro propagation of Digitalis trojana Ivan. was developed via adventitious shoot regeneration. Leaf explants were cultured on MS which were supplemented with different concentrations of NAA (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 mg/ml) and BAP (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 mg/ml) for shoot formation.

Translocation of sorbitol and other photosynthates in golden delicious apple shoots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steenkamp, J.; Terblanche, J.H.; De Villiers, O.T.

1982-01-01

This study was undertaken to determine to what extent sorbitol and other photosynthates are translocated in Golden Delicious apple shoots. The distribution of radioactivity in the different fractions, after the leaves had been exposed to radiocarbon, was found in segment of the shoots directly below the treatment leaves. The highest 14 C activity was in the carbohydrate fraction. The results indicate that sorbitol is the principal carbohydrate transported in Golden Delicious apple shoots

Influence of calcium content of tissue on hyperhydricity and shoot-tip necrosis of in vitro regenerated shoots of Lavandula angustifolia Mill.

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Marília Pereira Machado

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the effects of two CaCl2.2H2O levels (440 and 1320 mg L-1 and two subcultures were evaluated on in vitro shoots of Lavandula angustifolia cv. Provence Blue. Ca2+ content of the apical, middle and basal portion of shoots was determined. Increasing CaCl2.2H2O level in the culture medium increased tissue Ca2+ content and decreased hyperhydricity. Shoot-tip necrosis also decreased with 1320 mg L-1 CaCl2.2H2O, but it did not occur in the second subculture. The middle and basal portion had higher Ca2+ content than apical portion. In non-hyperhydric tissues, there were smaller and more juxtaposed cells. Scanning electron microscopy of the leaves demonstrated that trichomes from in vitro leaf surface occurred in smaller quantities.

Cerium enhances germination and shoot growth, and alters mineral nutrient concentration in rice

Science.gov (United States)

García-Morales, Soledad; Pérez-Sato, Juan Antonio

2018-01-01

Cerium (Ce) belongs to the rare earth elements (REEs), and although it is not essential for plants, it can stimulate growth and other physiological processes. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of Ce on seed germination, initial seedling growth, and vegetative growth in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. Morelos A-98. During the germination process, the seeds were treated with Ce concentrations of 0, 4, 8, and 12 μM; after 5 d, germination percentage was recorded and after 10 d seedling growth was measured. For vegetative growth, a hydroponic system was established where 14-d-old plants without previous Ce treatment were transferred into nutrient solution. After two weeks of acclimatizing, 0, 25, 50, and 100 μM Ce were added to the nutrient solution for 28 d. Ce significantly increased germination and the initial growth variables of the seedlings. During vegetative growth, Ce increased plant height, number of tillers, root volume, and shoot fresh and dry biomass, without affecting root biomass weight. With low Ce concentrations (25 and 50 μM), the concentrations of chlorophylls and amino acids in the shoots were similar to those in the control, like amino acid concentration in the roots at a concentration of 25 μM Ce. Conversely, the concentration of total sugars increased in the shoot with the application of 25, 50, and 100 μM Ce, and in the roots with the application of 50 μM Ce. Also, Ce did not affect the concentration of macro or micronutrients in the shoots. However, in the roots, the high Ce concentration decreased the concentrations of Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn, while the Mg concentration increased. Our results indicate that Ce, at the right concentrations, can function as a biostimulant in rice germination and growth. PMID:29579100

Evaluation of Fe and Zn/Cu ratio in serum of patients with sickle cell anemia by total reflection X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canellas, Catarine G.L.; Leitao, Roberta G.; Lopes, Ricardo T.; Bellido, Alfredo Victor B.; Anjos, Marcelino J.

2011-01-01

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a blood disorder that affects hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells that help carry oxygen throughout the body. In this work we have analyzed serum samples from patients with SCA by using total reflection X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation (SRTXRF). The SRTXRF measurements were performed at the X-ray fluorescence beamline at Brazilian National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), in Campinas, Sao Paulo using a polychromatic beam. We have studied forty-three patients aged 18-50 years old, suffering from SCA and Sixty healthy volunteers aged 18-60 years old. It was possible to determine the concentrations of the following elements: P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb. Student's t-test was applied in order to check whether the two populations (CG x SCA) had the same mean values. It was observed that elemental concentration of P, Cl, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Br differed significantly (α = 0.05) between groups of healthy subjects and SCA. The concentrations of K, Fe and Cu in the serum samples of patients with SCA were larger 15%, 120 % and 20 %, respectively, when compared with the CG. On the other hand, the concentrations of P (-20 %), Cl (-6 %), Zn (-25 %) and Br (-22 %) were smaller than the values determined for the control group. The serum level Cu/Zn ratio was significantly higher (60%) in the serum samples of patients with SCA group than the CG. So, the Cu/Zn ratio can be used as an adjuvant index in enhancement for diagnosis of SCA. There are evidences of an association among Fe, Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn in the SCA pathogenesis process. (author)

Evaluation of Fe and Zn/Cu ratio in serum of patients with sickle cell anemia by total reflection X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canellas, Catarine G.L.; Leitao, Roberta G; Lopes, Ricardo T., E-mail: catarine@lin.ufrj.b, E-mail: ricardo@lin.ufrj.b [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia. Programa de Engenharia Nuclear. Lab. de Instrumentaco Nuclear; Carvalho, Silvia M.F., E-mail: silvia@hemorio.rj.gov.b [State Institute of Hematology Arthur de Siqueira Cavalcanti (HEMORIO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Bellido, Alfredo Victor B., E-mail: alfredo@ien.gov.b [Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Chemistry Inst.; Anjos, Marcelino J., E-mail: marcelin@lin.ufrj.b [State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Physics Inst.

2011-07-01

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a blood disorder that affects hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells that help carry oxygen throughout the body. In this work we have analyzed serum samples from patients with SCA by using total reflection X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation (SRTXRF). The SRTXRF measurements were performed at the X-ray fluorescence beamline at Brazilian National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), in Campinas, Sao Paulo using a polychromatic beam. We have studied forty-three patients aged 18-50 years old, suffering from SCA and Sixty healthy volunteers aged 18-60 years old. It was possible to determine the concentrations of the following elements: P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb. Student's t-test was applied in order to check whether the two populations (CG x SCA) had the same mean values. It was observed that elemental concentration of P, Cl, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Br differed significantly ({alpha} = 0.05) between groups of healthy subjects and SCA. The concentrations of K, Fe and Cu in the serum samples of patients with SCA were larger 15%, 120 % and 20 %, respectively, when compared with the CG. On the other hand, the concentrations of P (-20 %), Cl (-6 %), Zn (-25 %) and Br (-22 %) were smaller than the values determined for the control group. The serum level Cu/Zn ratio was significantly higher (60%) in the serum samples of patients with SCA group than the CG. So, the Cu/Zn ratio can be used as an adjuvant index in enhancement for diagnosis of SCA. There are evidences of an association among Fe, Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn in the SCA pathogenesis process. (author)

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as tipping point

Science.gov (United States)

Shultz, James M; Muschert, Glenn W; Dingwall, Alison; Cohen, Alyssa M

2013-01-01

Among rampage shooting massacres, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012 galvanized public attention. In this Commentary we examine the features of this episode of gun violence that has sparked strong reactions and energized discourse that may ultimately lead toward constructive solutions to diminish high rates of firearm deaths and injuries in the United States. PMID:28228989

Assessment of carbon sources on in vitro shoot regeneration in tomato

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, S.H.; Jan, S.A.

2014-01-01

An innovative approach for in vitro shoot regeneration by both direct and indirect means was developed in three tomato genotypes culturing hypocotyls and leaf discs explants on MS and N6 basal media fortified with various concentrations of carbon sources (sucrose and sorbitol) individually, accumulatively and also in amalgamation with various plant growth regulators. No response of in vitro shoot regeneration was recorded in all the genotypes by the individual application of carbon sources in both MS and N6 basal media. On the other hand, their accumulative effect rapidly enhanced the in vitro shoot regeneration frequency in all the genotypes. The highest shoot organogenesis frequency (100, 99.00 and 97.69%) was recorded in Rio Grande, Roma and Moneymaker, respectively on MS medium fortified with carbon sources (30: 30 g/l) culturing hypocotyls. Supplementation of sucrose: sorbitol (30: 30 g/l) in N6 medium along with different PGRs (0.1 mg/l IAA, 1.0 mg/l ZEA and 2.0 mg/l BAP) produced the highest shoot regeneration frequency (96.33, 92.69 and 88.74%) in Roma, Rio Grande and Moneymaker culturing leaf discs. Our findings suggest an alternative approach as hormone-free protocol for in vitro shoot regeneration in tomato that would save the resources with regard to hormonal costs and time. (author)

Gene expression in arabidopsis shoot tips after liquid nitrogen exposure

Science.gov (United States)

Arabidopsis thaliana shoot tips can be successfully cryopreserved using either Plant Vitrification Solution 2 (PVS2) or Plant Vitrification Solution 3 (PVS3) as the cryoprotectant. We used this model system to identify suites of genes that were either upregulated or downregulated as shoot tips recov...

Cryopreservation of in vitro -grown shoot tips of apricot ( Prunus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In vitro grown apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) cv. El-Hamawey shoot tips were successfully cryopreserved using an encapsulation-dehydration procedure. Shoot tips were encapsulated in calcium-alginate beads before preculture on woody plant (WP) medium supplemented with different sucrose concentrations; 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, ...

Bamboo shoot preservation for enhancing its business potential and local economy: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bal, Lalit M; Singhal, Poonam; Satya, Santosh; Naik, S N; Kar, Abhijit

2012-01-01

Bamboo shoot as food has been used in traditional ways by the tribal community the world over. For enhancing its business potential, research on various aspects of bamboo shoot as food is being carried out in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Asian countries and several products are available in the market. Bamboo shoots are used as a delicacy in human food, are a good source of dietary fiber, low in fat and calories. The research studies included in this review paper focus on post-harvest preservation of bamboo shoot. In view of the seasonal availability of bamboo shoot, the post-harvest preservation system for handling cynogenic toxicity in raw shoot while keeping nutrients intact and enhancement of shelf life of the value added products assume great significance for the business potential of this natural product. A yardstick of assessing the "Shelf life-Quality Matrix" developed in this review paper would give a new perspective of quality control in case of preservation of bamboo shoot. Also, knowledge gaps identified in this paper would give impetus to new academic and R&D activities, in turn generating an innovative job profile in the food industry as well as rural entrepreneurship.

Application of soybean shoot-cutting in SMV-resistance genetic analysis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Haifeng Chen; Zhihui Shan; Xin'an zhou; Zhonglu Yang; Qiao Wan; Yanyan Yang; Shuilian Chen; Chanjuan Zhang; Limiao Chen; Songli Yuan; Dezhen Qiu

2016-01-01

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is one of the most serious diseases affecting soy-bean yield. Recombination inbred lines (RILs) are common materials for resistance genetic research. However, the population construction always takes quite a long time which pro-long the breading process. Shoot-cutting is a well-established technique for plant multipli-cation. It has high successful ratio in soybean. In this study, we use shoot-cutting to multiply two F2 populations from the crosses of susceptible and resistant varieties. Soybean plants can be multiplied from 1 into 3 homogenous ones within 30 days, bringing on well-grown plants with normal seeds. The SMV resistance from cutting-shoot plants was consistent with that from original plants. When shoot-cutting is applied in a F2 population, the pheno-typic and genotypic data can be simultaneously collected and corresponding saved during population development. The genetic research and resistant breeding can be effectively promoted by this technology.

Giant panda foraging and movement patterns in response to bamboo shoot growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Mingchun; Zhang, Zhizhong; Li, Zhong; Hong, Mingsheng; Zhou, Xiaoping; Zhou, Shiqiang; Zhang, Jindong; Hull, Vanessa; Huang, Jinyan; Zhang, Hemin

2018-03-01

Diet plays a pivotal role in dictating behavioral patterns of herbivorous animals, particularly specialist species. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is well-known as a bamboo specialist. In the present study, the response of giant pandas to spatiotemporal variation of bamboo shoots was explored using field surveys and GPS collar tracking. Results show the dynamics in panda-bamboo space-time relationships that have not been previously articulated. For instance, we found a higher bamboo stump height of foraged bamboo with increasing elevation, places where pandas foraged later in spring when bamboo shoots become more fibrous and woody. The time required for shoots to reach optimum height for foraging was significantly delayed as elevation increased, a pattern which corresponded with panda elevational migration patterns beginning from the lower elevational end of Fargesia robusta distribution and gradually shifting upward until the end of the shooting season. These results indicate that giant pandas can respond to spatiotemporal variation of bamboo resources, such as available shoots. Anthropogenic interference of low-elevation F. robusta habitat should be mitigated, and conservation attention and increased monitoring should be given to F. robusta areas at the low- and mid-elevation ranges, particularly in the spring shooting season.

beta-Blockade used in precision sports: effect on pistol shooting performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruse, P; Ladefoged, J; Nielsen, U; Paulev, P E; Sørensen, J P

1986-08-01

In a double-blind cross-over study of 33 marksmen (standard pistol, 25 m) the adrenergic beta 1-receptor blocker, metoprolol, was compared to placebo. Metoprolol obviously improved the pistol shooting performance compared with placebo. Shooting improved by 13.4% of possible improvement (i.e., 600 points minus actual points obtained) as an average (SE = 4%, 2P less than 0.002). The most skilled athletes demonstrated the clearest metoprolol improvement. We found no correlation between the shooting improvement and changes in the cardiovascular variables (i.e., changes of heart rate and systolic blood pressure) and no correlation to the estimated maximum O2 uptake. The shooting improvement is an effect of metoprolol on hand tremor. Emotional increase of heart rate and systolic blood pressure seem to be a beta 1-receptor phenomenon.

Relationship between the shoot characteristics and plant resistance to vascular-streak dieback on cocoa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agung Wahyu Soesilo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Vascular-streak dieback (Oncobasidium theobromae is a serious disease on cocoa damaging the vegetative tissue especially on the branches and leaves. This research was aimed to identify the relationship between characteristics of sprouting ability and VSD resistance to confirm the response of cocoa to pruning treatment on VSD control and developing criteria for selection. Trial was carried out at Kaliwining Experimental Station of ICCRI, a VSD-endemic area by using 668 plants of hybrid populayion which were derivated from intercrossing among seven clones performing different response to VSD. The resistance was evaluated by scoring the plant damage with the scale of 0-6 on drought season in the year of 2009 and 2011. The characteristics of sprouting ability was assessed by recording the pruned trees for the variables of the number of re-growth shoot, shoot height, number of new shoot per pruned branches, shoot diameter and number of leaves per shoot. It was analyzed that the variables of the number of shoot per pruned branches, shoot diameter, shoot height and number of leaves per shoot were not significantly correlated to the score of VSD damage. Grouping of the resistance also performed similar results whereas mean of the sprouting variables were not different among group but the percentage of sprouted branches tend to be higher with the higher of the resistance (lower score. This result confirmed any mechanism of tolerance on VSD resistance by accelerating shoot rejuvenation on resistant plant. Key words : vascular-streak diaback, cocoa, resistance, characteristics of sprouting

Potential for Phytoextraction of Cu by Sesamum indicum L. and Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.: A Green Solution to Decontaminate Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Hira; Arain, Basir Ahmed; Abbasi, Muhammad Sadiq; Jahangir, Taj Muhammad; Amin, Farah

2018-02-01

Phytoextraction is a plant based-technique for removing toxic heavy metals from polluted soil. The experiment reported in this paper was undertaken to study the basic Cu phytoextraction potential of Sesamum indicum in comparison with Cyamopsis tetragonoloba for remediation of Cu contaminated soil in the framework of a pot-experiment. Plants were subjected to seven Cu concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 mg kg-1 soil) for 12 weeks. The morphological (i.e. growth) and biochemical (i.e. chlorophyll) parameters of both the plant species were observed throughout the experimental period; the phytoextraction efficiency of S. indicum and C. tetragonoloba were also determined. Most growth parameters were reduced under high Cu stress. Our results shows that at low concentration (25 mg Cu kg-1) all the growth and biochemical parameters were increased but at elevated Cu concentrations, root length, shoot length, and biomass (fresh and dry) were all significantly decreased (p 1, bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC) > 1 and translocation factor (TF) > 1 established C. tetragonoloba as a potential candidate plant for the decontamination of slightly Cu-polluted soil where the growth of plants would not be impaired and the extraction of Cu could be maintained at satisfying levels. Therefore, the present study suggested that C. tetragonoloba could possibly be used as a viable tool for phytoextraction.

Determination of Cu(III) and Cu(II)+Cu(III) in superconducting copper ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedelcheva, T.; Kostadinova, L.; Stoyanova-Ivanova, A.; Ivanova, I.

1992-01-01

Copper(III) and total copper in superconducting Y-Ba-Cu oxide and related compounds can be determinated by two successive iodimetric titrations after the sample has been dissolved under Ar in HCl/KI medium. First, the iodine equivalent to copper(III) is titrated with Na 2 S 2 O 3 solution at pH 4.8, copper(II) being masked with EDTA. The total copper is then determined in the same solution by demasking with acid and iodide, followed by iodimetric titration. The method is both accurate and reproducible. The relative standard deviations for 1.074% copper(III) and 23.37% total copper are 0.8% and 0.3%, respectively. (orig.)

Effect of fermented bamboo shoot on the quality and shelf life of nuggets prepared from desi spent hen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ankur Das

Full Text Available Aim: An investigation was carried out to prepare nuggets from the relatively tough and fibrous meat of desi spent hen using fermented bamboo shoot as a phytopreservative in order to enhance the physico-chemical, microbiological and keeping quality of the nuggets. Materials and Methods: Lean meat of desi spent hen was minced and blended along with other non-meat ingredients and fermented bamboo shoot @10%. The emulsion was filled in metallic moulds and steam cooked and cut into pieces. Ready-toeat nuggets thus prepared were packed in sterilized LDPE zip bags and stored at 4±1°C up-to 15 days for quality evaluation. Emulsion stability (%, cooking yield (%, a and proximate composition were studied on the day of preparation, while estimation of pH, TBA values, microbial load and sensory evaluation were carried out at 5 days interval and up-to 15th day of storage. Results: The emulsion stability (%, cooking yield (%, moisture (%, crude protein (% and total ash (% of FBS treated nuggets differed significantly (p<0.01 from the control products. Storage studies revealed significantly lower (p<0.01 pH, TBA value, total plate count, psychrophillic count and counts for yeast and moulds in FBS treated nuggets in comparison to control products. Both control and treated nuggets exhibited gradual loss of panel ratings during the storage period (4±1°C for 15 days, however, nuggets containing fermented bamboo shoot revealed significantly higher (p<0.01 mean sensory scores in terms of flavour, texture, juiciness and overall acceptability. Conclusion: Nuggets with better physico-chemical and shelf life can be prepared with incorporation of fermented bamboo shoot @10% (w/w to the nugget emulsion. [Vet World 2013; 6(7.000: 419-423

Analysis of sports injuries related with shooting.

Science.gov (United States)

Kabak, Banu; Karanfilci, Muharrem; Ersöz, Taner; Kabak, Mehmet

2016-06-01

Athletes typically maintain rigorous training and work programs to be able to participate in competitions. An injury that occurs during the competition that causes withdrawal from the competition and a possible departure from sports, can render results athletes' and their support staff's efforts as meaningless. The early detection of injuries in the competition and developing preventive training programs can help ensure that participating in competitions and the associated preparatory efforts are not wasted. In this study, the sports injuries discussed occurred during training and competition events of the Turkish Shooting Sportive group. Body parts of injuries are determined and exercise programs focused on the affected body parts are developed. A total of 729 athletes (285 female, 444 male) who participated in Turkish Shooting Sports Championship during the 2010-2011 competition period participated in the study. Athletes were given a questionnaire that was developed prior to the event, and the questionnaire was filled in during interviews conducted one-on-one. Data was collected from the questionnaire and SPSS v.16.0 was used to analyze the results. The study was completed in six months. The results showed that the most of the injuries that occurred during training were strain and muscle tears whereas most of the injuries occurred during the actual competition were strain, muscle tears, tendinitis, and sprain. The results also indicated that during training, the most frequently-occurring injuries were in shoulder, calf-thigh, hand and wrist; whereas during the competition, it was manifested in the shoulder, foot and ankle. Muscle strengthening, stretching and proprioception exercises for these body parts should be included as part of the athletic training program.

Root-shoot growth responses during interspecific competition quantified using allometric modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, David; Davidson, Hazel; Trinder, Clare; Brooker, Rob

2010-12-01

Plant competition studies are restricted by the difficulty of quantifying root systems of competitors. Analyses are usually limited to above-ground traits. Here, a new approach to address this issue is reported. Root system weights of competing plants can be estimated from: shoot weights of competitors; combined root weights of competitors; and slopes (scaling exponents, α) and intercepts (allometric coefficients, β) of ln-regressions of root weight on shoot weight of isolated plants. If competition induces no change in root : shoot growth, α and β values of competing and isolated plants will be equal. Measured combined root weight of competitors will equal that estimated allometrically from measured shoot weights of each competing plant. Combined root weights can be partitioned directly among competitors. If, as will be more usual, competition changes relative root and shoot growth, the competitors' combined root weight will not equal that estimated allometrically and cannot be partitioned directly. However, if the isolated-plant α and β values are adjusted until the estimated combined root weight of competitors matches the measured combined root weight, the latter can be partitioned among competitors using their new α and β values. The approach is illustrated using two herbaceous species, Dactylis glomerata and Plantago lanceolata. Allometric modelling revealed a large and continuous increase in the root : shoot ratio by Dactylis, but not Plantago, during competition. This was associated with a superior whole-plant dry weight increase in Dactylis, which was ultimately 2·5-fold greater than that of Plantago. Whole-plant growth dominance of Dactylis over Plantago, as deduced from allometric modelling, occurred 14-24 d earlier than suggested by shoot data alone. Given reasonable assumptions, allometric modelling can analyse competitive interactions in any species mixture, and overcomes a long-standing problem in studies of competition.

Evaluation of Fe and Zn/Cu ratio in serum of patients with sickle cell anemia by total reflection X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canellas, Catarine G.L.; Leitao, Roberta G.; Lopes, Ricardo T., E-mail: catarine@lin.ufrj.b, E-mail: ricardo@lin.ufrj.b [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (PEN/COPPE/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia. Programa de Engenharia Nuclear. Lab. de Instrumentaco Nuclear; Carvalho, Silvia M.F., E-mail: silvia@hemorio.rj.gov.b [State Institute of Hematology Arthur de Siqueira Cavalcanti (HEMORIO), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Bellido, Alfredo Victor B., E-mail: alfredo@ien.gov.b [Federal Fluminense University (UFF), Niteroi, RJ (Brazil). Chemistry Inst.; Anjos, Marcelino J., E-mail: marcelin@lin.ufrj.b [State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Physics Inst.

2011-07-01

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a blood disorder that affects hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells that help carry oxygen throughout the body. In this work we have analyzed serum samples from patients with SCA by using total reflection X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation (SRTXRF). The SRTXRF measurements were performed at the X-ray fluorescence beamline at Brazilian National Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), in Campinas, Sao Paulo using a polychromatic beam. We have studied forty-three patients aged 18-50 years old, suffering from SCA and Sixty healthy volunteers aged 18-60 years old. It was possible to determine the concentrations of the following elements: P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Br and Rb. Student's t-test was applied in order to check whether the two populations (CG x SCA) had the same mean values. It was observed that elemental concentration of P, Cl, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Br differed significantly ({alpha} = 0.05) between groups of healthy subjects and SCA. The concentrations of K, Fe and Cu in the serum samples of patients with SCA were larger 15%, 120 % and 20 %, respectively, when compared with the CG. On the other hand, the concentrations of P (-20 %), Cl (-6 %), Zn (-25 %) and Br (-22 %) were smaller than the values determined for the control group. The serum level Cu/Zn ratio was significantly higher (60%) in the serum samples of patients with SCA group than the CG. So, the Cu/Zn ratio can be used as an adjuvant index in enhancement for diagnosis of SCA. There are evidences of an association among Fe, Cu, Zn and Cu/Zn in the SCA pathogenesis process. (author)

In vitro propagation of Stevia rebaudina plants using multiple shoot culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Nepovím, A; Vanek, T

1998-12-01

A multiple shoot culture was induced from nodal segments on MS medium containing half concentration of macroelements, 1% sucrose, and supplemented with NAA (0.01 mg/l). A bioreactor with hormone-free MS medium (300 ml) was inoculated with 1.5 g of the multiple shoot culture and cultivated for a month. The cultivating process of the multiple shoot culture in the bioreactor and the transfer into ex vitro conditions took about 8-9 weeks and produced approx. 600 new seedlings, that could be transferred from greenhouse to field conditions.

Investigation of Surface Pre-Treatment Methods for Wafer-Level Cu-Cu Thermo-Compression Bonding

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Koki Tanaka

2016-12-01

Full Text Available To increase the yield of the wafer-level Cu-Cu thermo-compression bonding method, certain surface pre-treatment methods for Cu are studied which can be exposed to the atmosphere before bonding. To inhibit re-oxidation under atmospheric conditions, the reduced pure Cu surface is treated by H2/Ar plasma, NH3 plasma and thiol solution, respectively, and is covered by Cu hydride, Cu nitride and a self-assembled monolayer (SAM accordingly. A pair of the treated wafers is then bonded by the thermo-compression bonding method, and evaluated by the tensile test. Results show that the bond strengths of the wafers treated by NH3 plasma and SAM are not sufficient due to the remaining surface protection layers such as Cu nitride and SAMs resulting from the pre-treatment. In contrast, the H2/Ar plasma–treated wafer showed the same strength as the one with formic acid vapor treatment, even when exposed to the atmosphere for 30 min. In the thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS measurement of the H2/Ar plasma–treated Cu sample, the total number of the detected H2 was 3.1 times more than the citric acid–treated one. Results of the TDS measurement indicate that the modified Cu surface is terminated by chemisorbed hydrogen atoms, which leads to high bonding strength.

Capability and opportunity in hot shooting performance: Evidence from top-scoring NBA leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Shun-Chuan

2018-01-01

In basketball games, whenever players successfully shoot in streaks, they are expected to demonstrate heightened performance for a stretch of time. Streak shooting in basketball has been debated for more than three decades, but most studies have provided little significant statistical evidence and have labeled random subjective judgments the "hot hand fallacy." To obtain a broader perspective of the hot hand phenomenon and its accompanying influences on the court, this study uses field goal records and optical tracking data from the official NBA database for the entire 2015-2016 season to analyze top-scoring leaders' shooting performances. We first reflect on the meaning of "hot hand" and the "Matthew effect" in actual basketball competition. Second, this study employs statistical models to integrate three different shooting perspectives (field goal percentage, points scored, and attempts). This study's findings shed new light not only on the existence or nonexistence of streaks, but on the roles of capability and opportunity in NBA hot shooting. Furthermore, we show how hot shooting performances resulting from capability and opportunity lead to actual differences for teams.

Capability and opportunity in hot shooting performance: Evidence from top-scoring NBA leaders.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shun-Chuan Chang

Full Text Available In basketball games, whenever players successfully shoot in streaks, they are expected to demonstrate heightened performance for a stretch of time. Streak shooting in basketball has been debated for more than three decades, but most studies have provided little significant statistical evidence and have labeled random subjective judgments the "hot hand fallacy." To obtain a broader perspective of the hot hand phenomenon and its accompanying influences on the court, this study uses field goal records and optical tracking data from the official NBA database for the entire 2015-2016 season to analyze top-scoring leaders' shooting performances. We first reflect on the meaning of "hot hand" and the "Matthew effect" in actual basketball competition. Second, this study employs statistical models to integrate three different shooting perspectives (field goal percentage, points scored, and attempts. This study's findings shed new light not only on the existence or nonexistence of streaks, but on the roles of capability and opportunity in NBA hot shooting. Furthermore, we show how hot shooting performances resulting from capability and opportunity lead to actual differences for teams.

School Shootings as Organizational Deviance.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Cybelle; Harding, David J.

2005-01-01

This article argues that rampage school shootings in American public schools can be understood as instances of organizational deviance, which occurs when events created by or in organizations do not conform to an organization's goals or expectations and produce unanticipated and harmful outcomes. Drawing on data from qualitative case studies of…

The effects of Pantoea sp. strain Y4-4 on alfalfa in the remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soil, and auxiliary impacts of plant residues on the remediation of saline-alkali soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shuhuan; Wang, Jie; Gao, Nanxiong; Liu, Lizhu; Chen, Yahua

2017-04-01

The plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Y4-4 was isolated from plant rhizosphere soil and identified as Pantoea sp. by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The effects of strain Y4-4 on alfalfa grown in heavy-metals-contaminated soil was investigated using a pot experiment. In a Cu-rich environment, the shoot dry mass and total dry mass of plants inoculated with strain Y4-4 increased by 22.6% and 21%, and Cu accumulation increased by 15%. In a Pb-Zn-rich environment, the shoot dry mass and total dry mass of plants inoculated with strain Y4-4 increased by 23.4% and 22%, and Zn accumulation increased by 30.3%. In addition, the salt tolerance and biomass of wheat seedlings could be improved by applying strain Y4-4 mixed with plant residue as a result of the Cu-rich plant residues providing copper nutrition to wheat. This study offers an efficient PGPR with strong salt tolerance and a safe strategy for the post-treatment of plant residue.

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

African Journals Online (AJOL)

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

Radiocesium distribution in bamboo shoots after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takumi Higaki

Full Text Available The distribution of radiocesium was examined in bamboo shoots, Phyllostachys pubescens, collected from 10 sites located some 41 to 1140 km from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan, in the Spring of 2012, 1 year after the Fukushima nuclear accident. Maximum activity concentrations for radiocesium ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs in the edible bamboo shoot parts, 41 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi plant, were in excess of 15.3 and 21.8 kBq/kg (dry weight basis; 1.34 and 1.92 kBq/kg, fresh weight, respectively. In the radiocesium-contaminated samples, the radiocesium activities were higher in the inner tip parts, including the upper edible parts and the apical culm sheath, than in the hardened culm sheath and underground basal parts. The radiocesium/potassium ratios also tended to be higher in the inner tip parts. The radiocesium activities increased with bamboo shoot length in another bamboo species, Phyllostachys bambusoides, suggesting that radiocesium accumulated in the inner tip parts during growth of the shoots.

Effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on physiology and steviol glycosides production in micropropagated shoots of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.

Science.gov (United States)

Javed, Rabia; Usman, Muhammad; Yücesan, Buhara; Zia, Muhammad; Gürel, Ekrem

2017-01-01

This study aims to address the effects of different concentrations (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10, 100 or 1000 mg L -1 ) of engineered zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (34 nm in size) on growth parameters, steviol glycosides (rebaudioside A and stevioside) production and antioxidant activities in the tissue culture grown shoots of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The highest percentage of shoot formation (89.6%) at 1 mg L -1 of ZnO nanoparticles concentration suggests a positive influence of ZnO nanoparticles on S. rebaudiana growth as compared to other treatments with or without ZnO nanoparticles. Additionally, HPLC results illustrate a significant enhancement of steviol glycosides (almost doubled as compared to the control) in micropropagated shoots grown under an oxidative stress of 1 mg L -1 of ZnO nanoparticles. This finding is further affirmed by an increased 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, total anti-oxidant capacity, total reducing power, total flavonoid content and total phenolic content, with an ascending oxidative pressure and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the antioxidant activities, formation of secondary metabolites and the physiological parameters showed a sudden decline after crossing a threshold of 1 mg L -1 concentration of ZnO nanoparticles and falls to a minimum at 1000 mg L -1 , elucidating maximum phytotoxic effect of ZnO nanoparticles at this concentration. This is the first study evaluating both the favorable and adverse effects of ZnO nanoparticles employed to a highly valuable medicinal plant, S. rebaudiana. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Altered physiology, cell structure, and gene expression of Theobroma cacao seedlings subjected to Cu toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Vânia L; de Almeida, Alex-Alan F; Souza, Jadiel de S; Mangabeira, Pedro A O; de Jesus, Raildo M; Pirovani, Carlos P; Ahnert, Dário; Baligar, Virupax C; Loguercio, Leandro L

2014-01-01

Seedlings of Theobroma cacao CCN 51 genotype were grown under greenhouse conditions and exposed to increasing concentrations of Cu (0.005, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 mg Cu L(-1)) in nutrient solution. When doses were equal or higher than 8 mg Cu L(-1), after 24 h of treatment application, leaf gas exchange was highly affected and changes in chloroplasts thylakoids of leaf mesophyll cells and plasmolysis of cells from the root cortical region were observed. In addition, cell membranes of roots and leaves were damaged. In leaves, 96 h after treatments started, increases in the percentage of electrolyte leakage through membranes were observed with increases of Cu in the nutrient solution. Moreover, there was an increase in the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in roots due to lipid peroxidation of membranes. Chemical analysis showed that increases in Cu concentrations in vegetative organs of T. cacao increased with the increase of the metal in the nutrient solution, but there was a greater accumulation of Cu in roots than in shoots. The excess of Cu interfered in the levels of Mn, Zn, Fe, Mg, K, and Ca in different organs of T. cacao. Analysis of gene expression via RTq-PCR showed increased levels of MT2b, SODCyt, and PER-1 expression in roots and of MT2b, PSBA, PSBO, SODCyt, and SODChI in leaves. Hence, it was concluded that Cu in nutrient solution at doses equal or above 8 mg L(-1) significantly affected leaf gas exchange, cell ultrastructure, and transport of mineral nutrients in seedlings of this T. cacao genotype.

Genotypic diversity of root and shoot characteristics of

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ali ganjali

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Root and shoot characteristics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L. genotypes are believed to be important in drought tolerance. There is a little information about the response of genotypes root growth in hydroponics and greenhouse culture, also the relationships between root size and drought tolerance. This study was conducted to observe whether genotypes differ in root size, and to see that root size is associated with drought tolerance during early vegetative growth. We found significant differences (p0.01 in root dry weight, total root length, tap root length, root area, leaf dry weight, leaf area and shoot biomass per plant among 30 genotypes of chickpea grown in hydroponics culture for three weeks. Each of these parameters correlated with all others, positively. Among 30 genotypes, 10 genotypes with different root sizes were selected and were grown in a greenhouse in sand culture experiment under drought stress (FC %30 for three weeks. There were not linear or non-linear significant correlations between root characters in hydroponics and greenhouse environments. It seems that environmental factors are dominant on genetic factors in seedling stage and so, the expression of genotypics potential for root growth characteristics of genotypes are different in hydroponic and greenhouse conditions. In this study, the selection of genotypes with vigorous roots system in hydroponic condition did not lead to genotypes with the same root characters in greenhouse environment. The genotype×drought interactions for root characters of chickpea seedlings in 30 days were not significant (p

School Shootings and Critical Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Schiller, Juliet

2013-01-01

What has been left out of studying school violence and shootings is a comprehensive look at the culture that creates violence and the lack of support for those deemed "different" in an educational setting that promotes and rewards competition. If parents, teachers, and other adults associated with children were teaching the values of…

Anomalous needle numbers on dwarf shoots of Pinus mugo and P. uncinata (Pinaceae

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Krystyna Boratyńska

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The frequency of occurrence of abnormal, three- (or more needle dwarf shoots of most southern and central European two-needle pine (Pinus species were studied. No specimens with more than two-needle dwarf shoots were found in a population of P. nigra Arnold subsp. salzmannii (Dunal Franco from the Iberian Peninsula and in two populations of P. uliginosa Neumann from the Sudeten Mountains in Central Europe. Single specimens were found within one population of P. pinaster Aiton from the Iberian Peninsula and among six populations of P. sylvestris L. from the Iberian Peninsula and Central Europe. Abnormal dwarf shoots mostly with three, but also four, five or six needles were found among 24 of 25 surveyed populations of P. mugo Turra and P. uncinata Ramond. The average frequency of specimens with at least one three-needle dwarf shoot was 24% for P. mugo and 20% for P. uncinata. The frequencies of occurrence varied significantly among studied populations and were highest in samples collected from the upper elevational range limits of the species in the mountains and near the northern limits of their ranges. The frequency of abnormal dwarf shoots in the same populations was significantly high in 2-3 consecutive years. Needles from three-needle dwarf shoots were not significantly shorter than those of two-needle shoots.

Glyphosate (Ab)sorption by Shoots and Rhizomes of Native versus Hybrid Cattail (Typha).

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Tianye; Sutton, Nora B; de Jager, Pim; Grosshans, Richard; Munira, Sirajum; Farenhorst, Annemieke

2017-11-01

Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America are integrated with farmland and contain mixtures of herbicide contaminants. Passive nonfacilitated diffusion is how most herbicides can move across plant membranes, making this perhaps an important process by which herbicide contaminants are absorbed by wetland vegetation. Prairie wetlands are dominated by native cattail (Typha latifolia) and hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca). The objective of this batch equilibrium study was to compare glyphosate absorption by the shoots and rhizomes of native versus hybrid cattails. Although it has been previously reported for some pesticides that passive diffusion is greater for rhizome than shoot components, this is the first study to demonstrate that the absorption capacity of rhizomes is species dependent, with the glyphosate absorption being significantly greater for rhizomes than shoots in case of native cattails, but with no significant differences in glyphosate absorption between rhizomes and shoots in case of hybrid cattails. Most importantly, glyphosate absorption by native rhizomes far exceeded that of the absorption occurring for hybrid rhizomes, native shoots and hybrid shoots. Glyphosate has long been used to manage invasive hybrid cattails in wetlands in North America, but hybrid cattail expansions continue to occur. Since our results showed limited glyphosate absorption by hybrid shoots and rhizomes, this lack of sorption may partially explain the poorer ability of glyphosate to control hybrid cattails in wetlands.

Effect of silicon on wheat seedlings (Triticum turgidum L.) grown in hydroponics and exposed to 0 to 30 µM Cu.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, C; Rizwan, M; Davidian, J-C; Pokrovsky, O S; Bovet, N; Chaurand, P; Meunier, J-D

2015-04-01

Aqueous Si limits Cu uptake by a Si-accumulating plant via physicochemical mechanisms occurring at the root level. Sufficient Si supply may alleviate Cu toxicity in Cu-contaminated soils. Little information is available on the role of silicon (Si) in copper (Cu) tolerance while Cu toxicity is widespread in crops grown on Cu-contaminated soils. A hydroponic study was set up to investigate the influence of Si on Cu tolerance in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) grown in 0, 0.7, 7.0 and 30 µM Cu without and with 1.0 mM Si, and to identify the mechanisms involved in mitigation of Cu toxicity. Si supply alleviated Cu toxicity in durum wheat at 30 µM Cu, while Cu significantly increased Si concentration in roots. Root length, photosynthetic pigments concentrations, macroelements, and organic anions (malate, acetate and aconitate) in roots, were also increased. Desorption experiments, XPS analysis of the outer thin root surface (≤100 Å) and µXRF analyses showed that Si increased adsorption of Cu at the root surface as well as Cu accumulation in the epidermis while Cu was localised in the central cylinder when Si was not applied. Copper was not detected in phytoliths. This study provides evidences for Si-mediated alleviation of Cu toxicity in durum wheat. It also shows that Si supplementation to plants exposed to increasing levels of Cu in solution induces non-simultaneous changes in physiological parameters. We propose a three-step mechanism occurring mainly at the root level and limiting Cu uptake and translocation to shoots: (i) increased Cu adsorption onto the outer thin layer root surface and immobilisation in the vicinity of root epidermis, (ii) increased Cu complexation by both inorganic and organic anions such as aconitate and, (iii) limitation of translocation through an enhanced thickening of a Si-loaded endodermis.

Developmental anatomy of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘Aurora’) shoot regeneration

Science.gov (United States)

The culture of Vaccinium corymbosum L. ’Aurora’ leaves on regeneration medium results in the regeneration of adventitious shoots. We present anatomical evidence that these new shoot apices are directly regenerated from the cultured blades. Mounds of densely staining cells, which formed from epidermi...

Influence of fertilizer placements on the root and shoot growth of soybean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisworo, E.L.

1983-01-01

Two experiments have been carried out to obtain data of soybean growth in relation to fertilizer placements in the soil. Treatments in these two experiments were: fertilizer (N, P, and K) placements at the soil surface, 5, 10, and 15 cm beneath the soil surface and the plants were harvested at the age of 51, 58, and 65 days after seed planting, in the first experiment, and in the second experiment plants were harvested at the age of 37, 44, and 51 days after seed planting. The parameter for root growth was the percentage of roots in soil depths at: 0-5, 5-10, 10-15, and 15-20 cm, respectively, while for shoot growth the parameters were the dry weight of the shoot, plant height, and number of flowers and pods. Data obtained from these two experiments showed that fertilizer placements at several soil depths have no influence on the growth of root and shoot. The highest shoot growth was at 0-5 cm soil depth, but this does not cause highest shoot growth. Different harvest time do not effect root growth, but it has a highly siginificant on shoot growth. The soybean plants were planted in PVC pots with a 6 kg soil capacity, and the pots were placed outside the green house. (author)

School Shootings in Policy Spotlight

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Lesli A.

2006-01-01

The three school shootings that left a principal and six students dead in less than a week have sparked a barrage of pledges from national and state political leaders to tighten campus security. School safety experts urged caution against overreacting to the horrific, but rare, incidents in rural schools in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.…

Cu accumulation by Lumbricus rubellus as affected by total amount of Cu in soil, soil moisture and soil heterogeneity.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marinussen, M.P.J.C.; Zee, van der S.E.A.T.M.

1997-01-01

To investigate the effect of soil heterogeneity on accumulation of pollutants in a contaminated soil by earthworms, we performed experiments under laboratory conditions with soil from a Cu-contaminated site, followed by experiments under field conditions. The first experiments were set up as a

Influence of Photo period and Gamma Irradiation on Shoot Development and Chemical Composition of Yucca elephantipes Regel Plant in Vitro

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Khateeb, M.A.; El-Sharnouby, M.E.; Ragab, E.A.

2008-01-01

In-Vitro propagated plant lets of Yucca elephantipes were placed under different photo periods (24/0, 16/8, and 0/24 L/D) for two months after cultured on MS medium supplemented with 40 g/l sucrose. Growing explants of Yucca elephantipes cultured on MS medium placed under photo period 24/0 L/D gave the highest shoot length and best proliferation than other treatments especially in subculture 3. Exposure to gamma irradiation at doses 0.0, 5 ,10, 20 and 40 Gy, and placed on the same conditions .Irradiated plantlets exhibited changes in shoot growth especially on photo period at 16/8 L/D than others, also with gamma irradiation at dose 20 Gy. Using gamma irradiation at level of 20 and 40 Gy stimulated both leaf shape and thickness of stem. The contents of total phenol, total saponin and some unsap contents were increased with increasing gamma irradiation

Capability and opportunity in hot shooting performance: Evidence from top-scoring NBA leaders

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

In basketball games, whenever players successfully shoot in streaks, they are expected to demonstrate heightened performance for a stretch of time. Streak shooting in basketball has been debated for more than three decades, but most studies have provided little significant statistical evidence and have labeled random subjective judgments the “hot hand fallacy.” To obtain a broader perspective of the hot hand phenomenon and its accompanying influences on the court, this study uses field goal records and optical tracking data from the official NBA database for the entire 2015–2016 season to analyze top-scoring leaders’ shooting performances. We first reflect on the meaning of “hot hand” and the “Matthew effect” in actual basketball competition. Second, this study employs statistical models to integrate three different shooting perspectives (field goal percentage, points scored, and attempts). This study’s findings shed new light not only on the existence or nonexistence of streaks, but on the roles of capability and opportunity in NBA hot shooting. Furthermore, we show how hot shooting performances resulting from capability and opportunity lead to actual differences for teams. PMID:29432458

Shoot regeneration from cotyledonary leaf explants of jatropha curcas: A biodiesel plant

KAUST Repository

Kumar, Nitish Chandramohana

2010-03-07

A simple, high frequency, and reproducible method for plant regeneration through direct organogenesis from cotyledonary leaf explants of Jatropha curcas was developed using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) or 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP). Medium containing TDZ has greater influence on regeneration as compared to BAP. The induced shoot buds were transferred to MS medium containing 10 lM kinetin (Kn), 4.5 lM BAP, and 5.5 lM a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for shoot proliferation. The proliferated shoots could be elongated on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of BAP, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), NAA, and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). MS medium with 2.25 lM BAP and 8.5 lM IAA was found to be the best combination for shoot elongation. However, significant differences in plant regeneration and shoot elongation were observed among the genotypes studied. Rooting was achieved when the basal cut end of elongated shoots were dipped in half strength MS liquid medium containing dif- ferent concentrations and combinations of IBA, IAA, and NAA for 4 days, followed by transfer to growth regulators free half strength MS medium supplemented 0.25 mg l-1 activated charcoal. Elongated shoot treated with 15 lM IBA, 5.7 lM IAA, and 11 lM NAA resulted in highest percent rooting. The rooted plants could be established in soil with more than 90% survival rate. The method developed may be useful in improvement of J. curcas through genetic modification. © Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 2010.

In vitro shoot regeneration and microcorm development in crocus vernus (l.) hill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sivanesan, I.

2014-01-01

An efficient method has been developed for In vitro regeneration of shoot and microcorm from corm explants of Crocus vernus. Corms were cut into 0.5-1.0 cm long segments and cultured on the SH medium supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 mg L-1 2-isopentyl adenine (2-iP), N6-benzyladenine (BA), and N6-furfuryladenine (kinetin, Kin) alone or combination with 0.5 or 1.0 mg L-1 alpha-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) for shoot regeneration. Of the three cytokinins tested, BA was found to be the most effective cytokinin for shoot formation. The number of shoots induced per explant was more when BA was combined with 0.5 mg L-1 NAA than with 1.0 mg L-1 NAA. The greatest percentage of shoot induction (97.2) with the mean number of 11.8 shoots per explant was obtained when the SH medium was supplemented with 2.0 mg L-1 BA and 0.5 mg L-1 NAA. The frequency of microcorm induction was significantly affected by the concentrations of sucrose.The greatest number of 6.1 microcorms per explant was obtained when the SH medium was supplemented with 2.0 mg L-1 BA, 0.5 mg L-1 NAA and 6.0% sucrose. The microcorms formed In vitro developed daughter corms when they were cultured on this medium. Microcorms were separated from the culture and planted out in acclimatization boxes containing a commercial medium. About 85% of corms developed shoot and root after 30 days. This protocol could be utilized for genetic transformation and mass clonal propagation of C. (author)

Shoot regeneration from cotyledonary leaf explants of jatropha curcas: A biodiesel plant

KAUST Repository

Kumar, Nitish Chandramohana; Vijay Anand, K. G.; Reddy, Muppala P.

2010-01-01

A simple, high frequency, and reproducible method for plant regeneration through direct organogenesis from cotyledonary leaf explants of Jatropha curcas was developed using Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) or 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP). Medium containing TDZ has greater influence on regeneration as compared to BAP. The induced shoot buds were transferred to MS medium containing 10 lM kinetin (Kn), 4.5 lM BAP, and 5.5 lM a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for shoot proliferation. The proliferated shoots could be elongated on MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of BAP, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), NAA, and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). MS medium with 2.25 lM BAP and 8.5 lM IAA was found to be the best combination for shoot elongation. However, significant differences in plant regeneration and shoot elongation were observed among the genotypes studied. Rooting was achieved when the basal cut end of elongated shoots were dipped in half strength MS liquid medium containing dif- ferent concentrations and combinations of IBA, IAA, and NAA for 4 days, followed by transfer to growth regulators free half strength MS medium supplemented 0.25 mg l-1 activated charcoal. Elongated shoot treated with 15 lM IBA, 5.7 lM IAA, and 11 lM NAA resulted in highest percent rooting. The rooted plants could be established in soil with more than 90% survival rate. The method developed may be useful in improvement of J. curcas through genetic modification. © Franciszek Górski Institute of Plant Physiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków 2010.

Effect of nitrogen salts on the growth of Ceratonia siliqua L. Shoot cultures

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Vinterhalter Branka

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Effects of reduced nitrogen salt nutriton on the growth, lenticel hypertrophy and anthocyanin accumulation of carob (Ceratonia siliqua L. shoot cultures were investigated in conditions of light and darkness. Growth of shoot cultures was not significantly affected until nitrogen salts were reduced to less than ¼ of full-strength MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962 values. Cultures in darkness were less affected and their main shoots even increased in length. Appearance of hypertrophied lenticels in light decreased, while in darkness they were absent in all treatments. Reduced nitrogen salt nutrition strongly affected anthocyanin accumulation of shoots and leaves, which greatly increased in both light and darkness. .

Translocation of metals in pea plants grown on various amendment of electroplating industrial sludge.

Science.gov (United States)

Bose, Sutapa; Chandrayan, Sudarshana; Rai, Vivek; Bhattacharyya, A K; Ramanathan, A L

2008-07-01

A pot-culture experiment was conducted to observe the effects of acidic sludge addition to the soils on bioavailability and uptake of heavy metals in different parts of pea plant as well as its influence on the growth of that plant. It is observed from our result the abundances of total and bio-available heavy metals in sludge vary as follows: Fe>Mn>Cr>Ni>Cu>Pb>Zn>Cd and Fe>Ni>Mn>Cr>Cu>Zn>Pb>Cd. Sludge applications increased both the total metals, DTPA-extractable metals and total N in the soils. On the other hand lime application has decreased the bioavailability of heavy metals with no change in total N in sludge amended soils. Organic carbon showed positive correlation with all metals except Zn, Cr and Pb. CEC also showed a strong positive correlation (R(2)>0.7) with the low translocation efficiency of pea plants. The value of translocation factor from shoot to seed was found to be smaller than root to shoot of pea plants. Our study thus shows that pea plants were found to be well adapted to the soil amended with 10% sludge with 0.5% lime treatment, minimizing most of the all metal uptake in the shoot of that plant. So, on the basis of the present study, possible treatment may be recommended for the secure disposal of acidic electroplating sludge.

Solution of Constrained Optimal Control Problems Using Multiple Shooting and ESDIRK Methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Capolei, Andrea; Jørgensen, John Bagterp

2012-01-01

of this paper is the use of ESDIRK integration methods for solution of the initial value problems and the corresponding sensitivity equations arising in the multiple shooting algorithm. Compared to BDF-methods, ESDIRK-methods are advantageous in multiple shooting algorithms in which restarts and frequent...... algorithm. As we consider stiff systems, implicit solvers with sensitivity computation capabilities for initial value problems must be used in the multiple shooting algorithm. Traditionally, multi-step methods based on the BDF algorithm have been used for such problems. The main novel contribution...... discontinuities on each shooting interval are present. The ESDIRK methods are implemented using an inexact Newton method that reuses the factorization of the iteration matrix for the integration as well as the sensitivity computation. Numerical experiments are provided to demonstrate the algorithm....

Development of Sirococcus shoot blight following thinning in western hemlock regeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Charles G. Shaw; Thomas H. Laurent; Spencer. Israelson

1981-01-01

Shoot mortality from Sirococcus strobilinus Preuss. and other causes was recorded by crown position from April 1978 through October 1979 in younggrowth western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) crop trees released in a 1977 thinning at Thomas Bay, Alaska. All study trees contained some infected shoots, but no terminal...

Shoot- and root-borne cytokinin influences arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosme, Marco; Ramireddy, Eswarayya; Franken, Philipp; Schmülling, Thomas; Wurst, Susanne

2016-10-01

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is functionally important for the nutrition and growth of most terrestrial plants. Nearly all phytohormones are employed by plants to regulate the symbiosis with AM fungi, but the regulatory role of cytokinin (CK) is not well understood. Here, we used transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) with a root-specific or constitutive expression of CK-degrading CKX genes and the corresponding wild-type to investigate whether a lowered content of CK in roots or in both roots and shoots influences the interaction with the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis. Our data indicates that shoot CK has a positive impact on AM fungal development in roots and on the root transcript level of an AM-responsive phosphate transporter gene (NtPT4). A reduced CK content in roots caused shoot and root growth depression following AM colonization, while neither the uptake of phosphorus or nitrogen nor the root transcript levels of NtPT4 were significantly affected. This suggests that root CK may restrict the C availability from the roots to the fungus thus averting parasitism by AM fungi. Taken together, our study indicates that shoot- and root-borne CK have distinct roles in AM symbiosis. We propose a model illustrating how plants may employ CK to regulate nutrient exchange with the ubiquitous AM fungi.

Alginate-encapsulation of shoot tips of jojoba [Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider] for germplasm exchange and distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Sunil; Rai, Manoj K; Singh, Narender; Mangal, Manisha

2010-12-01

Shoot tips excised from in vitro proliferated shoots derived from nodal explants of jojoba [Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider] were encapsulated in calcium alginate beads for germplasm exchange and distribution. A gelling matrix of 3 % sodium alginate and 100 mM calcium chloride was found most suitable for formation of ideal calcium alginate beads. Best response for shoot sprouting from encapsulated shoot tips was recorded on 0.8 % agar-solidified full-strength MS medium. Rooting was induced upon transfer of sprouted shoots to 0.8 % agar-solidified MS medium containing 1 mg l(-1) IBA. About 70 % of encapsulated shoot tips were rooted and converted into plantlets. Plants regenerated from encapsulated shoot tips were acclimatized successfully. The present encapsulation approach could also be applied as an alternative method of propagation of desirable elite genotype of jojoba.

Lead Pollution of Shooting Range Soils

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NICOLAAS

range. Most of the shooting range soils contained high levels of Pb in the range above 2000 mg kg–1 far exceeding the United States ... N. Sehube, R. Kelebemang, O. Totolo, M. Laetsang, O. Kamwi and P. Dinake,. 21 ..... Eng. Sci., 1999, 16,.

Surface segregation as a means of gettering Cu in liquid-phase-epitaxy silicon thin layers grown from Al-Cu-Si solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, T.H.; Ciszek, T.F.; Reedy, R.; Asher, S.; King, D. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

1996-05-01

The authors demonstrate that, by using the natural surface segregation phenomenon, Cu can be gettered to the surface from the bulk of silicon layers so that its concentrations in the liquid-phase-epitaxy (LPE) layers are much lower than its solubility at the layer growth temperature and the reported 10{sup 17} cm{sup {minus}3} degradation threshold for solar-cell performance. Secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis indicates that, within a micron-deep sub-surface region, Cu accumulates even in as-grown LPE samples. Slower cooling after growth to room temperature enhances this Cu enrichment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement shows as much as 3.2% Cu in a surface region of about 50 {Angstrom}. More surface-sensitive, ion-scattering spectroscopy (ISS) analysis further reveals about 7% of Cu at the top surface. These results translate to an areal gettering capacity of about 1.0 x 10{sup 16} cm{sup {minus}2}, which is higher than the available total-area density of Cu in the layer and substrate (3.6 x 10{sup 15} cm{sup {minus}2} for a uniform 1.2 x 10{sup 17}cm{sup {minus}3} Cu throughout the layer and substrate with a total thickness of 300 {mu}m).

Induction of shoot regeneration in cotyledon explants of the oilseed crop Sesamum indicum L.

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Masochon Zimik

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sesamum indicum is an ancient oilseed crop known for its high quality edible oil and its medicinally important lignans. The crop is said to be recalcitrant to plant tissue culture thus limiting the use of modern biotechnology for its genetic improvement. We present here a protocol describing plant regeneration through adventitious shoot formation from cotyledons dissected from sesame seeds soaked for four hours in water. Subculturing of the cotyledons after two weeks of culture on to a fresh Murashige and Skoog medium leads to differentiation of adventitious shoots from the proximal cut end of the explant. Culture of cotyledons on a medium containing 9% sucrose for a couple of weeks prior to transfer to MS medium supplemented with 3% sucrose induced a higher frequency of shoot regeneration. The highest frequency of 25% adventitious shoot regeneration was observed for S. indicum variety UMA. This variety also turned out to be the best among the ten genotypes tested for shoot regeneration through tissue culture. While addition of IAA marginally improved regeneration, silver nitrate was found essential for enhancing the frequency of shoot regeneration. The regenerated shoots formed roots on full strength MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l IBA and the rooted plants were established in soil.

Coumarins and alkaloids in shoot culture of Ruta graveolens L.

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Halina Ekiert

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A shoot culture of Ruta graveolens L. (Rutaceae was maintained in the stationary liquid phase. From the cultured shoots seven compounds were isolated and identified as psoralen, bergapten, xanthotoxin, isopimpinellin (linear furanocoumarins, rutamarin (linear dihydrofuranocoumarin, kokusaginine and skimmianine (furanoquinoline alkaloids by spectral methods. The compounds are known as secondary metabolites of the intact plant, as well as its cell and tissue cultures.

Long-term impact of shoot blight disease on red pine saplings

Science.gov (United States)

Linda M. Haugen; Michael E. Ostry

2013-01-01

Damage from Sirococcus and Diplodia shoot blights of red pine is widespread and periodically severe in the Lake States. An outbreak of shoot blight occurred in red pine sapling plantations across northern Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in 1993. We established monitoring plots in red pine sapling...

Carbon utilization by fruit limits shoot growth in alternate-bearing citrus trees.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Alcántara, Belén; Iglesias, Domingo J; Reig, Carmina; Mesejo, Carlos; Agustí, Manuel; Primo-Millo, Eduardo

2015-03-15

Fruit load in alternate-bearing citrus trees is reported to alter shoot number and growth during spring, summer, and autumn flushes, and the source-sink balance, which affects the storage and mobilization of reserve nutrients. The aim of this work was to assess the extent of shoot growth inhibition resulting from the presence of fruits in 'Moncada' mandarin trees loaded with fruit (ON) or with very light fruit load (OFF), and to identify the role of carbohydrates and nitrogenous compounds in the competition between fruits and shoots. Growth of reproductive and vegetative organs was measured on a monthly basis. (13)C- and (15)N-labeled compounds were supplied to trace the allocation of reserve nutrients and subsequent translocation from source to sink. At the end of the year, OFF trees produced more abundant flushes (2.4- and 4.9-fold higher in number and biomass, respectively) than ON trees. Fruits from ON trees accumulated higher C amounts at the expense of developing flushes, whereas OFF trees exhibited the opposite pattern. An inverse relationship was identified between the amount of C utilized by fruits and vegetative flush growth. (13)C-labeling revealed an important role for mature leaves of fruit-bearing branches in supporting shoot/fruit growth, and the elevated sink strength of growing fruits on shoots. N availability for vegetative shoots was not affected by the presence or absence of fruits, which accumulated important amounts of (15)N. In conclusion, our results show that shoot growth is resource-limited as a consequence of fruit development, and vegetative-growth inhibition is caused by photoassimilate limitation. The competence for N is not a decisive factor in limiting vegetative growth under the experimental conditions of this study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Bioconcentration of atrazine and chlorophenols into roots and shoots of rice seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su Yuhong; Zhu Yongguan

2006-01-01

Accumulation of o-chlorophenol (CP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (DCP), and atrazine (ATR), as single and mixed contaminants, from hydroponic solutions into roots and shoots of rice seedlings was studied following 48-h exposure of the plant roots. As single contaminants at low levels, the observed bioconcentration factors (BCFs) of CP and DCP with roots approximated the equilibrium values according to the partition-limited model. The BCF of atrazine with roots was about half the partition limit for unknown reasons. The BCFs of CP and ATR with shoots also approximated the partition limits, while the BCF for more lipophilic DCP with shoots was about half the estimated limit, due to insufficient water transport into plants for DCP. As mixed contaminants at low levels, the BCFs with both roots and shoots were comparable with those for the single contaminants; at high levels, the BCFs generally decreased because of the enhanced mixed-contaminant phytotoxicity, as manifested by the greatly reduced plant transpiration rate. - Uptakes of o-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and atrazine at various levels from nutrient solution by roots and shoots of rice seedlings were investigated using a partition-limited model

Empirical models in the description of prickly pear shoot (Nopal drying kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmanuel M. Pereira

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to describe the technological process involved in the drying kinetics of fresh-cut prickly pear shoots through numerical and analytical solutions. Shoots of two different prickly pear species were used, ‘Gigante’ and ‘Miúda’. Drying was performed at different temperatures (50, 60, 70 and 80 °C and weighing procedures were made continuously. The experimental data were expressed as moisture ratio. The Page model showed the best fit to the drying kinetics of minimally processed ‘Gigante’ and ‘Miúda’ prickly pear shoots, with the best coefficients of determination and Chi-square. Peleg and Wang & Singh models can not be used to simulate the drying of ‘Gigante’ and ‘Miúda’ prickly pear shoots within the evaluated range of temperatures, showing an incoherent graphic pattern.

Shoot Organogenesis and Plant Regeneration from Leaf Explants of Lysionotus serratus D. Don

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiansheng Li

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The gesneriaceous perennial plant, Lysionotus serratus, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine. It also has a great development potential as an ornamental plant with its attractive foliage and beautiful flowers. An efficient propagation and regeneration system via direct shoot organogenesis from leaf explant was established in this study. High active cytokinin (6-benzyladenine (BA or thidiazuron (TDZ was effective for direct organogenesis of initial induction. Murashige and Skoog (MS growth media containing 0.5 mg L−1 BA alone or with combination of 0.1 mg L−1  α-Naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA were the most effective for shoot proliferation. High BA concentration (1.0 mg L−1 in the media caused high percentage of vitrified shoots though they introduced high shoot proliferation rate. Histological observation indicated that adventitious shoot regeneration on the medium containing 0.5 mg L−1 BA alone occurred directly from leaf epidermal cells without callus formation. Regenerated shoots rooted well on medium containing half-strength MS medium with 0.5 mg L−1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, and the plantlets successfully acclimatized and grew vigorously in the greenhouse with a 94.2% and 92.1% survival rate.

Cadmium accumulation in sunflower plants influenced by arbuscular mycorrhiza.

Science.gov (United States)

de Andrade, Sara Adrián López; da Silveira, Adriana Parada Dias; Jorge, Renato Atílio; de Abreu, Mônica Ferreira

2008-01-01

In order to investigate the cadmium (Cd) accumulation patterns and possible alleviation of Cd stress by mycorrhization, sunflower plants (Helianthus annuus L.) were grown in the presence or absence of Cd (20 micromol L(-1)) and inoculated or not inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus intraradices. No visual symptoms of Cd phytotoxicity were observed; nevertheless, in non-mycorrhizal plants the presence of Cd decreased plant growth. The addition of Cd had no significant effect on either mycorrhizal colonization or the amount of extra-radical mycelia that was produced by the AMF. Cd accumulated mainly in roots; only 22% of the total Cd absorbed was translocated to the shoots, where it accumulated to an average of 228 mg Cd kg(-1). Although the shoot-to-root ratio of Cd was similar in both the AMF inoculated and non-inoculated plants, the total absorbed Cd was 23% higher in mycorrhizal plants. Cd concentration in AMF extra-radical mycelium was 728 microg g(-1) dry weight. Despite the greater absorption of Cd, mycorrhizal plants showed higher photosynthetic pigment concentrations and shoot P contents. Cd also influenced mineral nutrition, leading to decreased Ca and Cu shoot concentrations; N, Fe and Cu shoot contents; and increased S and K shoot concentrations. Cd induced guaiacol peroxidase activity in roots in both mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants, but this increase was much more accentuated in non-mycorrhizal roots. In conclusion, sunflower plants associated with G. intraradices were less sensitive to Cd stress than non-mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal sunflowers showed enhanced Cd accumulation and some tolerance to excessive Cd concentrations in plant tissues.

Potential for phytoextraction of copper, lead, and zinc by rice (Oryza sativa L.), soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), and maize (Zea mays L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Murakami, Masaharu; Ae, Noriharu

2009-03-15

Phytoextraction by hyperaccumulators has been proposed for decreasing toxic-metal concentrations of contaminated soils. However, hyperaccumulators have several shortcomings to introduce these species into Asian Monsoon's agricultural fields contaminated with low to moderate toxic-metals. To evaluate the phytoextraction potential, maize (Gold Dent), soybean (Enrei and Suzuyutaka), and rice (Nipponbare and Milyang 23) were pot-grown under aerobic soil conditions for 60d on the Andosol or Fluvisol with low to moderate copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) contamination. After 2 months cultivation, the Gold Dent maize and Milyang 23 rice shoots took up 20.2-29.5% and 18.5-20.2% of the 0.1molL(-1) HCl-extractable Cu, 10.0-37.3% and 8.5-34.3% of the DTPA-extractable Cu, and 2.4-6.5% and 2.1-5.9% of the total Cu, respectively, in the two soils. Suzuyutaka soybean shoot took up 23.0-29.4% of the 0.1molL(-1) HCl-extractable Zn, 35.1-52.6% of the DTPA-extractable Zn, and 3.8-5.3% of the total Zn in the two soils. Therefore, there is a great potential for Cu phytoextraction by the Gold Dent maize and the Milyang 23 rice and for Zn phytoextraction by the Suzuyutaka soybean from paddy soils with low to moderate contamination under aerobic soil conditions.

Experts Appear to Use Angle of Elevation Information in Basketball Shooting

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Rita Ferraz; Oudejans, Raoul R. D.; Beek, Peter J.

2009-01-01

For successful basketball shooting, players must use information about the location of the basket relative to themselves. In this study, the authors examined to what extent shooting performance depends on the absolute distance to the basket ("m") and the angle of elevation (alpha). In Experiment 1, expert players took jump shots under different…

Inheritance of Resistance to Sorghum Shoot Fly, Atherigona soccata in Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L. Moench

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammed eRiyazaddin

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Host plant resistance is one of the major components to control sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona soccata. To understand the nature of gene action for inheritance of shoot fly resistance, we evaluated 10 parents, 45 F1’s and their reciprocals in replicated trials during the rainy and postrainy seasons. Genotypes ICSV 700, Phule Anuradha, ICSV 25019, PS 35805, IS 2123, IS 2146 and IS 18551 exhibited resistance to shoot fly damage across seasons. Crosses between susceptible parents were preferred for egg laying by the shoot fly females, resulting in a susceptible reaction. ICSV 700, ICSV 25019, PS 35805, IS 2123, IS 2146 and IS 18551 exhibited significant and negative general combining ability (gca effects for oviposition, deadheart incidence, and overall resistance score. The plant morphological traits associated with expression of resistance/ susceptibility to shoot fly damage such as leaf glossiness, plant vigor, and leafsheath pigmentation also showed significant gca effects by these genotypes, suggesting the potential for use as a selection criterion to breed for resistance to shoot fly, A. soccata. ICSV 700, Phule Anuradha, IS 2146 and IS 18551 with significant positive gca effects for trichome density can also be utilised in improving sorghums for shoot fly resistance. The parents involved in hybrids with negative specific combining ability (sca effects for shoot fly resistance traits can be used in developing sorghum hybrids with adaptation to postrainy season. The significant reciprocal effects of combining abilities for oviposition, leaf glossy score and trichome density suggested the influence of cytoplasmic factors in inheritance of shoot fly resistance. Higher values of variance due to sca (σ2s, dominance variance (σ2d, and lower predictability ratios than the variance due to gca (σ2g and additive variance (σ2a for shoot fly resistance traits indicated the predominance of dominance type of gene action, whereas trichome density, leaf

performance routines followed by free throw shooting accuracy in secondary basketball players

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Phelps Ashley

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Study aim: The purpose of the current study was to determine whether existing pre-performance routines had an effect on free throw shooting accuracy in high school pupils as compared to shooting without a pre-performance routine.

Shootings Revive Debates on Security

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Nirvi

2013-01-01

By nearly all accounts, the staff and students at Sandy Hook Elementary School did everything right on Dec. 14--and with the security measures they took before that day--when a young man armed with powerful weapons blasted his way into the school. But the deadliest K-12 school shooting in American history, a day that President Barack Obama has…

Energetic exploitation of vine shoot by gasification processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganan, J.; Al-Kassir Abdulla, A. [Dpto. Ingenieria Quimica y Energetica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz (Spain); Cuerda Correa, E.M. [Dpto. Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz (Spain); Macias-Garcia, A. [Dpto. Electronica e Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela de Ingenierias Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas s/n, E-06071 Badajoz (Spain)

2006-10-15

In this study the energy potential generated by the biomass remnants of vine shoot produced in Extremadura (Spain) by a gasification process is evaluated. The raw material was characterised by elemental and proximate analysis, its Higher Heating Value (HHV) being evaluated as well. In order to determine the optimal gasification temperature for the production of gases, the vine shoots were treated at different temperatures, i.e., 650, 700, 750 and 800 {sup o}C in air atmosphere. The optimal temperature (800 {sup o}C) was selected and the vine shoot remnants were gasified in air stream (200 mL min{sup -1}) and for different times (8 and 50 min). The yield of the so-obtained phases was calculated and the study was focused on solid and gaseous phases. The solid phase was characterised by elemental and proximate analysis as well as by HHV. In order to determine their properties as precursors of activated carbons, the adsorption isotherms of N{sub 2} at 77 K were measured. Finally, the electric power that could be obtained by a combustion process in a vapor boiler was calculated. (author)

Shooting method for solution of boundary-layer flows with massive blowing

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, T.-M.; Nachtsheim, P. R.

1973-01-01

A modified, bidirectional shooting method is presented for solving boundary-layer equations under conditions of massive blowing. Unlike the conventional shooting method, which is unstable when the blowing rate increases, the proposed method avoids the unstable direction and is capable of solving complex boundary-layer problems involving mass and energy balance on the surface.

Gum in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L. shoots induced by methyl jasmonate

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Marian Saniewski

2013-12-01

Full Text Available It has been well known that some fungal pathogens (Monilia laxa, M. fructigena, Cytospora cincta, larvae of Grapholita molesta and plant hormone - ethylene, induce gummosis in apricot shoots. Methyl jasmonate (JA-Me was also found to induce gummosis in apricot shoots as well as biotic and abiotic factors mentioned above. In order to know the mode of action of JA-Me on gum induction and/or formation, chemical composition of polysaccharides (after hydrolysis in gums of apricot shoots induced by JA-Me compared with those by ethephon and their mixture, and naturally occurring ones was studied, resulted in the succesful identification of monosaccharides, and the similarity of a composition consisting of xylose, arabinose and galactose at molar ratio 1:10:14, respectively. These results suggest that beside different inducers of gum in apricot the mechanism of polysaccharides biosynthesis of gums is the same or similar. The physiological role for JA-Me on gum induction and/or formation in apricot shoots, and other species are also discussed.

Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling root and shoot traits associated with drought tolerance in a lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. recombinant inbred line population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Idrissi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting lentil productivity in rainfed production systems. Specific rooting patterns can be associated with drought avoidance mechanisms that can be used in lentil breeding programs. In all, 252 co-dominant and dominant markers were used for Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL analysis on 132 lentil recombinant inbred lines based on greenhouse experiments for root and shoot traits during two seasons under progressive drought-stressed conditions. Eighteen QTLs controlling a total of 14 root and shoot traits were identified. A QTL-hotspot genomic region related to a number of root and shoot characteristics associated with drought tolerance such as dry root biomass, root surface area, lateral root number, dry shoot biomass and shoot length was identified. Interestingly, a QTL related to root-shoot ratio, an important trait for drought avoidance, explaining the highest phenotypic variance of 27.6 % and 28.9 % for the two consecutive seasons, respectively, was detected. This QTL was closed to the co-dominant SNP marker TP6337 and also flanked by the two SNP TP518 and TP1280. An important QTL related to lateral root number was found close to TP3371 and flanked by TP5093 and TP6072 SNP markers. Also, a QTL associated with specific root length was identified close to TP1873 and flanked by F7XEM6b SRAP marker and TP1035 SNP marker. These two QTLs were detected in both seasons. Our results could be used for marker-assisted selection in lentil breeding programs targeting root and shoot characteristics conferring drought avoidance as an efficient alternative to slow and labour-intensive conventional breeding methods.

Training, Drills Pivotal in Mounting Response to Orlando Shooting.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Eric; Bullard, Timothy

2016-08-01

Emergency providers at Orlando Regional Medical Center in Orlando. FL, faced multiple challenges in responding to the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. As the scene of the shooting was only three blocks away from the hospital, there was little time to prepare when notified that victims would begin arriving shortly after 2 a.m. on June 12. Also, fears of a gunman near the hospital briefly put the ED on lock down. However, using the incident command system, the hospital was able to mobilize quickly, receiving 44 patients, nine of whom died shortly after arrival. Administrators note that recent training exercises geared toward a mass shooting event facilitated the response and probably saved lives. Patients arrived at the hospital in two waves, with the initial surge occurring right after the hooting took place around 2 a.m., and the second surge occurring about three hours later. At one point, more than 90 patients were in the ED, more than half for reasons unrelated to the shooting. Clinicians contended with a much higher than usual noise level while treating patients, making it hard to hear reports from EMS personnel. Also, treatment had to commence prior to identification for some patients who arrived unconscious or unable to speak. While surgeons and other key specialists were called into the hospital to address identified needs, administrators actually called hospital personnel to tell them not to come in unless they were notified. This prevented added management hurdles.

Risk factors associated with interdog aggression and shooting phobias among purebred dogs in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rugbjerg, Helene; Proschowsky, Helle Friis; Ersbøll, Annette Kjær

2003-01-01

The prevalence of behaviour problems is reported from a questionnaire study among members of the Danish Kennel Club (DKC). In total, 4359 dog owners were included in the analyses. With logistic regression, we analysed four behaviour problems: dominance towards the owner, interdog dominance...... aggression, separation anxiety and shooting phobia. Compared to Labrador Retrievers, the following breeds and breed groups had higher odds of being reported to have interdog dominance aggression: Belgian Sheepdogs, Dachshunds, Dalmatians, German, Shepherds, Hovawarts, Pinschers, Rottweilers, Scent dogs...

Characterization of somatic embryogenesis initiated from the Arabidopsis shoot apex.

Science.gov (United States)

Kadokura, Satoshi; Sugimoto, Kaoru; Tarr, Paul; Suzuki, Takamasa; Matsunaga, Sachihiro

2018-04-28

Somatic embryogenesis is one of the best examples of the remarkable developmental plasticity of plants, in which committed somatic cells can dedifferentiate and acquire the ability to form an embryo and regenerate an entire plant. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the shoot apices of young seedlings have been reported as an alternative tissue source for somatic embryos (SEs) besides the widely studied zygotic embryos taken from siliques. Although SE induction from shoots demonstrates the plasticity of plants more clearly than the embryo-to-embryo induction system, the underlying developmental and molecular mechanisms involved are unknown. Here we characterized SE formation from shoot apex explants by establishing a system for time-lapse observation of explants during SE induction. We also established a method to distinguish SE-forming and non-SE-forming explants prior to anatomical SE formation, enabling us to identify distinct transcriptome profiles of these two explants at SE initiation. We show that embryonic fate commitment takes place at day 3 of SE induction and the SE arises directly, not through callus formation, from the base of leaf primordia just beside the shoot apical meristem (SAM), where auxin accumulates and shoot-root polarity is formed. The expression domain of a couple of key developmental genes for the SAM transiently expands at this stage. Our data demonstrate that SE-forming and non-SE-forming explants share mostly the same transcripts except for a limited number of embryonic genes and root genes that might trigger the SE-initiation program. Thus, SE-forming explants possess a mixed identity (SAM, root and embryo) at the time of SE specification. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Branch age and light conditions determine leaf-area-specific conductivity in current shoots of Scots pine.

Science.gov (United States)

Grönlund, Leila; Hölttä, Teemu; Mäkelä, Annikki

2016-08-01

Shoot size and other shoot properties more or less follow the availability of light, but there is also evidence that the topological position in a tree crown has an influence on shoot development. Whether the hydraulic properties of new shoots are more regulated by the light or the position affects the shoot acclimation to changing light conditions and thereby to changing evaporative demand. We investigated the leaf-area-specific conductivity (and its components sapwood-specific conductivity and Huber value) of the current-year shoots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in relation to light environment and topological position in three different tree classes. The light environment was quantified in terms of simulated transpiration and the topological position was quantified by parent branch age. Sample shoot measurements included length, basal and tip diameter, hydraulic conductivity of the shoot, tracheid area and density, and specific leaf area. In our results, the leaf-area-specific conductivity of new shoots declined with parent branch age and increased with simulated transpiration rate of the shoot. The relation to transpiration demand seemed more decisive, since it gave higher R(2) values than branch age and explained the differences between the tree classes. The trend of leaf-area-specific conductivity with simulated transpiration was closely related to Huber value, whereas the trend of leaf-area-specific conductivity with parent branch age was related to a similar trend in sapwood-specific conductivity. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Differences in proleptic and epicormic shoot structures in relation to water deficit and growth rate in almond trees (Prunus dulcis).

Science.gov (United States)

Negrón, Claudia; Contador, Loreto; Lampinen, Bruce D; Metcalf, Samuel G; Guédon, Yann; Costes, Evelyne; DeJong, Theodore M

2014-02-01

Shoot characteristics differ depending on the meristem tissue that they originate from and environmental conditions during their development. This study focused on the effects of plant water status on axillary meristem fate and flowering patterns along proleptic and epicormic shoots, as well as on shoot growth rates on 'Nonpareil' almond trees (Prunus dulcis). The aims were (1) to characterize the structural differences between proleptic and epicormic shoots, (2) to determine whether water deficits modify shoot structures differently depending on shoot type, and (3) to determine whether shoot structures are related to shoot growth rates. A hidden semi-Markov model of the axillary meristem fate and number of flower buds per node was built for two shoot types growing on trees exposed to three plant water status treatments. The models segmented observed shoots into successive homogeneous zones, which were compared between treatments. Shoot growth rates were calculated from shoot extension measurements made during the growing season. Proleptic shoots had seven successive homogeneous zones while epicormic shoots had five zones. Shoot structures were associated with changes in growth rate over the season. Water deficit (1) affected the occurrence and lengths of the first zones of proleptic shoots, but only the occurrence of the third zone was reduced in epicormic shoots; (2) had a minor effect on zone flowering patterns and did not modify shoot or zone composition of axillary meristem fates; and (3) reduced growth rates, although patterns over the season were similar among treatments. Two meristem types, with different latency durations, produced shoots with different growth rates and distinct structures. Differences between shoot type structure responses to water deficit appeared to reflect their ontogenetic characteristics and/or resource availability for their development. Tree water deficit appeared to stimulate a more rapid progression through ontogenetic states.

Microstructure and Mechanical Characterization of a Dissimilar Friction-Stir-Welded CuCrZr/CuNiCrSi Butt Joint

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youqing Sun

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Dissimilar CuNiCrSi and CuCrZr butt joints were successfully frictionstirwelded at constant welding speed of 150 mm/min and rotational speed of 1400 rpm with the CuCrZr alloy or the CuNiCrSi alloy located on the advancing side (AS. The microstructure and mechanical properties of joints were investigated. When the CuCrZr alloy was located on the AS, the area of retreating material in the nugget zone was a little bigger. The Cr solute-rich particles were found in the nugget zone on CuCrZr side (CuCrZr-NZ while a larger density of solute-rich particles identified as the concentration of Cr and Si element was found in the nugget zone on CuNiCrSi side (CuNiCrSi-NZ. The Cr precipitates and δ-Ni2Si precipitates were found in the base metal on CuNiCrSi side (CuNiCrSi-BM but only Cr precipitates can be observed in the base metal on CuCrZr side (CuCrZr-BM. Precipitates were totally dissolved into Cu matrix in both CuCrZr-NZ and CuNiCrSi-NZ, which led to a sharp decrease in both micro-hardness and tensile strength from BM to NZ. When the CuNiCrSi was located on the AS, the tensile testing results showed the fracture occurred at the CuCrZr-NZ, while the fracture was found at the mixed zone of CuNiCrSi-NZ and CuCrZr-NZ for the other case.

Chelator induced phytoextraction and in situ soil washing of Cu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kos, Bostjan; Lestan, Domen

2004-01-01

In a soil column experiment, we investigated the effect of 5 mmol kg -1 soil addition of citric acid, ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA), diethylenetriamine-pentaacetate (DTPA) and [S,S]-stereoisomer of ethylenediamine-disuccinate (EDDS) on phytoextraction of Cu from a vineyard soil with 162.6 mg kg -1 Cu, into the test plant Brassica rapa var. pekinensis. We also examined the use of a horizontal permeable barrier, composed of layers of nutrient enriched sawdust and apatite, for reduction of chelator induced Cu leaching. The addition of all chelators, except citric acid, enhanced Cu mobility and caused leaching of 19.5-23% of initial total Cu from the soil column. However, Cu plant uptake did not increase accordingly; the most effective was the EDDS treatment, in which plant Cu concentration reached 37.8±1.3 mg kg -1 Cu and increased by 3.3-times over the control treatment. The addition of none of the chelators in the concentration range from 5 to 15 mmol kg -1 exerted any toxic effect on respiratory soil microorganisms. When EDDS was applied into the columns with horizontal permeable barriers, only 0.53±0.32% of the initial total Cu was leached. Cu (36.7%) was washed from the 18 cm soil layer above the barrier and accumulated in the barrier. Our results indicate that rather than for a reduction of Cu leaching during rather ineffective chelate induced Cu phytoextraction, horizontal permeable barriers could be more effective in a new remediation technique of controlled in situ soil washing of Cu with biodegradable chelates

Pre-hospital management of mass casualty civilian shootings: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Conor D A; Lockey, David J; Rehn, Marius

2016-11-08

Mass casualty civilian shootings present an uncommon but recurring challenge to emergency services around the world and produce unique management demands. On the background of a rising threat of transnational terrorism worldwide, emergency response strategies are of critical importance. This study aims to systematically identify, describe and appraise the quality of indexed and non-indexed literature on the pre-hospital management of modern civilian mass shootings to guide future practice. Systematic literature searches of PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Scopus were conducted in conjunction with simple searches of non-indexed databases; Web of Science, OpenDOAR and Evidence Search. The searches were last carried out on 20 April 2016 and only identified those papers published after the 1 January 1980. Included documents had to contain descriptions, discussions or experiences of the pre-hospital management of civilian mass shootings. From the 494 identified manuscripts, 73 were selected on abstract and title and after full text reading 47 were selected for inclusion in analysis. The search yielded reports of 17 mass shooting events, the majority from the USA with additions from France, Norway, the UK and Kenya. Between 1994 and 2015 the shooting of 1649 people with 578 deaths at 17 separate events are described. Quality appraisal demonstrated considerable heterogeneity in reporting and revealed limited data on mass shootings globally. Key themes were identified to improve future practice: tactical emergency medical support may harmonise inner cordon interventions, a need for inter-service education on effective haemorrhage control, the value of senior triage operators and the need for regular mass casualty incident simulation.

Studies on the tissue culture of Stevia rebaudiana and its components; (II). Induction of shoot primordia.

Science.gov (United States)

Miyagawa, H; Fujioka, N; Kohda, H; Yamasaki, K; Taniguchi, K; Tanaka, R

1986-08-01

Shoot primordia, which were able to propagate vegetatively with a very high rate and to redifferentiate easily to new plants, were induced from shoot tips of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni on Gamborg B5 medium containing 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) under light. The propagation of the shoot primordia of Stevia rebaudiana is rapid, and they are highly stable in chromosome number and karyotype. The shoot primordia can propagate at a high rate for a long time without differentiation. At any time, the shoot primordia readily developed into plantlets with shoots and roots within 2 or 3 weeks in static culture on B5 medium containing 0.02 mg/l BAP and 2% sucrose. The plantlets were transplanted to sterilized soil to grow to normal adult plants.

Reality-based practice under pressure improves handgun shooting performance of police officers.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oudejans, R.R.D.

2008-01-01

The current study examined whether reality-based practice under pressure may help in preventing degradation of handgun shooting performance under pressure for police officers. Using a pre-post-test design, one group of nine police officers practised handgun shooting under pressure evoked by an

The FANTASTIC FOUR proteins influence shoot meristem size in Arabidopsis thaliana

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brand Luise H

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Throughout their lives plants produce new organs from groups of pluripotent cells called meristems, located at the tips of the shoot and the root. The size of the shoot meristem is tightly controlled by a feedback loop, which involves the homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS and the CLAVATA (CLV proteins. This regulatory circuit is further fine-tuned by morphogenic signals such as hormones and sugars. Results Here we show that a family of four plant-specific proteins, encoded by the FANTASTIC FOUR (FAF genes, has the potential to regulate shoot meristem size in Arabidopsis thaliana. FAF2 and FAF4 are expressed in the centre of the shoot meristem, overlapping with the site of WUS expression. Consistent with a regulatory interaction between the FAF gene family and WUS, our experiments indicate that the FAFs can repress WUS, which ultimately leads to an arrest of meristem activity in FAF overexpressing lines. The finding that meristematic expression of FAF2 and FAF4 is under negative control by CLV3 further supports the hypothesis that the FAFs are modulators of the genetic circuit that regulates the meristem. Conclusion This study reports the initial characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana FAF gene family. Our data indicate that the FAF genes form a plant specific gene family, the members of which have the potential to regulate the size of the shoot meristem by modulating the CLV3-WUS feedback loop.

The FANTASTIC FOUR proteins influence shoot meristem size in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Science.gov (United States)

Wahl, Vanessa; Brand, Luise H; Guo, Ya-Long; Schmid, Markus

2010-12-22

Throughout their lives plants produce new organs from groups of pluripotent cells called meristems, located at the tips of the shoot and the root. The size of the shoot meristem is tightly controlled by a feedback loop, which involves the homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) and the CLAVATA (CLV) proteins. This regulatory circuit is further fine-tuned by morphogenic signals such as hormones and sugars. Here we show that a family of four plant-specific proteins, encoded by the FANTASTIC FOUR (FAF) genes, has the potential to regulate shoot meristem size in Arabidopsis thaliana. FAF2 and FAF4 are expressed in the centre of the shoot meristem, overlapping with the site of WUS expression. Consistent with a regulatory interaction between the FAF gene family and WUS, our experiments indicate that the FAFs can repress WUS, which ultimately leads to an arrest of meristem activity in FAF overexpressing lines. The finding that meristematic expression of FAF2 and FAF4 is under negative control by CLV3 further supports the hypothesis that the FAFs are modulators of the genetic circuit that regulates the meristem. This study reports the initial characterization of the Arabidopsis thaliana FAF gene family. Our data indicate that the FAF genes form a plant specific gene family, the members of which have the potential to regulate the size of the shoot meristem by modulating the CLV3-WUS feedback loop.

Gibberellin Promotes Shoot Branching in the Perennial Woody Plant Jatropha curcas.

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Jun; Gao, Congcong; Chen, Mao-Sheng; Pan, Bang-Zhen; Ye, Kaiqin; Xu, Zeng-Fu

2015-08-01

Strigolactone (SL), auxin and cytokinin (CK) interact to regulate shoot branching. CK has long been considered to be the only key phytohormone to promote lateral bud outgrowth. Here we report that gibberellin also acts as a positive regulator in the control of shoot branching in the woody plant Jatropha curcas. We show that gibberellin and CK synergistically promote lateral bud outgrowth, and that both hormones influence the expression of putative branching regulators, J. curcas BRANCHED1 and BRANCHED2, which are key transcription factors maintaining bud dormancy. Moreover, treatment with paclobutrazol, an inhibitor of de novo gibberellin biosynthesis, significantly reduced the promotion of bud outgrowth by CK, suggesting that gibberellin is required for CK-mediated axillary bud outgrowth. In addition, SL, a plant hormone involved in the repression of shoot branching, acted antagonistically to both gibberellin and CK in the control of lateral bud outgrowth. Consistent with this, the expression of JcMAX2, a J. curcas homolog of Arabidopsis MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 2 encoding an F-box protein in the SL signaling pathway, was repressed by gibberellin and CK treatment. We also provide physiological evidence that gibberellin also induces shoot branching in many other trees, such as papaya, indicating that a more complicated regulatory network occurs in the control of shoot branching in some perennial woody plants. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.

Heat transfer enhancement of automobile radiator using H2O–CuO nanofluid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sabeel Khan

2017-04-01

Full Text Available In this article, we study heat transfer enhancement of water based nanofluids with application to automotive radiators. In this respect, we consider here three types of different nanoparticles viz. copper oxide (CuO, Titanium dioxide (TiO2 and Aluminum oxide (Al2O3. The dynamics of the flow in a radiator is governed by set of partial differential equations (PDEs along with boundary conditions which are formulated. Suitable similarity transformations are utilized to convert the PDEs into their respective system of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs. The boundary value problem is solved using Shooting method embedded with Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg (RK-5 numerical scheme. Effects of different physical parameters are studied on profiles of velocity and temperature fields at boundary. In addition, influence of nanoparticle concentration factor on the local coefficient of skin-friction and Nusselt number is analyzed. We conclude that water based nanofluids with copper oxide nano-particles have a much higher heat transfer rate than the Al2O3-water and TiO2-water nanofluids. Moreover, larger the concentration of the CuO nanoparticles in the base fluid higher is the heat transfer rate of CuO-water nanofluid.

Adaptive L1/2 Shooting Regularization Method for Survival Analysis Using Gene Expression Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Ying Liu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available A new adaptive L1/2 shooting regularization method for variable selection based on the Cox’s proportional hazards mode being proposed. This adaptive L1/2 shooting algorithm can be easily obtained by the optimization of a reweighed iterative series of L1 penalties and a shooting strategy of L1/2 penalty. Simulation results based on high dimensional artificial data show that the adaptive L1/2 shooting regularization method can be more accurate for variable selection than Lasso and adaptive Lasso methods. The results from real gene expression dataset (DLBCL also indicate that the L1/2 regularization method performs competitively.

Framing Mass Shootings: Fictional Depictions of Real-life Gun Massacres in American Cinema

OpenAIRE

Tryggeseid, Ane Johannessen

2017-01-01

This thesis examines the concept of real-life mass shootings and its depiction in American fictional cinema. The issue of mass shootings is a highly controversial subject of discussion, both within the public and political sphere, as it necessarily touches upon rigid perceptions of civil liberties – specifically those of the Second Amendment – which further permeates the field of fictional cinema. As opposed to assessing the issue of mass shootings as a product of a prevailing culture of guns...

Zinc oxide nanoparticle exposure triggers different gene expression patterns in maize shoots and roots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xun, Hongwei; Ma, Xintong; Chen, Jing; Yang, Zhongzhou; Liu, Bao; Gao, Xiang; Li, Guo; Yu, Jiamiao; Wang, Li; Pang, Jinsong

2017-01-01

The potential impacts of environmentally accumulated zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnOs) on plant growth have not been well studied. A transcriptome profile analysis of maize exposed to nZnOs showed that the genes in the shoots and roots responded differently. Although the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the roots was greater than that in the shoots, the number of up- or down-regulated genes in both the shoots and roots was similar. The enrichment of gene ontology (GO) terms was also significantly different in the shoots and roots. The “nitrogen compound metabolism” and “cellular component” terms were specifically and highly up-regulated in the nZnO-exposed roots, whereas the categories “cellular metabolic process”, “primary metabolic process” and “secondary metabolic process” were down-regulated in the exposed roots only. Our results revealed the DEG response patterns in maize shoots and roots after nZnO exposure. - Highlights: • The gene expression patterns of maize exposed to ZnO nanoparticles (nZnO) varied in the shoots and roots. • A majority of the differentially expressed genes induced by nZnO exposure were exclusive to either the shoots or roots. • A similar number of up- and down-regulated genes was observed in the exposed shoots. • More up-regulated than down-regulated genes were found in the exposed roots. • A greater number of GO processes were observed in the nZnO exposed maize roots than in the exposed shoots. • GO terms in the “nitrogen compound metabolic process” category were exclusively and highly expressed in the exposed roots. • GO terms in the “nutrient reservoir” category were exclusively and highly expressed in the exposed roots. • Term “small molecule metabolic process” was also exclusively up-regulated in the exposed roots. • Processes in “cellular metabolic”, “primary metabolic” and “secondary metabolic” were down-regulated in the exposed roots.

The relative influence of electrokinetic remediation design on the removal of As, Cu, Pb and Sb from shooting range soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Kristine B.; Jensen, Pernille Erland; Ottosen, Lisbeth M.

2018-01-01

to simultaneously optimise the removal by applying a stirred set-up, placement of the anode directly in the soil suspension, sieving the soil (analysis is a valuable tool for evaluating remediation measures depending soil...... and analysis was applied for assessing the efficiency of electrodialytic remediation treatment and variable importance varied for each of the studied metals. In general, applying a stirred set-up improved the metal removal, acidification time and reduced the energy consumption. The placement of the anode...... directly in the soil did not significantly influence the removal of Al, Mg, Mn, As and Pb, while moderately influencing the removal of Cu. Multivariate analysis (projections onto latent structures) revealed similar variable importance and optimal settings for removal of Cu and Pb. It is hence possible...

Conservation and multiplication of encapsulated micro shoots of Rauvolfia vomitoria--an endangered medicinal tree: ISSR and RAPD based evaluation of genetic fidelity of converted plantlets.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehrotra, Shakti; Rahman, Liaq Ur; Mishra, Jahnvi; Kukreja, Arun K

2012-12-01

The in vitro grown axillary micro shoots of Rauvolfia vomitoria were encapsulated in alginate beads. Following 6 months of normal storage at 25 +/- 2 degrees C the regrowth of encapsulated micro shoots, reached 95.2% within 40 days of incubation on MS medium containing 1.0 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L NAA. Among the responding encapsulated explants 69.6% showed emergence of multiple shoots. The developing shoots showed rhizogenesis in two weeks following their transfer to rooting medium. Healthy plants were established in a glass house with 95% survival. Of the 50 RAPD primers tested, 10 produced 23 clear and reproducible amplicons, with an average of 2.3 bands per primer. Eleven ISSR primers produced a total of 42 bands, with a size range of 0.1-1.9 kb. The number of scorable bands for each primer varied from 2 to 6, with an average of 3.81. The similarity matrix, calculated individually from the results obtained from ISSR and RAPD analysis, showed similarity coefficients ranging from 1.0 for RAPD and 0.85 to 1.0 for ISSR.

Effects of gamma irradiation on the shoot length of Cicer seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toker, Cengiz; Uzun, Bulent; Canci, Huseyin; Oncu Ceylan, F.

2005-01-01

The effects of radiation on the shoot and root lengths of germinated seedling of irradiated seeds of Cicer species, i.e. three kabuli types and four desi types of cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum Ladiz.) and 2 annual wild types (C. reticulatum Ladiz. and C. bijugum K.H. Rech.) were investigated. The seeds were irradiated with a 60 Co gamma source using 0, 200, 300 and 400 Gy doses at 1.66 kGy h -1 . At 200 Gy minor effects could be observed, but at 400 Gy an obvious depression of shoot length was observed. The kabuli types were more affected than the desi ones. The critical dose that prevented the shoot and root elongation varied among species and also ranged from genotypes to genotype within species

Cell lineage patterns in the shoot meristem of the sunflower embryo in the dry seed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jegla, D.E.; Sussex, I.M.

1989-01-01

We mapped the fate of cells in the shoot meristem of the dry-seed embryo of sunflower, Helianthus annuus L. cv. Peredovic, using irradiation-induced somatic sectors. We analyzed 249 chlorophyll-deficient or glabrous (hairless) sectors generated in 236 plants. Most sectors observed in the inflorescence extended into vegetative nodes. Thus cell lineages that ultimately gave rise to reproductive structures also contributed to vegetative structures. No single sector extended the entire length of the shoot. Thus the shoot is not derived from one or a few apical initials. Rather, the position, vertical extent, and width of the sectors at different levels of the shoot suggest that the shoot is derived from three to four circumferential populations of cells in each of three cell layers of the embryo meristem. Sectors had no common boundaries even in plants with two or three independent sectors, but varied in extent and overlapped along the length of the shoot. Thus individual cells in a single circumferential population behaved independently to contribute lineages of different vertical extents to the growing shoot. The predicted number of circumferential populations of cells as well as the apparent cell number in each population was consistent with the actual number of cells in the embryo meristem observed in histological sections

Micropropagation of chokeberry by in vitro axillary shoot proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Litwińczuk, Wojciech

2013-01-01

The black chokeberry-aronia (Aronia melanocarpa Elliot) is a shrub native to North America although nowadays well known in Eastern Europe. The fruits are regarded as the richest source of antioxidant phytonutrients among fruit crops and vegetables. Chokeberries can be easily propagated by seeds but this method is not recommended. Micropropagation is far more efficient than other conventional cloning methods like layering or softwood cuttings. Aronia clones are propagated in vitro through four- or three-stage method based on subculturing of shoot explants. The double diluted MS or full strength MS medium with elevated 50% Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) content are used in the initiation and proliferation chokeberry in vitro cultures, respectively. They are supplemented with 0.5-1.0 mg LBA, and 0.05 mg LIBA. The double-phase medium is recommended in the last passage before shoot rooting. The regenerated shoots could be rooted both in vitro on double diluted MS with 0.05 mg L(-1) IBA or in vivo in peat and perlite substrate and subsequently grown in the greenhouse.

DETECTING LASER SPOT IN SHOOTING SIMULATOR USING AN EMBEDDED CAMERA

OpenAIRE

Soetedjo, Aryuanto; Mahmudi, Ali; Ibrahim Ashari, M.; Ismail Nakhoda, Yusuf

2017-01-01

This paper presents the application of an embedded camera system for detecting laser spot in the shooting simulator. The proposed shooting simulator uses a specific target box, where the circular pattern target is mounted. The embedded camera is installed inside the box to capture the circular pattern target and laser spot image. To localize the circular pattern automatically, two colored solid circles are painted on the target. This technique allows the simple and fast color tracking to trac...

Distribution of radiocesium in bamboo leaves, roots and shoots. Application of an imaging plate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minowa, Haruka; Ogata, Yoshimune; Satou, Yukihiko

2012-01-01

When radiocesium is taken into a wild plant accidentally, it will circulate for a certain period of time. Bamboo is that in some cases relative high concentration of radiocesium have been reported. Radiocesium is considered to be concentrated in bamboo shoot by translocation in plants from bamboo leaves or roots. In this study, to investigate the behavior of radiocesium, shoots, roots, branches and leaves of bamboo (Phyllostadhys edulis) were collected at Yamakiya area, Kawamata-machi, Date-gun, Fukushima Prefecture. Radiation image analysis was conducted using an imaging plate BAS 2040 (Fujifilm) and an image analyzer Typhoon FLA7000 (GE Healthcare Japan Corp.). The content of radiocesium was about 500 Bq for "1"3"4Cs and 700 Bq for "1"3"7Cs per the bamboo shoot (500 g approximately). In the edible parts of bamboo shoots, the skin of bamboo shoots and leaves of newly-grown, radiocesium uptake was in high concentration, especially at the tip. (author)

Zinc oxide nanoparticle exposure triggers different gene expression patterns in maize shoots and roots.

Science.gov (United States)

Xun, Hongwei; Ma, Xintong; Chen, Jing; Yang, Zhongzhou; Liu, Bao; Gao, Xiang; Li, Guo; Yu, Jiamiao; Wang, Li; Pang, Jinsong

2017-10-01

The potential impacts of environmentally accumulated zinc oxide nanoparticles (nZnOs) on plant growth have not been well studied. A transcriptome profile analysis of maize exposed to nZnOs showed that the genes in the shoots and roots responded differently. Although the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the roots was greater than that in the shoots, the number of up- or down-regulated genes in both the shoots and roots was similar. The enrichment of gene ontology (GO) terms was also significantly different in the shoots and roots. The "nitrogen compound metabolism" and "cellular component" terms were specifically and highly up-regulated in the nZnO-exposed roots, whereas the categories "cellular metabolic process", "primary metabolic process" and "secondary metabolic process" were down-regulated in the exposed roots only. Our results revealed the DEG response patterns in maize shoots and roots after nZnO exposure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micropropagation of Vaccinium sp. by in vitro axillary shoot proliferation.

Science.gov (United States)

Litwińczuk, Wojciech

2013-01-01

The Vaccinium genus contains several valuable fruit and ornamental species, among others: highbush blueberry (Vaccinium × corymbosum L.), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.), and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.). In some most popular and valuable cultivars, the conventional propagation methods, exploiting hard or soft wood cuttings, are inefficient. The demand for nursery plants could be fulfilled only by micropropagation. In principle cultivars are propagated in vitro through similar three-stage method, based on subculture of shoot explants on different culture media supplemented with IAA (0-4 mg/L) and 2iP (5-10 mg/L), and rooting shoots in vivo. The obtained plantlets are transferred to peat substrate and grown in the glasshouse until the end of growing period. The development of adventitious shoots should be monitored and controlled during in vitro stages. Many clones have specific requirements for growing conditions and/or are recalcitrant.

THE EFFICIENCY OF SHOOT AND PLANTLET FORMATION OF Cephaelis ipecacuanha AFTER THREE SUBCULTURES IN VITRO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osmar Alves Lameira

1994-12-01

Full Text Available Multiple adventitious shoot formed from internodal segments of Cephaelis ipecacuanha cultured 25 days on Gamborg basal medium (GAMBORG et al., 1968 supplemented with 6.66mM 6-benzylaminopurine there was a maximum of nine shoots per segment and an average of five shoots per segment formed. The presence of gibberellic acid in the subculture media promoted shoot elongation in all treatments. The shoots attained 3cm in height and rooting of 100% after 35 days of culturing upon Murashige and Skoog's basal medium (MS, added with 4.92mM indole-3-butyric acid, 0.87m gibberellic acid and 0.1% activated charcoal. Further growth was accelerated after the transfer to 1/2 MS without growth regulators. Rooted plantlets transferred to potting soil could be successfully established.

50 CFR 20.106 - Seasons, limits, and shooting hours for sandhill cranes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... sandhill cranes. 20.106 Section 20.106 Wildlife and Fisheries UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE..., and Shooting Hours Schedules § 20.106 Seasons, limits, and shooting hours for sandhill cranes. This section provides for the annual hunting of sandhill cranes in designated portions of the 48 contiguous...

What Can Be Done about School Shootings? A Review of the Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Borum, Randy; Cornell, Dewey G.; Modzeleski, William; Jimerson, Shane R.

2010-01-01

School shootings have generated great public concern and fostered a widespread impression that schools are unsafe for many students; this article counters those misapprehensions by examining empirical evidence of school and community violence trends and reviewing evidence on best practices for preventing school shootings. Many of the school safety…

Multiple Shooting and Time Domain Decomposition Methods

CERN Document Server

Geiger, Michael; Körkel, Stefan; Rannacher, Rolf

2015-01-01

This book offers a comprehensive collection of the most advanced numerical techniques for the efficient and effective solution of simulation and optimization problems governed by systems of time-dependent differential equations. The contributions present various approaches to time domain decomposition, focusing on multiple shooting and parareal algorithms.  The range of topics covers theoretical analysis of the methods, as well as their algorithmic formulation and guidelines for practical implementation. Selected examples show that the discussed approaches are mandatory for the solution of challenging practical problems. The practicability and efficiency of the presented methods is illustrated by several case studies from fluid dynamics, data compression, image processing and computational biology, giving rise to possible new research topics.  This volume, resulting from the workshop Multiple Shooting and Time Domain Decomposition Methods, held in Heidelberg in May 2013, will be of great interest to applied...

Potential for Phytoextraction of Cu by Sesamum indicum L. and Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.: A Green Solution to Decontaminate Soil

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Hira; Arain, Basir Ahmed; Abbasi, Muhammad Sadiq; Jahangir, Taj Muhammad; Amin, Farah

2018-05-01

Phytoextraction is a plant based-technique for removing toxic heavy metals from polluted soil. The experiment reported in this paper was undertaken to study the basic Cu phytoextraction potential of Sesamum indicum in comparison with Cyamopsis tetragonoloba for remediation of Cu contaminated soil in the framework of a pot-experiment. Plants were subjected to seven Cu concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 300 mg kg-1 soil) for 12 weeks. The morphological (i.e. growth) and biochemical (i.e. chlorophyll) parameters of both the plant species were observed throughout the experimental period; the phytoextraction efficiency of S. indicum and C. tetragonoloba were also determined. Most growth parameters were reduced under high Cu stress. Our results shows that at low concentration (25 mg Cu kg-1) all the growth and biochemical parameters were increased but at elevated Cu concentrations, root length, shoot length, and biomass (fresh and dry) were all significantly decreased ( p soil was noted for all tested treatments. In this study, both plant species showed quite high Cu tolerance and accumulation efficiency, even though C. tetragonoloba have higher Cu accumulation and tolerance indices than that of S . indicum. At 300 mg Cu kg-1, the highest Cu concentration was found in the root (282.08 mg Cu kg-1) followed by leaf (105.78 mg Cu kg-1), stem (65.30 mg Cu kg-1), and pod (8.13 mg Cu kg-1) of S. indicum. In contrast, C. tetragonoloba had highest Cu concentration primarily in the root (158.45 mg Cu kg-1) followed by the stem (154.73 mg Cu kg-1), leaf (152.32 mg Cu kg-1), and pod (8.13 mg Cu kg-1). Considering rapid growth, high biomass, tolerance, accumulation efficiency, bioconcentration factor (BCF) > 1, bioaccumulation coefficient (BAC) > 1 and translocation factor (TF) > 1 established C. tetragonoloba as a potential candidate plant for the decontamination of slightly Cu-polluted soil where the growth of plants would not be impaired and the extraction of Cu could

Grief and Solidarity Reactions 1 Week After an On-Campus Shooting.

Science.gov (United States)

Wayment, Heidi A; Silver, Roxane Cohen

2018-03-01

The impact of interpersonal violence extends beyond the victims and perpetrator(s). The purpose of this research was threefold: (a) to identify whether college students' very early reactions to an on-campus shooting were associated with well-known predictors of distress, (b) to examine whether grief and distress reactions were distinguishable in the early days following a shooting, and (c) to investigate whether a compassionate self-identity was uniquely associated with grief but not distress. Beginning just 3 days after an early morning shooting that killed one student and injured three others, university students ( N = 408) completed an online questionnaire. Grief, but not distress, was associated with a sense of solidarity with other students and a compassionate self-identity. General distress was associated with prior mental health difficulties and exposure to the shooting. Acute stress was positively associated with being female, having prior mental health difficulties, media exposure, perceived similarity to victims, less victim blame, social support, and social strain. Results suggest that grief reactions that arise in the early days following a collective loss may serve as important psychosocial resources in coping with interpersonal violence.

Cumulative Trauma and Adjustment in Women Exposed to a Campus Shooting: Examining the Role of Appraisals and Social Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Boykin, Derrecka M; Dunn, Qweandria T; Orcutt, Holly K

2017-05-01

Experiencing repeated trauma can have increasingly detrimental effects on psychosocial functioning after subsequent stressors. These effects may be intensified for victims of interpersonal traumas given that these events are often associated with heightened risk for adverse outcomes. To better understand this relationship, the present study prospectively examined the effect of pre-shooting trauma exposure (i.e., interpersonal vs. non-interpersonal trauma) on psychological functioning (i.e., posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression) following a mass campus shooting. Based on previous research, it was expected that negative appraisals and social support would mediate this relationship. A sample of 515 college women reporting prior trauma exposure was assessed at four time points following the shooting (i.e., pre-shooting, 1-month, 6-months, and 12-months post-shooting). Bootstrap analyses with bias-corrected confidence intervals were conducted. Contrary to expectation, pre-shooting trauma exposure was unrelated to 12-month post-shooting outcomes and neither negative appraisals nor social support at 6-months post-shooting emerged as mediators. Interestingly, a history of non-interpersonal trauma was associated with greater post-shooting family and friend support than a history of interpersonal trauma. Ad hoc analyses showed that pre-shooting symptom severity and level of exposure to the shooting had indirect effects on post-shooting outcomes via post-shooting negative appraisals. These findings support that cumulative trauma, regardless of type, may not have an additive effect unless individuals develop clinically significant symptoms following previous trauma. Trauma severity also appears to play a meaningful role.

Influence of shoot topping on yield and quality of Vitis vinifera L.

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-10-20

Oct 20, 2008 ... Key words: Vitis vinifera L., shoot topping, yield, quality, canopy management, shoot topping, fruit set, yield components, fruit .... Sensory characteristics were under the interaction effect of year and topping level. Berry weight was influenced separately by the year and topping (Table 2 and 3). Yield per vine ...

Adventitious shoot regeneration from in vitro cultured leaves of guava (Psidium guava L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Óscar Concepción Laffitte

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Adventitious regeneration is a key step in the application of genetic engineering to the breeding programs of plants. In this work a method for adventitious shoot regeneration from leaves of micropropagated guava shoots has been developed and some of main factors to affect the shoot regeneration like, concentration of plant growth regulators (citoquinine, physiological state of explants and the wound are studied. Leaves from guava in vitro cultured of variety Cuban Red Dwarf 18-40 was used like explant in all experiments. The best re-sult was reached with MS basal medium supplemented with 0.75 mg/L of 6-benzylaminopurine. Was de-monstrated that for the leaves with more multiplication subculture number and taken from lower part of shoot (older; the morfogenetic potential falls significantly (p60% and the largest number of shoot per regenerating leaf (>3 were obtained with several wounds carried out in f orm of jabs to the central nerve of leaves. This regeneration protocol constitutes an important tool that can be applied for future studies of genetic transformation in this species. Key words: Tissue culture, leaf explants, growth regulators, organogenesis, guava

A Case Study of Two Chicago Suburban High Schools: Practices to Avoid a School Shooting

Science.gov (United States)

Connelly, Kevin G.

2017-01-01

Throughout 2015, there have been 52 school shootings within the United States that have left 30 individuals dead and another 53 injured (Reuters-USA, 2015). Since Friday, December 14, 2012, the date of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, in which 26 people lost their lives, there has been on average one school shooting per week. It is…

Using 67Cu to study the biogeochemical cycling of copper in the northeast subarctic Pacific Ocean

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M Semeniuk

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Microbial copper (Cu nutrition and dissolved Cu speciation were surveyed along Line P, a coastal to open ocean transect that extends from the coast of British Columbia, Canada, to the high-nutrient-low-chlorophyll (HNLC zone of the northeast subarctic Pacific Ocean. Steady-state size fractionated Cu uptake rates and Cu:C assimilation ratios were determined at in situ Cu concentrations and speciation using a 67Cu tracer method. The cellular Cu:C ratios that we measured (~30 µmol Cu mol C-1 are similar to recent estimates using synchrotron x-ray fluorescence (SXRF, suggesting that the 67Cu method can determine in situ metabolic Cu demands. We examined how environmental changes along the Line P transect influenced Cu metabolism in the sub-microplankton community. Cellular Cu:C assimilation ratios and uptake rates were compared with net primary productivity, bacterial abundance and productivity, total dissolved Cu, Cu speciation, and a suite of other chemical and biological parameters. Total dissolved Cu concentrations ([Cu]d were within a narrow range (1.46 to 2.79 nM, and Cu was bound to a ~5-fold excess of strong ligands with conditional stability constants ( of ~1014. Free Cu2+ concentrations were low (pCu 14.4 to 15.1, and total and size fractionated net primary productivity (NPPV; µg C L-1 d-1 were negatively correlated with inorganic Cu concentrations ([Cu′]. We suggest this is due to greater Cu′ drawdown by faster growing phytoplankton populations. Using the relationship between [Cu′] drawdown and NPPV, we calculated a regional photosynthetic Cu:C drawdown export ratio between 1.5 and 15 µmol Cu mol C-1, and a mixed layer residence time (2.5 to 8 years that is similar to other independent estimates (2-12 years. Total particulate Cu uptake rates were between 22 and 125 times faster than estimates of Cu export; this is possibly mediated by rapid cellular Cu uptake and efflux by phytoplankton and bacteria or the effects of grazers and

Copper-resistant bacteria enhance plant growth and copper phytoextraction.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Renxiu; Luo, Chunling; Chen, Yahua; Wang, Guiping; Xu, Yue; Shen, Zhenguo

2013-01-01

In this study, we investigated the role of rhizospheric bacteria in solubilizing soil copper (Cu) and promoting plant growth. The Cu-resistant bacterium DGS6 was isolated from a natural Cu-contaminated soil and was identified as Pseudomonas sp. DGS6. This isolate solubilized Cu in Cu-contaminated soil and stimulated root elongation of maize and sunflower. Maize was more sensitive to inoculation with DGS6 than was sunflower and exhibited greater root elongation. In pot experiment, inoculation with DGS6 increased the shoot dry weight of maize by 49% and sunflower by 34%, and increased the root dry weight of maize by 85% and sunflower by 45%. Although the concentrations of Cu in inoculated and non-inoculated seedlings did not differ significantly, the total accumulation of Cu in the plants increased after inoculation. DGS6 showed a high ability to solubilize P and produce iron-chelating siderophores, as well as significantly improved the accumulation of P and Fe in both maize and sunflower shoots. In addition, DGS6 produced indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and ACC deaminase, which suggests that it may modulate ethylene levels in plants. The bacterial strain DGS6 could be a good candidate for re-vegetation of Cu-contaminated sites. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of International Journal of Phytoremediation to view the supplemental file.

Fatal school shootings and the epidemiological context of firearm mortality in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Shultz, James M; Cohen, Alyssa M; Muschert, Glenn W; Flores de Apodaca, Roberto

2013-01-01

Background The December 14, 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, USA, vaulted concerns regarding gun violence to the forefront of public attention. This high-visibility incident occurred within the epidemiological context of U.S. firearm mortality that claims more than 88 lives daily. Methods National epidemiologic data on firearm deaths over two decades were analyzed along with data registries on school shootings in order to place the tragedy at Sandy Hook in perspective. School shootings were classified as random or targeted. Results The U.S. has the highest rates of firearm deaths, suicides, and homicides among the world's 34 "advanced economies." Seventy percent of U.S. homicides and more than 50% of U.S. suicides are committed using a firearm. U.S. firearm homicide rates first declined, and then stabilized, during the past 23 years, 1990-2012. "Shooting massacres" in school settings, a new phenomenon within the past 50 years, are extremely rare events. Over 23 years, 1990-2012, 215 fatal school shooting incidents resulted in 363 deaths, equivalent to 0.12% of national firearm homicides during that time period. Most episodes were "targeted" shootings in which the perpetrator intentionally killed a specific individual in a school setting. Only 25 of these 215 events (11.6%) were "random" or "rampage" shootings, resulting in 135 deaths (0.04% of national firearm homicides). Among these, just three shooting rampages - Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Sandy hook Elementary School - accounted for 72 (53.3%) of these 135 deaths. The frequency of random/rampage shooting incidents in schools has remained within the narrow range of 0 to 3 episodes per year. Conclusions Each year, more than 32,000 Americans die by firearms and more than 70,000 are wounded, representing a volume of preventable deaths and injuries that the U.S. government describes as a "public health crisis." School massacres, such as Sandy Hook

NIF total neutron yield diagnostic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cooper, Gary W.; Ruiz, Carlos L.

2001-01-01

We have designed a total neutron yield diagnostic for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) which is based on the activation of In and Cu samples. The particular approach that we have chosen is one in which we calibrate the entire counting system and which we call the ''F factor'' method. In this method, In and/or Cu samples are exposed to known sources of DD and DT neutrons. The activated samples are then counted with an appropriate system: a high purity Ge detector for In and a NaI coincidence system for Cu. We can then calculate a calibration factor, which relates measured activity to total neutron yield. The advantage of this approach is that specific knowledge of such quantities as cross sections and detector efficiencies is not needed. Unless the actual scattering environment of the NIF can be mocked up in the calibration experiment, the F factor will have to be modified using the results of a numerical simulation of the NIF scattering environment. In this article, the calibration factor methodology will be discussed and experimental results for the calibration factors will be presented. Total NIF neutron yields of 10 9 --10 19 can be measured with this method assuming a 50 cm stand-off distance can be employed for the lower yields

Mechanisms of waterlogging tolerance in wheat - a review of root and shoot physiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herzog, Max; Striker, Gustavo G; Colmer, Timothy D

2016-01-01

:shoot ratio. Genotypes differ in seminal root anoxia tolerance, but mechanisms remain to be established; ethanol production rates do not explain anoxia tolerance. Root tip survival is short-term, and thereafter, seminal root re-growth upon re-aeration is limited. Genotypes differ in adventitious root numbers....... Although photosynthesis declines, sugars typically accumulate in shoots of waterlogged plants. Mn or Fe toxicity might occur in shoots of wheat on strongly acidic soils, but probably not more widely. Future breeding for waterlogging tolerance should focus on root internal aeration and better N...

R&D of CuCrZr tubes for W/Cu monoblock components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, Sixiang, E-mail: sxzhao@impcas.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), P.O. Box 1126, Hefei 230031 (China); Ma, Linsheng [State Nuclear Bao Ti Zirconium Industry Company, 206 Hi-Tech Avenue, Baoji 721013 (China); Peng, Lingjian [Advanced Technology & Materials Co., Ltd. - AT& M, Beijing 100081 (China); Gao, Bo [State Nuclear Bao Ti Zirconium Industry Company, 206 Hi-Tech Avenue, Baoji 721013 (China); Li, Chun [Laboratory of Advanced materials, School of Materials Science & Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li, Qiang; Wang, Wanjing; Wei, Ran; Xu, Yuping [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), P.O. Box 1126, Hefei 230031 (China); Pan, Ningjie; Qin, Sigui; Shi, Yingli; Liu, Guohui; Wang, Tiejun [Advanced Technology & Materials Co., Ltd. - AT& M, Beijing 100081 (China); Luo, Guang-Nan, E-mail: gnluo@ipp.ac.cn [Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP), P.O. Box 1126, Hefei 230031 (China); Hefei Center for Physical Science and Technology, Hefei 230031 (China); Hefei Science Center of CAS, Hefei 230031 (China)

2016-11-15

Highlights: • CuCrZr tubes with excellent HIP performance and good resistance to grain growth have been developed. • A circumferential ductility testing manner for small-diameter tubes has been utilized in this study. • The evolution of microstructures has been revealed throughout the new tube forming processes. - Abstract: In order to avoid the occurrence of two types of longitudinal defects (strain localization and folding flaws), which were observed in the CuCrZr tubes of EAST W/Cu upper divertor components, in the future manufacturing of monoblock components using hot isostatic pressing (HIP), a new CuCrZr tube forming protocol is proposed. The evolution of Cu grains and Cr-rich particles is monitored by scanning electron microscopy throughout the new tube forming processes. The final microstructures of the newly developed tubes are totally different from those of the EAST project previously chosen tubes and the elongation of Cr-rich precipitates has been substantially suppressed by using the new tube forming protocol. The newly developed tubes show better HIP performance than the EAST previously chosen ones. Since circumferential mechanical properties, especially ductility, are of great importance, a circumferential ductility testing manner for small-diameter tubes, which might be a supplement to longitudinal tensile testing, has been utilized and the preliminary testing results are given. The recrystallization behavior of the newly developed tubes is also investigated.

Minimum monitor unit per segment IMRT planning and over-shoot-ratio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigorov, G.; Barnett, R.; Chow, J.

2004-01-01

The aim of this work is to describe the modulation quality for dose delivery of small Multi-Leaf Collimator (MLC) fields and MU/segment. The results were obtained with Pinnacle (V6) and a Varian Clinac 2100 EX (Varis 6.2) linear accelerator. The over-shoot effect was investigated by comparing integrated multiple segmented exposures to a single exposure with the same number of total MU (1, 2, 3,4, 5 and 6 MU). To present the OS effect the Over-Shoot-Ratio (OSR) was defined as the ratio of the segmented dose for a 1 cm 2 field at depth to the static dose for the same field size and depth. OSR was measured as a function of MU/segment and dose rate. Measured results can be used to optimise IMRT planning and also to calculate the surface dose. The dependence of the dose in depth with 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 MU/segments for 6 MV photon beam, dose rate of 100 MU/min and 1 cm 2 beam field at the central axis is presented, where the argument of the function is the depth and parameter of the function is the number of minimum MU/segment. The dependence of the overshoot ratio on the MU/segment with a parameter of the dose rates (100, 400 and 600 MU/min) is also shown. The effect increases with the dose rate and decreases with the increasing of the minimum number of MU/segment. Having measured OSR for the 2100 EX linac it is possible to do correction and calibration of the dose of the first segment of IMRT beam, where the dose to the target and on the surface can increase over the planed dose of 1 MU by 40% and 70% for dose rate of 400 and 600 MU/min respectively. The Over-Shoot-Ratio is an important parameter to be determined as part of the routine quality assurance for IMRT and can be used to significantly improve the agreement between planned and delivered doses to the patient

Effects of anxiety on handgun shooting behavior of police officers: A pilot study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nieuwenhuys, A.; Oudejans, R.R.D.

2010-01-01

The current pilot study aimed at providing an initial assessment of how anxiety influences police officers' shooting behavior. Seven police officers participated and completed an identical shooting exercise under two experimental conditions: low anxiety, against a non-threatening opponent, and high

Effects of BAP and TIBA on Shoot Proliferation of Rosa hybrida L. cv. Full House in in vitro Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Hajian

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Micropropagation is a proper approach to rapid and large-scale propagation of rootstocks and rose cultivars for huge demand of flower market. Proliferation rate of shoot is decreased drastically following several subcultures. Growth regulators have remarkable effects on the key phase of proliferation in micropropagation of this popular crop. In this research the effects of BAP and antiauxin of TIBA on quality and quantity of developed shoots in Rosa hybrida cv. Full House were studied. BAP and TIBA were applied at three concentrations of 0, 2.2 and 8.8 µmol in proliferation phase of micropropagation. The experiment was conducted based on factorial and completely randomized design with four replications. After two months, the percentage of proliferated explants, survived main and lateral shoot number, length of the main and lateral shoots, number of green leaves on the shoots, the average number of shoots with chlorotic and necrotic leaves, the average axillary shoot base diameter, fresh weight of shoots and number of shoots with necrotic tip were recorded. Analysis of variance indicated that BAP was ineffective on the number of the main shoot green leaves and decreasing number of shoots with necrotic tip, but enhanced other traits. The concentration of 8.8 µmol of BAP had greater effect than 2.2 µmol of this growth regulator on mentioned traits. The higher concentration of TIBA resulted to more shoot with necrotic tip. This antiauxin had anegative impact on shoot fresh weight, but the other parameters were not significantly affected.

Proteomic analysis on roots of Oenothera glazioviana under copper-stress conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chong; Wang, Jie; Wang, Xiao; Xia, Yan; Chen, Chen; Shen, Zhenguo; Chen, Yahua

2017-09-06

Proteomic studies were performed to identify proteins involved in the response of Oenothera glazioviana seedlings under Cu stress. Exposure of 28-d-old seedlings to 50 μM CuSO4 for 3 d led to inhibition of shoot and root growth as well as a considerable increase in the level of lipid peroxidation in the roots. Cu absorbed by O. glazioviana accumulated more easily in the root than in the shoot. Label-free proteomic analysis indicated 58 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) of the total 3,149 proteins in the roots of O. glazioviana seedlings, of which 36 were upregulated and 22 were downregulated under Cu stress conditions. Gene Ontology analysis showed that most of the identified proteins could be annotated to signal transduction, detoxification, stress defence, carbohydrate, energy, and protein metabolism, development, and oxidoreduction. We also retrieved 13 proteins from the enriched Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes and the protein-protein interaction databases related to various pathways, including the citric acid (CA) cycle. Application of exogenous CA to O. glazioviana seedlings exposed to Cu alleviated the stress symptoms. Overall, this study provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms of plant response to Cu at the protein level in relation to soil properties.

NO3-/NH4+ ratios affect nutritional homeostasis and production of Tanzania guinea grass under Cu toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza Junior, João Cardoso; Nogueirol, Roberta Corrêa; Monteiro, Francisco Antonio

2018-05-01

Nitrogen (N) can alleviate metal toxicity. However, as of yet, there have been no studies showing the efficacy of NO 3 - /NH 4 + in mitigating Cu toxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Cu toxicity on the nutritional and productive attributes of Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania as well as the role of NO 3 - and NH 4 + ratios in nutritional homeostasis. The experiment was conducted using 3 × 4 factorial treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The treatments were three NO 3 - /NH 4 + ratios (100/0, 70/30, and 50/50) and four Cu rates (0.3, 250, 500, and 1000 μmol L -1 ) in nutrient solution. Copper concentrations in the diagnostic leaves (DL) were highest in plants grown under 70/30 NO 3 - /NH 4 + ratios and a Cu rate of 1000 μmol L -1 . In this combination, it was observed that DL had higher concentrations of NH 4 + , greater glutamine synthetase activity, lower chlorophyll concentration (SPAD value), and lower shoot dry mass, suggesting high disorders of nutritional homeostasis. Plants receiving N in the form of NO 3 - and 1000 Cu μmol L -1 showed that DL had lower concentrations of Cu, higher concentration of chlorophyll, higher NO 3 - concentration, higher nitrate reductase activity, and higher NO 3 - accumulation in the roots, suggesting a reduction in disorders of nutritional homeostasis. The disorders on mineral uptake, N assimilation, and biomass production caused by Cu toxicity are shown to be affected by NO 3 - /NH 4 + ratios, and N supply via NO 3 - allowed for better homeostasis of the forage grass.

Seasonal variation in secondary metabolites of edible shoots of Buck's beard [Aruncus dioicus (Walter) Fernald (Rosaceae)].

Science.gov (United States)

Fusani, Pietro; Piwowarski, Jakub P; Zidorn, Christian; Kiss, Anna K; Scartezzini, Fabrizio; Granica, Sebastian

2016-07-01

Aruncus dioicus (Walter) Fernald is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. In the northern regions of Italy young shoots of A. dioicus are collected and used as vegetable. No studies on the chemical composition of young shoots of A. dioicus have been reported so far. Thus, the aim of the present paper was to develop and validate a comprehensive chromatographic method allowing the identification and quantification of chemical compounds occurring in A. dioicus shoots harvested at different developmental stages. The results showed that shoots contain mainly polyphenols. Twenty-four compounds were detected. Caffeoylglucose derivatives were recognized as major compounds. It was also confirmed that shoots contain the cyanogenic compound prunasin at all investigated vegetation stages. It was shown that the prunasin content significantly increases during plant development, thus justifying the belief that after the development of the first green leaves, shoots should not be used for culinary purposes any longer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Schools under fire? : school shootings and the construction of a cultural discourse of emergency

OpenAIRE

Braselmann, Silke

2016-01-01

Contrary to popular belief, rampage violence at suburban and rural schools occurred before the infamous Columbine High School shooting in April 1999. While school shootings — before Columbine gained international media attention — were treated as a local rather than a national or even international problem, they are now seen as an emergent phenomenon that has to be addressed with appropriate urgency. In this paper, I want to examine whether school shootings are in fact increasing and addre...

The Hidden Advantage in Shoot/Don’t Shoot Simulation Exercises for Police Recruit Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda Davies

2015-03-01

Full Text Available During the past thirty-five years, developments in computer-related technology have been providing increasingly more sophisticated simulation alternatives for training law enforcement officers. Such developments have leveraged on the back of progress achieved in the aviation, military and medical professions as law enforcement educators seek to address the challenges of training for high-risk, high-stakes professional environments. While globally, simulation based learning exercises are at the forefront in use-of-force training with firearms for police recruits there is limited published research which views the influence of these exercises on operational practice through the lens of the police recruit as they engage with the demands of their volatile, unpredictable workplace. This paper discusses a case study of a cohort of 372 police recruits whose police academy education program included participation in simulation based learning exercises centred on decision making in use-of-force. The pivotal inclusion in the study was the opportunity for the police recruits to reflect on the influence of the simulation exercise experience from an operational perspective. The study revealed an unvoiced advantage—while trainers are focusing on the amount of ammunition used, the marksmanship accuracy, and the justification for the use-of-force, the students are unconsciously building a repertoire of realistic experiences as a reference library for the moment of decision in real life shoot/don’t shoot incidents.

Propagation of pineapple by shoot tip culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almobasher, H. A. A.; Osman, M. G.; Said, A. E.

2009-01-01

This study was conducted with the objective of modifying the composition of MS medium for the clonal propagation of pineapple using shoot tips of Smooth Cayenne cultivar. Modification were made on various medium components. Results showed that both MS salts at the full or half strength were optimal, and there was on significant difference between them. Sucrose concentrations of 3% and 6% were better than other concentrations tested for growth and development of plant lets. The cultures responded positively to the increase of adenine sulfate and 80 mg/1 was the optimal. As for the additions of NAA and BA , alone or in combinations, the best results were recorded with the combination of NAA at 0.01 mg/1, and BA at 3.0 mg/1 where the largest number of shoots was obtained. Better explants performance was achieved on liquid medium with cotton support compared to solid medium. (Author)

Differences between height- and light-dependent changes in shoot traits in five deciduous tree species.

Science.gov (United States)

Osada, Noriyuki; Okabe, Yoshihiko; Hayashi, Daisuke; Katsuyama, Tomonori; Tokuchi, Naoko

2014-01-01

The effects of tree height on shoot traits may in some cases differ in magnitude and direction from the effects of light. Nevertheless, general patterns of change in shoot traits in relation to variations in height and light have not so far been revealed. A comprehensive analysis of the differences between the effects of height and light on a range of leaf and shoot traits is important for the scaling of these traits to individual trees. We investigated the biomass allocation and structure of current-year shoots at the top of the crowns of five deciduous tree species in Japan. Height effect was investigated by comparing shoot traits among trees of different heights growing under a high light environment. The effects of light were examined by comparing saplings growing in high- and low-light environments. The effects of light were significant for most traits, while those of height were not significant for some traits. The magnitudes of the effects of light were larger than those of height for most traits related to biomass allocation. There was an extreme difference between the effects of height and light in the direction of change in the length of current-year shoots and in the number of standing leaves. The measures of both parameters increased with the increase in light, but decreased with the increase in tree height. Thus, the effects of height and light on diverse traits at the level of current-year shoots were not always similar. These results suggest that great care must be taken when scaling shoot traits from small trees to tall trees because the effects of height and light can be complex.

Encapsulation of nodal cuttings and shoot tips for storage and exchange of cassava germplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Danso, K E; Ford-Lloyd, B V

2003-04-01

We report the encapsulation of in vitro-derived nodal cuttings or shoot tips of cassava in 3% calcium alginate for storage and germplasm exchange purposes. Shoot regrowth was not significantly affected by the concentration of sucrose in the alginate matrix while root formation was. In contrast, increasing the sucrose concentration in the calcium chloride polymerisation medium significantly reduced regrowth from encapsulated nodal cuttings of accession TME 60444. Supplementing the alginate matrix with increased concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine and alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid enhanced complete plant regrowth within 2 weeks. Furthermore, plant regrowth by encapsulated nodal cuttings and shoot tips was significantly affected by the duration of the storage period as shoot recovery decreased from almost 100% to 73.3% for encapsulated nodal cuttings and 94.4% to 60% for shoot tips after 28 days of storage. The high frequency of plant regrowth from alginate-coated micropropagules coupled with high viability percentage after 28 days of storage is highly encouraging for the exchange of cassava genetic resources. Such encapsulated micropropagules could be used as an alternative to synthetic seeds derived from somatic embryos.

Cytokinin induced shoot regeneration and flowering of Scoparia dulcis L. (Scrophulariaceae)-an ethnomedicinal herb.

Science.gov (United States)

Premkumar, G; Sankaranarayanan, R; Jeeva, S; Rajarathinam, K

2011-06-01

To develop an improved protocol for micropropagation of ethnomedicinally important Scoparia dulcis (S. dulcis) L. Explants were inoculated on MS basal medium supplemented with kinetin and 6-benzylaminopurine for shoot bud induction. To enhance the shoot induction, various auxins like 3-indoleacetic acid or 3-indolebutyric acid or α-naphthylacetic acid were tested along with 2.32 M KI and 4.44 µM BAP. The regenerated shoots were rooted in half strength MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of IAA, IBA or NAA. After roots were developed, the plantlets were transplanted to pots filled with vermiculate and sand and kept in growth chamber with 70%-80% humidity under 16 h photoperiod. After acclimatization, the plantlets were transferred to the garden and survival percentage was calculated. Data were statistically analyzed and means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test (Pdulcis. Shoot induction on young leaf explants was most successful in MS medium supplemented with combination of two cytokinins (2.32 µM KI and 4.44 µM BAP) 2.85 µM IAA, 10% CM and 1 483.79 µM adenine sulfate. A single young leaf explant was capable of producing 59 shoots after 13 days of culture. Flower was induced in medium supplemented with combination of KI and BAP. Cytokinins are the key factor to induce the direct shoot regeneration and flowering of S. dulcis.

Bud removal affects shoot, root, and callus development of hardwood Populus cuttings

Science.gov (United States)

A.H. Wiese; J.A. Zalesny; D.M. Donner; Ronald S., Jr. Zalesny

2006-01-01

The inadvertent removal and/or damage of buds during processing and planting of hardwood poplar (Populus spp.) cuttings are a concern because of their potential impact on shoot and root development during establishment. The objective of the current study was to test for differences in shoot dry mass, root dry mass, number of roots, length of the...

Liquid shoot culture of Salvia officinalis L. for micropropagation and production of antioxidant compounds; effect of triacontanol

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Izabela Grzegorczyk

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Liquid shoot culture of Salvia officinalis L. in MS medium containing IAA (0.1 mg l-1 and BAP (0.45 mg l-1 was developed and evaluated in relation to shoot multiplication and antioxidant compound (carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid accumulation. In the liquid medium, on average, 3 new shoots per explant (shoot tip were obtained within 3 weeks. The shoots produced 8.2±0.02 mg of diterpenoids and 31.2±0.29 mg of rosmarinic acid per gram of dry weight. Shoot proliferation and diterpenoid content increased when triacontanol (5, 10 or 20 pg l-1 was added to the liquid medium. In optimum conditions (at 20 pg l-1 TRIA almost 7 shoots were formed per explant after 3 weeks. An increase in diterpenoid production (expressed as the sum of carnosol and carnosic acid ranged from 30% to 50% and dependended on triacontanol concentration tested. The level of diterpenoids in triacontanol-treated shoots was similar to the content of compounds in commercial herbal product (dried leaves of S. officinalis (10-12 mg g-1 dry wt. Triacontanol did not increase rosmarinic acid production, but the content of the phenolic as compound in shoots grown in liquid culture (31 mg g-1 dry wt was even 24 times higher compared to samples of dried leaves of S. officinalis plants. We also demonstrated that the highest amounts of CA, Car and RA were accumulated in young, top parts of sage shoots. This observation could be useful for improving the selection of material for the extraction of natural antioxidants from S. officinalis.

A Hybrid Finite Element/Helmholtz-Kirchhoff-Integral Model for Shooting Range Sound Prediction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijhof, M.J.J.; Eerden, F.J.M. van der

2013-01-01

National legislation enforces a limit on the Sound Levels of outdoor military shooting ranges observed in nearby residential areas. These restrictions directly influence the number of shots that may be fired at a specific shooting range, which may conflict with the required/ scheduled training

The weathering and transformation process of lead in China's shooting ranges.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yeling; Zhu, Yongbing; Zhao, Sanping; Liu, Xiaodong

2015-09-01

Corroding steel-core bullets from three shooting ranges in different climate zones of China were collected. Multiple technical methods (EMPA, SEM, XRD, and ICP-OES) were applied to investigate the structure, morphology, and weathering product of this type of bullet in China to analyze the weathering mechanisms in different types of soils. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to view the morphology and microstructure of corrosion layers. On the corroded lead layer surface, unevenness, micro cracks, and spallation were usually present. Around the micro cracks, many types of euhedral and subhedral crystals of the secondary products of lead were formed, most of which were composed of cerussite (PbCO3), while hydrocerussite (Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2) was predominant in the bullet collected from the humid environment. X-ray power diffraction (XRD) results show that the secondary weathering products in the three shooting range soils are clearly different. In the Fangyan shooting range, which has a neutral and semi-arid soil, the lead weathering product was mainly hydrocerussite (Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2), while no substantial amount of crystal phase of lead compound could be found in acidic, damp soils from the Fenghuang shooting range, possibly due to the enhanced dissolution and mobilization of lead compounds at lower pH and higher content of organic matter in the soil. In hot and arid environment of the Baicheng shooting range, cerussite might have undergone thermal decomposition, thus generating shannonite (Pb2O(CO3)). These results indicate that the formation of secondary Pb minerals is largely affected by the climatic zone or the soil properties, which may have implications for range management practices.

Field evaluation of regenerated plants by somatic embryogenesis from shoots apexes of axillary buds in ´Navolean’ (Musa spp., AAB.

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Jorge López

2005-04-01

Full Text Available The use of shoots apexes from axilary buds for callus induction with embryogenic structures in plantain ‘Navolean’ (Group AAB permitted to develop a plant regeneration method through out somatic embryogenesis. In order to know the phenotypic variants that may be produced with the previously mentioned method , 1000 plants were planted in field conditions in comparison to those coming from somatic embryos obtained from multibuds as initial explants and organogenesis-derived plants (shoot tipsand conventionally derived plants (corms, during two growing cycles. The main morphological characters and yield components were evaluated. The total frequency of somaclonal variation during the first growing cycle in plants coming from somatic embryos obtained from shoots apexes from axilary buds as initial explants were 1.1%, and 8,6% in regenerated plants from somatic embryos obtained from multi-buds as initial explants. Later, in this same growing cycle, plants regenerated from somatic embryos (both sources showed a similar performance between them and they were significantly superior in all evaluated variants in comparison to corm-derived plants. In the second growing cycle, significant differences were not observed in yield components of suckers from evaluated plants, in spite of the propagation method used. With regard to somaclonal variation, the best performance was obtained with shoots apexes from axilary buds as explants. Finally, the feasibility of using the new method was shown. Key words: embryogenic cell suspensions, somaclonal variation

High resolution neutron total and capture cross-sections in separated isotopes of copper (6365Cu)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, M.S.

1975-01-01

High resolution neutron total and capture cross section measurements have been performed on separated isotopes of copper ( 63 65 Cu). Measurements for capture cross section were made from about 1 keV to a few hundreds of keV. The total cross section measurements were made in the energy interval of approximately 10 keV to 150 keV. The resulting capture data have been analyzed by a generalized least square peak fitting computer code in the energy interval of 2.5 keV to 50 keV. Photon strengths are determined using the data up to approximately 250 keV. The resulting total cross section data have been analyzed by area-analysis on the transmission values and by R-matrix multilevel code on cross section values. Average s- and p-wave level spacing and s- and p-wave strength function values are determined. From the resonance parameters thus obtained, by the analysis, statistical distribution is studied for s- and p-wave level spacings and reduced neutron widths. A comparison has been made for adjacent level spacings with the theoretical predictions of level repulsion (of same J/sup π/) by Wigner considering levels with various spin states separately for s-wave resonances where confident spin assignment has been possible. Reduced neutron widths are compared with the Porter-Thomas distribution. Optical model formulated by Feshbach, Porter and Weiskopf describes the neutron-nucleus interaction. A comparison has been made between experimentally determined values of the s- and p-wave strength functions and that obtainable from optical model calculations, thereby determining the appropriate optical model parameters. The experimental arrangement, pertinent theoretical discussion, and the processes of data reduction and the analyses along with the comparison of the previously reported results with the present work are presented in detail

Deuterium transport in Cu, CuCrZr, and Cu/Be

Science.gov (United States)

Anderl, R. A.; Hankins, M. R.; Longhurst, G. R.; Pawelko, R. J.

This paper presents the results of deuterium implantation/permeation experiments and TMAP4 simulations for a CuCrZr alloy, for OFHC-Cu and for a Cu/Be bi-layered structure at temperatures from 700 to 800 K. Experiments used a mass-analyzed, 3-keV D 3+ ion beam with particle flux densities of 5 × 10 19 to 7 × 10 19 D/m 2 s. Effective diffusivities and surface molecular recombination coefficients were derived giving Arrhenius pre-exponentials and activation energies for each material: CuCrZr alloy, (2.0 × 10 -2 m 2/s, 1.2 eV) for diffusivity and (2.9 × x10 -14 m 4/s, 1.92 eV) for surface molecular recombination coefficients; OFHC Cu, (2.1 × 10 -6 m 2/s, 0.52 eV) for diffusivity and (9.1 × 10 -18 m 4/s, 0.99 eV) for surface molecular recombination coefficients. TMAP4 simulation of permeation data measured for a Cu/Be bi-layer sample was achieved using a four-layer structure (Cu/BeO interface/Be/BeO back surface) and recommended values for diffusivity and solubility in Be, BeO and Cu.

The age of school shootings: a sociological interpretation on masculinity

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Celis, Jorge

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past two decades there has been a growing interest in the study of the horrendous massacres perpetrated by students at school premises. These massacres, known as school shootings, haven been predominantly analyzed by employing psychological approaches. Despite the fact that empirical research clearly reveals that school shooters tend not to present life-long histories of mental illness, these approaches usually put a strong emphasis on the perpetrator’s individual pathologies, ignoring the influence that social values such as masculinity exert on perpetrators’ actions. Consequently, perpetrators are viewed as lone wolf shooters and school shootings as isolated cases. Based on data derived from scholarly works published mainly in peer-review journals and the sociological theory of P. Berger and T. Luckmann, the aim of this essay is to offer a sociological interpretation on school shootings by explaining why school shooters commit violent actions against teachers and classmates as a form of retrieving their masculinity. In this regard, the essay finds that male rather than female students commit school shootings. At the same time, the majority of perpetrators have had parents who were gun collectors. It is no coincide that shooters mostly use family guns to commit the massacres. Additionally, shooters see school as a social entity that has diminished their masculinity, and the way to reaffirm their masculinity is to attack randomly students and teachers in full view of the rest of school members during school hours.

Thermochemical properties of oxides in Y-Ba-Cu-O, Sr-Bi-O, Cu-Nb-O, Sr-Cu-O, Ca-Cu-O, Cu-O and Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu-O systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moiseev, G.K.; Vatolin, N.A.; Il'inykh, N.I.

2000-01-01

Thermochemical properties (ΔH 0 298 , S 0 298 , H 0 298 -H 0 0 , C p (T), C p at T>T melt ) of complex oxides in Y-Ba-Cu-O, Sr-Bi-O, Cu-Nb-O, Sr-Cu-O, Ca-Cu-O, Cu-O and Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu-O systems obtained with application of calculation methods are presented. Nonexperimental methods of estimation, revision and correction of standard formation enthalpies of inorganic compounds are described [ru

Who Shot Ya? How Emergency Departments Can Collect Reliable Police Shooting Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Joseph B; St Vil, Christopher; Cooper, Carnell

2016-04-01

This paper examines an alternative solution for collecting reliable police shooting data. One alternative is the collection of police shooting data from hospital trauma units, specifically hospital-based violence intervention programs. These programs are situated in Level I trauma units in many major cities in USA. While the intent of these programs is to reduce the risk factors associated with trauma recidivism among victims of violent injury, they also collect reliable data on the number of individuals treated for gunshot wounds. While most trauma units do a great job collecting data on mode of injury, many do not collect data on the circumstances surrounding the injury, particularly police-involved shootings. Research protocol on firearm-related injury conducted in emergency departments typically does not allow researchers to interview victims of violent injury who are under arrest. Most victims of nonfatal police-involved shootings are under arrest at the time they are treated by the ED for their injury. Research protocol on victims of violent injury often excludes individuals under arrest; they fall under the exclusion criteria when recruiting potential participants for research on violence. Researchers working in hospital emergency departments are prohibited from recruited individuals under arrests. The trauma staff, particularly ED physicians and nurses, are in a strategic position to collect this kind of data. Thus, this paper examines how trauma units can serve as an alternative in the reliable collection of police shooting data.

Fatal school shootings and the epidemiological context of firearm mortality in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Shultz, James M; Cohen, Alyssa M; Muschert, Glenn W; Flores de Apodaca, Roberto

2013-01-01

Background The December 14, 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, USA, vaulted concerns regarding gun violence to the forefront of public attention. This high-visibility incident occurred within the epidemiological context of U.S. firearm mortality that claims more than 88 lives daily. Methods National epidemiologic data on firearm deaths over two decades were analyzed along with data registries on school shootings in order to place the tragedy at Sandy Hook in perspective. School shootings were classified as random or targeted. Results The U.S. has the highest rates of firearm deaths, suicides, and homicides among the world’s 34 “advanced economies.” Seventy percent of U.S. homicides and more than 50% of U.S. suicides are committed using a firearm. U.S. firearm homicide rates first declined, and then stabilized, during the past 23 years, 1990-2012. “Shooting massacres” in school settings, a new phenomenon within the past 50 years, are extremely rare events. Over 23 years, 1990-2012, 215 fatal school shooting incidents resulted in 363 deaths, equivalent to 0.12% of national firearm homicides during that time period. Most episodes were “targeted” shootings in which the perpetrator intentionally killed a specific individual in a school setting. Only 25 of these 215 events (11.6%) were “random” or “rampage” shootings, resulting in 135 deaths (0.04% of national firearm homicides). Among these, just three shooting rampages – Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University, and Sandy hook Elementary School – accounted for 72 (53.3%) of these 135 deaths. The frequency of random/rampage shooting incidents in schools has remained within the narrow range of 0 to 3 episodes per year. Conclusions Each year, more than 32,000 Americans die by firearms and more than 70,000 are wounded, representing a volume of preventable deaths and injuries that the U.S. government describes as a “public health crisis.” School

Electronic Topological Transitions in CuNiMnAl and CuNiMnSn under pressure from first principles study

Science.gov (United States)

Rambabu, P.; Kanchana, V.

2018-06-01

A detailed study on quaternary ordered full Heusler alloys CuNiMnAl and CuNiMnSn at ambient and under different compressions is presented using first principles electronic structure calculations. Both the compounds are found to possess ferromagnetic nature at ambient with magnetic moment of Mn being 3.14 μB and 3.35 μB respectively in CuNiMnAl and CuNiMnSn. The total magnetic moment for both the compounds is found to decrease under compression. Fermi surface (FS) topology change is observed in both compounds under pressure at V/V0 = 0.90, further leading to Electronic Topological Transitions (ETTs) and is evidenced by the anomalies visualized in density of states and elastic constants under compression.

Risk factors in school shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Verlinden, S; Hersen, M; Thomas, J

2000-01-01

Nine incidents of multiple-victim homicide in American secondary schools are examined and common risk factors are identified. The literature dealing with individual, family, social, societal, and situational risk factors for youth violence and aggression is reviewed along with existing risk assessment methods. Checklists of risk factors for serious youth violence and school violence are used in reviewing each school shooting case. Commonalties among the cases and implications for psychologists practicing in clinical and school settings are discussed.

In vitro shoot multiplication and conservation of Caralluma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-03-30

Burm. f.) Merrill. In Vitro Cell Deve. Biol. Plant. 41: 124-128. Thomas TD, Shankar S (2009). Multiple shoot induction and callus regeneration in Sarcostemma brevistigma Wight & Arnott, a rare medicinal plant. Plant Biotechnol.

Linking cases of illegal shootings of the endangered California condor using stable lead isotope analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finkelstein, Myra E., E-mail: myraf@ucsc.edu [Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Kuspa, Zeka E. [Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Welch, Alacia [National Park Service, Pinnacles National Park, 5000 Highway 146, Paicines, CA 95043 (United States); Eng, Curtis; Clark, Michael [Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (United States); Burnett, Joseph [Ventana Wildlife Society, 19045 Portola Dr. Ste. F-1, Salinas, CA 93908 (United States); Smith, Donald R. [Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2014-10-15

Lead poisoning is preventing the recovery of the critically endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and lead isotope analyses have demonstrated that ingestion of spent lead ammunition is the principal source of lead poisoning in condors. Over an 8 month period in 2009, three lead-poisoned condors were independently presented with birdshot embedded in their tissues, evidencing they had been shot. No information connecting these illegal shooting events existed and the timing of the shooting(s) was unknown. Using lead concentration and stable lead isotope analyses of feathers, blood, and recovered birdshot, we observed that: i) lead isotope ratios of embedded shot from all three birds were measurably indistinguishable from each other, suggesting a common source; ii) lead exposure histories re-constructed from feather analysis suggested that the shooting(s) occurred within the same timeframe; and iii) two of the three condors were lead poisoned from a lead source isotopically indistinguishable from the embedded birdshot, implicating ingestion of this type of birdshot as the source of poisoning. One of the condors was subsequently lead poisoned the following year from ingestion of a lead buckshot (blood lead 556 µg/dL), illustrating that ingested shot possess a substantially greater lead poisoning risk compared to embedded shot retained in tissue (blood lead ∼20 µg/dL). To our knowledge, this is the first study to use lead isotopes as a tool to retrospectively link wildlife shooting events. - Highlights: • We conducted a case-based analysis of illegal shootings of California condors. • Blood and feather Pb isotopes were used to reconstruct the illegal shooting events. • Embedded birdshot from the three condors had the same Pb isotope ratios. • Feather and blood Pb isotopes indicated that the condors were shot in a common event. • Ingested shot causes substantially greater lead exposure compared to embedded shot.

Effects of Droplet-Vitrification Cryopreservation Based on Physiological and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities of Brassidium Shooting Star Orchid

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Safrina Rahmah

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs of Brassidium Shooting Star orchid were successfully cryopreserved using droplet-vitrification method. Vitrification based cryopreservation protocol is comprised of preculture, osmoprotection, cryoprotection, cooling, rewarming, and growth recovery and each and every step contributes to the achievement of successful cryopreservation. In order to reveal the lethal and nonlethal damage produced by cryopreservation, histological observation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM, and biochemical analysis were carried out in both cryopreserved and noncryopreserved PLBs of Brassidium Shooting Star orchid comparing with the control PLBs stock culture. Histological and scanning electron microscopy analyses displayed structural changes in cryopreserved PLBs due to the impact of cryoinjury during exposure to liquid nitrogen. Total soluble protein significantly increased throughout the dehydration process and the highest value was achieved when PLBs were stored in liquid nitrogen. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX and catalase (CAT showed the highest enzyme activities in both dehydration and cryostorage treatments indicating that stress level of PLBs was high during these stages.

Adventitious shoots induction and plant regeneration from ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A highly efficient regeneration system is a prerequisite step for successful genetic transformation of watermelon cultivars (Citrullus lanatus L.). The objective of this study was to establish efficient in vitro plant regeneration for three watermelon cultivars. To achieve optimal conditions for adventitious shoot induction, the ...

Thermophysical Properties of Cold and Vacuum Plasma Sprayed Cu-Cr-X Alloys, NiAl and NiCrAlY Coatings. Part 1; Electrical and Thermal Conductivity, Thermal Diffusivity, and Total Hemispherical Emissivity

Science.gov (United States)

Raj, S. V.

2017-01-01

This two-part paper reports the thermophysical properties of several cold and vacuum plasma sprayed monolithic Cu and Ni-based alloy coatings. Part I presents the electrical and thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and total hemispherical emissivity data while Part II reports the specific heat capacity data for these coatings. Metallic copper alloys, stoichiometric NiAl and NiCrAlY coatings were fabricated by either the cold sprayed or the vacuum plasma spray deposition processes for thermal property measurements between 77 and 1223 K. The temperature dependencies of the thermal conductivities, thermal diffusivities, electrical conductivities and total hemispherical emissivities of these cold and vacuum sprayed monolithic coatings are reported in this paper. The electrical and thermal conductivity data correlate reasonably well for Cu-8%Cr-1%Al, Cu-23%Cr-5%Al and NiAl in accordance with the Wiedemann-Franz (WF) law although a better fit is obtained using the Smith-Palmer relationship. The Lorentz numbers determined from the WF law are close to the theoretical value.

Importance of the method of leaf area measurement to the interpretation of gas exchange of complex shoots

Science.gov (United States)

W. K. Smith; A. W. Schoettle; M. Cui

1991-01-01

Net CO(2) uptake in full sunlight, total leaf area (TLA), projected leaf area of detached leaves (PLA), and the silhouette area of attached leaves in their natural orientation to the sun at midday on June 1 (SLA) were measured for sun shoots of six conifer species. Among species, TLA/SLA ranged between 5.2 and 10.0 (x bar = 7.3), TLA/PLA ranged between 2.5 and 2.9 (x...

The Nutritional Facts of Bamboo Shoots and Their Usage as Important Traditional Foods of Northeast India

Science.gov (United States)

Nongdam, P.; Tikendra, Leimapokpam

2014-01-01

Bamboo shoots are considered as one of the useful health foods because of their rich contents of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, fibres, and minerals and very low fat. Though bamboo shoots provide lots of health benefits, their consumption is confined mostly to Southeast Asian and East Asian countries. The acceptability of bamboo shoots as popular vegetable crop is very less due to their high pungent smell and bitter acidic taste. The use of bamboo as food in India is mainly restricted to Northeastern part of the country where they form an indispensable part of several traditional speciality dishes. The different ethnic communities take fresh or fermented bamboo shoot as one of most preferred traditional food items. Some of the important bamboo based traditional foods are ushoi, soibum, rep, mesu, eup, ekhung, hirring, and so forth. Bamboo shoots should be properly processed before they are consumed as freshly harvested shoots have high content of toxic cyanogenic glycosides which may pose serious health problems. The prospect of bamboo shoot industry in Northeast India is bright due to its rich genetic resources of bamboos. However, habitat destruction and extensive use of bamboos for food, handicraft, and construction purposes have resulted in severe depletion of natural bamboo resources. This review stresses upon the high nutritive values and health benefits of bamboo shoots and their usage as important traditional foods in Northeast India. The bamboo market potential of the region and use of in vitro plant micropropagation methods as effective means of bamboo conservation are also emphasized in this paper. PMID:27433496

Roots & Shoots: A model for active environmental protection ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Madagascar is facing severe environmental problems. One approach to engage possible future stakeholders and to raise awareness for environmental concerns is the Roots & Shoots program. On the following the program and its philosophy are presented.

The impact of personality traits and professional experience on police officers' shooting performance under pressure.

Science.gov (United States)

Landman, Annemarie; Nieuwenhuys, Arne; Oudejans, Raôul R D

2016-07-01

We explored the impact of professional experience and personality on police officers' shooting performance under pressure. We recruited: (1) regular officers, (2) officers wanting to join a specialised arrest unit (AU) (expected to possess more stress-resistant traits; pre-AU) and (3) officers from this unit (expected to also possess more professional experience; AU) (all male). In Phase 1, we determined personality traits and experience. In Phase 2, state anxiety, shot accuracy, decision-making (shoot/don't shoot), movement speed and gaze behaviour were measured while officers performed a shooting test under low and high pressure. Results indicate minimal differences in personality among groups and superior performance of AU officers. Regression analyses showed that state anxiety and shooting performance under high pressure were first predicted by AU experience and second by certain personality traits. Results suggest that although personality traits attenuate the impact of high pressure, it is relevant experience that secures effective performance under pressure. Practitioner Summary: To obtain information for police selection and training purposes, we let officers who differed in personality and experience execute a shooting test under low and high pressure. Outcomes indicate that experience affected anxiety and performance most strongly, while personality traits of thrill- and adventure-seeking and self-control also had an effect.

From gene manipulation to forest establishment: shoot cultures of woody plants can be a central tool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCown, B.H.

1985-05-01

Establishing germplasm of woody plants in microculture as shoot cultures has proved to be an effective method of overcoming many of the obstacles in working with these crops. Shoot cultures eliminate the changes associated with seasonal growth cycles and phase change and put large plants into a more manageable form. Well-established shoot cultures are central to successful clonal propagation systems for forest trees as well as to genetic improvement based on the use of cellular techniques such as protoplast manipulation. The physiological basis as to why tissues from shoot cultures are so readily manipulated is not well understood.

The FANTASTIC FOUR proteins influence shoot meristem size in Arabidopsis thaliana

OpenAIRE

Wahl, Vanessa; Brand, Luise H; Guo, Ya-Long; Schmid, Markus

2010-01-01

Abstract Background Throughout their lives plants produce new organs from groups of pluripotent cells called meristems, located at the tips of the shoot and the root. The size of the shoot meristem is tightly controlled by a feedback loop, which involves the homeodomain transcription factor WUSCHEL (WUS) and the CLAVATA (CLV) proteins. This regulatory circuit is further fine-tuned by morphogenic signals such as hormones and sugars. Results Here we show that a family of four plant-specific pro...

Cued memory decline in biomarker-defined preclinical Alzheimer disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Papp, Kathryn V; Rentz, Dorene M; Mormino, Elizabeth C; Schultz, Aaron P; Amariglio, Rebecca E; Quiroz, Yakeel; Johnson, Keith A; Sperling, Reisa A

2017-04-11

To determine whether a decline in cued recall is observable in the preclinical stage of Alzheimer disease (AD) in clinically normal older adults with elevated β-amyloid (Aβ) burden on PET imaging. Clinically normal older adults underwent baseline neuroimaging (PET to assess Aβ +/- status and MRI) and annual neuropsychological testing. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relative risk of cued memory decline (drop of 1, 2, 3, or 4 points on the total score of the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test) in relation to neuroimaging measures, functional status, age, sex, and education. A total of 276 older adults (Clinical Dementia Rating = 0, mean Mini-Mental State Examination score = 29 ± 1.06) were followed up for a mean of 3.6 ± 1.2 years. Despite the infrequency of cued memory decline (only 19% of participants scored ≤46/48 in total recall by year 3), Aβ + participants were 3.55 times (95% confidence interval = 1.77-7.12) more likely to exhibit decline in total recall (≤46/48) compared with their Aβ - peers. Furthermore, Aβ + participants who scored ≤46/48 had smaller hippocampal volumes ( t = 3.37, p = 0.001) and evidence of early functional decline, i.e., greater risk of progression to global Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 (χ 2 = 14.30, p recall. Cued memory decline in healthy older adults may be particularly indicative of Aβ-related decline during the preclinical stage of AD and useful for identifying Aβ + clinically normal individuals at greatest risk of short-term clinical progression. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Shooting performance is related to forearm temperature and hand tremor size.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakie, M; Villagra, F; Bowman, I; Wilby, R

1995-08-01

The changes in postural tremor of the hand and the subsequent effect on shooting performance produced by moderate cooling and heating of the forearm were studied in six subjects. Cooling produced a large decrease in tremor size of the ipsilateral hand, whereas warming the limb produced an increase in tremor size. Cooling or warming the forearm did not change the peak frequency of tremor significantly, which was quite stable for each subject. The improvement in shooting performance after cooling the forearm, as measured by grouping pattern of the shots, reached statistical significance and warming caused a significant worsening. This measure of performance was shown to correlate (r = 0.776) inversely with tremor size. The causes and implications of these changes are discussed. It is suggested that local cooling may be useful for people who wish temporarily to reduce tremor in order to improve dexterity for shooting and for other purposes.

Ontogeny of axillary buds and shoots in roses: Leaf initiation and pith development.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marcelis-van Acker, C.A.M.

1994-01-01

The ontogeny of an axillary bud (in the middle region of a shoot) from initiation up to flowering of the subsequent shoot was studied. The first secondary buds appeared in the axillary bud (primary bud) when the leaf subtending the primary bud unfolded. By that time, the primary bud contained seven

PRODUCTION OF THE NEW ANTIMALARIAL DRUG ARTEMISININ IN SHOOT CULTURES OF ARTEMISIA-ANNUA L

NARCIS (Netherlands)

WOERDENBAG, HJ; LUERS, JFJ; VANUDEN, W; PRAS, N; MALINGRE, TM; ALFERMANN, AW

From aseptically grown Artemisia annua plantlets, shoot cultures were initiated. Using different concentrations of auxine, cytokinine and sucrose, a suitable culture medium was developed, with respect to the growth of the shoots and their artemisinin accumulation. Nitrate concentration and

Importance of the Cu oxidation state for the SO2-poisoning of a Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst in the NH3-SCR reaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hammershøi, Peter S.; Vennestrøm, Peter N. R.; Falsig, Hanne

2018-01-01

behavior and mechanisms of a Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst were studied with reactor tests and DFT calculations. Exposure of the catalyst to two different SO2 concentrations and durations, but with the same total SO2 exposure, calculated as the product of partial pressure of SO2 and exposure time, lead to the same...... degree of deactivation. Exposure of the Cu-SAPO-34 catalyst to SO2 in the presence and absence of NO and NH3 at different temperatures between 200–600 °C showed different trends for the deactivation. Below 400 °C, the S/Cu ratio on the catalyst increased with temperature in absence of NO and NH3, while...... showing that SO2 and SO3, which is possibly formed by oxidation of SO2 over Cu sites, interact similar with Cu in Cu-SAPO-34 and Cu-SSZ-13....

Direct adventitious shoot bud formation on hypocotyls explants in Millettia pinnata (L.) Panigrahi- a biodiesel producing medicinal tree species

OpenAIRE

Nagar, Durga Singh; Jha, Suman Kumar; Jani, Jigar

2015-01-01

A reproducible protocol developed for in vitro regeneration of Milletia pinnata using hypocotyl segments. Multiple shoots were induced from hypocotyl explants through direct adventitious shoot bud regeneration. The proximal end of hypocotyls was responsive for shoot bud induction. Silver nitrate and adenine sulphate had a positive effect on shoot bud induction and elongation. The maximum response and number of shoot bud produced in media supplemented with 8.88 μM BAP with 108.6 μM adenine sul...

Differential transcriptome profiling of chilling stress response between shoots and rhizomes of Oryza longistaminata using RNA sequencing.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Zhang

Full Text Available Rice (Oryza sativa is very sensitive to chilling stress at seedling and reproductive stages, whereas wild rice, O. longistaminata, tolerates non-freezing cold temperatures and has overwintering ability. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of chilling tolerance (CT in O. longistaminata should thus provide a basis for rice CT improvement through molecular breeding. In this study, high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to profile global transcriptome alterations and crucial genes involved in response to long-term low temperature in O. longistaminata shoots and rhizomes subjected to 7 days of chilling stress. A total of 605 and 403 genes were respectively identified as up- and down-regulated in O. longistaminata under 7 days of chilling stress, with 354 and 371 differentially expressed genes (DEGs found exclusively in shoots and rhizomes, respectively. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that multiple transcriptional regulatory pathways were enriched in commonly induced genes in both tissues; in contrast, only the photosynthesis pathway was prevalent in genes uniquely induced in shoots, whereas several key metabolic pathways and the programmed cell death process were enriched in genes induced only in rhizomes. Further analysis of these tissue-specific DEGs showed that the CBF/DREB1 regulon and other transcription factors (TFs, including AP2/EREBPs, MYBs, and WRKYs, were synergistically involved in transcriptional regulation of chilling stress response in shoots. Different sets of TFs, such as OsERF922, OsNAC9, OsWRKY25, and WRKY74, and eight genes encoding antioxidant enzymes were exclusively activated in rhizomes under long-term low-temperature treatment. Furthermore, several cis-regulatory elements, including the ICE1-binding site, the GATA element for phytochrome regulation, and the W-box for WRKY binding, were highly abundant in both tissues, confirming the involvement of multiple regulatory genes and complex networks in the

Improving adventitious shoot regeneration from cultured leaf ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of various concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ) with or without 2.7 μM of α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on adventitious shoot formation of two Petunia hybrida cultivars was studied. Seeds from 'Daddy Blue' and 'Dreams White' cultivars were germinated in vitro. Expanded leaves from both seedlings and ...

Microclonal Multiplication of wild Cherry (Prunus avium L.) from Shoot Tips and Root Sucker Buds

OpenAIRE

Pevalek-Kozlina, Branka; Michler, Charles H.; Jelaska, Sibila

1994-01-01

The effects of different combinations and concentrations of the growth regulators: 6-benzylaminopurine (BA), 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN), N6- (2-isopentenyl) adenine (2iP), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and a-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) on axillary shoot multiplication rates for wild cherry (Prunus avium L.) shoot explants were determined. Apical shoot tips and axillary buds from juvenile trees (5-year old) and from root suckers of mature trees (55-year old) were us...

Plant regeneration through organogenesis and shoot proliferation in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-10-20

Oct 20, 2008 ... Effect of 2,4-D, NAA and BA (in MS medium) on Trichodesma indicum callus induction and shoot .... Structure/activity relationships of the fenotoxic potentcies of sixteen pyrrolizidine ... In vitro propagation of Cordia verbe- ...

PENGARUH GAYA MENGAJAR DAN MOTIVASI BELAJAR TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR LAY UP SHOOT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilang Ramadan

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Reciprocal teaching styles and teaching styles Exercise as well as learning motivation towards learning outcomes Lay UpShoot.The research was conducted on students and SMA Negeri 1 Cigugur. This study uses a treatment by the level of 2 x 2. The sample consisted of 28 students as well as students. The data analysis technique is a two-track analysis of variance (ANOVA and then followed by Tukey's test at a significance level α = 0, 05. The results of this study indicate that (1. Value of learning outcomes Lay Up Shoot in the treatment higher Reciprocal teaching style with the results of 50% (14 above the average of the value style of teaching exercises that only 39.29% (11 above average in SMA 1 Cigugur. (2. Value learning outcomes Lay Up Shoot in the treatment of Reciprocal teaching style of learning motivation high (A1B1is higher than the value of teaching style Exercise high learning motivation (A2B1in SMA Negeri 1 Cigugur. (3. Value learning outcomes Lay Up Shoot in the treatment of Reciprocal teaching style low learning motivation (A1B2is lower than the value of teaching style Exercise low learning motivation (A2B2in SMA Negeri 1 Cigugur. Keyword: Reciprocal teaching styles, teaching styles Exercise, learning motivation Abstrak: Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh dari gaya mengajar Resiprokal dan gaya mengajar Latihan serta motivasi belajar terhadap hasil belajar Lay Up Shoot. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada siswa maupun siswi SMA Negeri 1 Cigugur. Penelitian ini menggunakan treatment by level 2 x 2. Sampel terdiri dari 28 siswa maupun siswi. Teknik analisis data adalah analisis varians dua jalur (ANAVA dan selanjutnya dilanjutkan dengan uji Tukey pada tingkat signifikansi α = 0, 05. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa (1. Nilai hasil belajar Lay Up Shoot pada perlakuan gaya mengajar Resiprokal lebih tinggi dengan hasil 50% (14 orang di atas rata

In vitro binding of germanium to proteins of rice shoots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Hideaki; Takahashi, Eiichi

1976-01-01

The possibility of in vitro binding between proteins of rice shoots and germanium (Ge) was investigated. The proteins in mixtures of aqueous extracts of rice shoots and radioactive germanium ( 68 GeO 2 ) were fractionated. The binding of radioactivity to the proteins was observed even after 5 successive fractionation steps from the original mixtures. At the final fractionation step using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a constant proportionality between protein concentration and associated radioactivity was found in most samples although not all. These results indicate that the binding of 68 Ge to proteins is not due to the simple adsorption by proteins. (auth.)

Growth of intermetallics between Sn/Ni/Cu, Sn/Ag/Cu and Sn/Cu layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horváth, Barbara; Illés, Balázs; Shinohara, Tadashi

2014-01-01

Intermetallic growth mechanisms and rates are investigated in Sn/Ni/Cu, Sn/Ag/Cu and Sn/Cu layer systems. An 8–10 μm thick Sn surface finish layer was electroplated onto a Cu substrate with a 1.5–2 μm thick Ni or Ag barrier layer. In order to induce intermetallic layer growth, the samples were aged in elevated temperatures: 50 °C and 125 °C. Intermetallic layer growth was checked by focused ion beam–scanning ion microscope. The microstructures and chemical compositions of the intermetallic layers were observed with a transmission electron microscope. It has been found that Ni barrier layers can effectively block the development of Cu 6 Sn 5 intermetallics. The intermetallic growth characteristics in the Sn/Cu and Sn/Ni/Cu systems are very similar. The intermetallic layer grows towards the Sn layer and forms a discrete layer. Differences were observed only in the growth gradients and surface roughness of the intermetallic layer which may explain the different tin whiskering properties. It was observed that the intermetallic layer growth mechanisms are completely different in the Ag barrier layers compared to the Ni layers. In the case of Sn/Ag/Cu systems, the Sn and Cu diffused through the Ag layer, formed Cu 6 Sn 5 intermetallics mainly at the Sn/Ag interface and consumed the Ag barrier layer. - Highlights: • Intermetallic growth was characterised in Sn/Ni/Cu, Sn/Ag/Cu and Sn/Cu layer systems. • Intermetallic growth rates and roughness are similar in the Sn/Cu and Sn/Ni/Cu systems. • Sn/Ni/Cu system contains the following intermetallic layer structure Sn–Ni3Sn4–Ni3Sn2–Ni3Sn–Ni. • In the case of Sn/Ag/Cu systems the Sn and Cu diffusion consumes the Ag barrier layer. • When Cu reaches the Sn/Ag interface a large amount of Cu 6 Sn 5 forms above the Ag layer

Roles of abscisic acid and auxin in shoot-supplied ammonium inhibition of root system development.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Baohai; Li, Qing; Kronzucker, Herbert J; Shi, Weiming

2011-10-01

A plastic root system is a prerequisite for successful plant acclimation to variable environments. The normally functioning root system is the result of a complex interaction of root-borne signals and shoot-derived regulators. We recently demonstrated that AUX1, a well-studied component of auxin transport, mediates shoot-supplied ammonium (SSA) inhibition of lateral root (LR) formation in Arabidopsis. By contrast, the response did not involve ABA pathways, via which several other abiotic stresses affect LR formation. We proposed that SSA regulates LR emergence by interrupting AUX1-mediated auxin transport from shoot to root. Here, by analyzing both ABA- and auxin-related mutants, we show that AUX1 is also required for SSA-mediated suppression of primary root growth. Ammonium content in shoots was furthermore shown to increase linearly with shoot-, but not root-supplied, ammonium, suggesting it may represent the internal trigger for SSA inhibition of root development. Taken together, our data identify AUX1-mediated auxin transport as a key transmission step in the sensing of excessive ammonium exposure and its inhibitory effect on root development. 

Direct adventitious shoot bud formation on hypocotyls explants in Millettia pinnata (L.) Panigrahi- a biodiesel producing medicinal tree species.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagar, Durga Singh; Jha, Suman Kumar; Jani, Jigar

2015-04-01

A reproducible protocol developed for in vitro regeneration of Milletia pinnata using hypocotyl segments. Multiple shoots were induced from hypocotyl explants through direct adventitious shoot bud regeneration. The proximal end of hypocotyls was responsive for shoot bud induction. Silver nitrate and adenine sulphate had a positive effect on shoot bud induction and elongation. The maximum response and number of shoot bud produced in media supplemented with 8.88 μM BAP with 108.6 μM adenine sulphate and 11.84 μM silver nitrate. Elongated shoots were harvested and successful rooting of microshoots achieved on MS media supplemented with 9.84 μM IBA, with 81.1 % rooting. Remaining shoot buds sub-cultured for further multiplication and elongation. Each subculture produced eight to nine elongated microshoots up to four subcultures. The rooted microshoots were successfully hardened and transferred to field.

Determination of sink intensity of side shoots by the use of radioactive substances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmann, H.D.; Forche, E.

1980-01-01

The influence of side shoots in the source-sink system of tomato plants was demonstrated by following the translocation of 32 P and 14 C applied to different leaves. The results showed that the side shoots were important sinks for photosynthetic products until the growing fruits of adjoining inflorescences became predominant attraction centres. (orig.) [de

CuO reduction induced formation of CuO/Cu2O hybrid oxides

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Lu; Yin, Qiyue; Wang, Yiqian; Zhou, Guangwen

2013-12-01

Reduction of CuO nanowires results in the formation of a unique hierarchical hybrid nanostructure, in which the parent oxide phase (CuO) works as the skeleton while the lower oxide (Cu2O) resulting from the reduction reaction forms as partially embedded nanoparticles that decorate the skeleton of the parent oxide. Using in situ transmission electron microscopy observations of the reduction process of CuO nanowires, we demonstrate that the formation of such a hierarchical hybrid oxide structure is induced by topotactic nucleation and growth of Cu2O islands on the parent CuO nanowires.

Toxic effects of copper-based nanoparticles or compounds to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jie; Rico, Cyren M; Zhao, Lijuan; Adeleye, Adeyemi S; Keller, Arturo A; Peralta-Videa, Jose R; Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L

2015-01-01

The increased production and use of nanoparticles (NPs) has generated concerns about their impact on living organisms. In this study, nCu, bulk Cu, nCuO, bulk CuO, Cu(OH)2 (CuPRO 2005, Kocide 3000), and CuCl2 were exposed for 15 days to 10 days-old hydroponically grown lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Each compound was applied at 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg L(-1). At harvest, we measured the size of the plants and determined the concentration of Cu, macro and microelements by using ICP-OES. Catalase and ascorbate peroxidase activity was also determined. Results showed that all Cu NPs/compounds reduced the root length by 49% in both plant species. All Cu NPs/compounds increased Cu, P, and S (>100%, >50%, and >20%, respectively) in alfalfa shoots and decreased P and Fe in lettuce shoot (>50% and >50%, respectively, excluding Fe in CuCl2 treatment). Biochemical assays showed reduced catalase activity in alfalfa (root and shoot) and increased ascorbate peroxidase activity in roots of both plant species. Results suggest that Cu NPs/compounds not only reduced the size of the plants but altered nutrient content and enzyme activity in both plant species.

Three ancient hormonal cues co-ordinate shoot branching in a moss.

Science.gov (United States)

Coudert, Yoan; Palubicki, Wojtek; Ljung, Karin; Novak, Ondrej; Leyser, Ottoline; Harrison, C Jill

2015-03-25

Shoot branching is a primary contributor to plant architecture, evolving independently in flowering plant sporophytes and moss gametophytes. Mechanistic understanding of branching is largely limited to flowering plants such as Arabidopsis, which have a recent evolutionary origin. We show that in gametophytic shoots of Physcomitrella, lateral branches arise by re-specification of epidermal cells into branch initials. A simple model co-ordinating the activity of leafy shoot tips can account for branching patterns, and three known and ancient hormonal regulators of sporophytic branching interact to generate the branching pattern- auxin, cytokinin and strigolactone. The mode of auxin transport required in branch patterning is a key divergence point from known sporophytic pathways. Although PIN-mediated basipetal auxin transport regulates branching patterns in flowering plants, this is not so in Physcomitrella, where bi-directional transport is required to generate realistic branching patterns. Experiments with callose synthesis inhibitors suggest plasmodesmal connectivity as a potential mechanism for transport.

Morphology and chemical composition of Cu/Sn/Cu and Cu(5 at-%Ni)/Sn/Cu(5 at-%Ni) interconnections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wierzbicka-Miernik, A.; Wojewoda-Budka, J.; Litynska-Dobrzynska, L.; Kodentsov, A.; Zieba, P.

2012-01-01

In the present paper, scanning and transmission electron microscopies as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy investigations were performed to describe the morphology and chemical composition of the intermetallic phases growing in Cu/Sn/Cu and Cu(Ni)/Sn/Cu(Ni) interconnections during the

Pre-hospital management of mass casualty civilian shootings: a systematic literature review

OpenAIRE

Turner, Conor D. A.; Lockey, David J.; Rehn, Marius

2016-01-01

Background Mass casualty civilian shootings present an uncommon but recurring challenge to emergency services around the world and produce unique management demands. On the background of a rising threat of transnational terrorism worldwide, emergency response strategies are of critical importance. This study aims to systematically identify, describe and appraise the quality of indexed and non-indexed literature on the pre-hospital management of modern civilian mass shootings to guide future p...

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting as tipping point: "This Time Is Different".

Science.gov (United States)

Shultz, James M; Muschert, Glenn W; Dingwall, Alison; Cohen, Alyssa M

2013-01-01

Among rampage shooting massacres, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012 galvanized public attention. In this Commentary we examine the features of this episode of gun violence that has sparked strong reactions and energized discourse that may ultimately lead toward constructive solutions to diminish high rates of firearm deaths and injuries in the United States.

Effect of Shoot Pruning and Flower Thinning on Quality and Quantity of Semi-Determinate Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdolali HESAMI

2012-02-01

Full Text Available There are many constraints of space, light and availability of fruits to harvest in tomatoes greenhouse. Therefore, two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of shoot pruning and flower thinning on quality and quantity of fruits of semi-determinate tomato in a greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Persian Gulf University of Bushehr. Experimental design was randomized complete block designs in which the effect of shoot pruning (single branch pruning, double branch pruning, pyramidal pruning and control or flower thinning (Cluster with 4 and 5 remained flowers and control were studied separately. Results showed that, leaf area and plants yield were higher in treatments which were pruned than control. Yields from pyramidal pruning and cluster thinning with 5 remaining flowers were significantly higher than other treatments. On the other hand, qualitative study identified that pyramidal pruning increases vitamin C in fruits, but had no significant effect on total soluble solids.

Effect of foliar applied (Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn) in citrus production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khurshid, F.; Sarwar, S.; Khattak, R.A.

2008-01-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of micronutrients (Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn) on sweet orange (Citrus Sinensis L.), blood red var., on farmer's orchard at Khanpur, district Haripur, NWFP, during 2002-03. Micronutrients were applied in foliar sprays over the canopy of each tree. The main effects and interactions of Zinc sulphate (Zn), iron sulphate (Fe), Copper Sulphate (Cu) and Manganese Sulphate (Mn) were studied in factorial combinations. A basal dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was applied at the rate 1.5, 1 and 1 kg tree/sup -1/. Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn were applied alone and in various combinations at the rate 0.115, 0.057, 0.05 and 0.13 kg in 100 liters of water. Application of micronutrients significantly increased Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn concentrations in leaves, compared with control. Zn treatments significantly increased the yield, number of fruit and total sugar. Manganese treatments significantly increased the total soluble solids and reduced the acidity of fruit juice. Other quality parameters, including fruit size, percent peel, percent pulp, sugar as well as total soluble solids, were improved with the application of Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn. (author)

IR and TPD studies of the interaction of alkenes with Cu + sites in CuNaY and CuNaX zeolites of various Cu content. The heterogeneity of Cu + sites

Science.gov (United States)

Datka, J.; Kukulska-Zajaç, E.; Kozyra, P.

2006-08-01

Cu + ions in zeolites activate organic molecules containing π electrons by π back donation, which results in a distinct weakening of multiple bonds. In this study, we followed the activation of alkenes (ethene and propene) by Cu + ions in CuY and CuX zeolites of various Cu content. We also studied the strength of bonding of alkenes to Cu + ions. IR studies have shown that there are two kinds of Cu + sites of various electron donor properties. We suppose that they could be attributed to the presence of Cu + ions of various number of oxygen atoms surrounding the cation. IR studies have shown that Cu ions introduced into Y and X zeolites in the first-order (at low Cu content) form Cu + ions of stronger electron donor properties (i.e. activate alkenes to larger extend) than Cu ions introduced in the next order (at higher Cu content). IR and TPD studies of alkenes desorption evidenced that Cu + ions of stronger electron donor properties bond alkenes stronger than less electron donor ones. It suggests that π back donation has more important contribution to the strength of bonding alkenes to cation than π donation.

Effects of visual control training on the shooting performance of elite female basketball players

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oudejans, R.R.D.

2012-01-01

In the current study, a method was tested to train visual control in basketball shooting. Using a sender/receiver system, Plato liquid-crystal goggles were wirelessly and manually controlled by the experimenter to manipulate vision of players while they were shooting. During the training the goggles

Heavy metal stress in alders: Tolerance and vulnerability of the actinorhizal symbiosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bélanger, Pier-Anne; Bellenger, Jean-Philippe; Roy, Sébastien

2015-11-01

Alders have already demonstrated their potential for the revegetation of both mining and industrial sites. These actinorhizal trees and shrubs and the actinobacteria Frankia associate in a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis which could however be negatively affected by the presence of heavy metals, and accumulate them. In our hydroponic assay with black alders, quantification of the roots and shoots metal concentrations showed that, in the absence of stress, symbiosis increases Mo and Ni root content and simultaneously decreases Mo shoot content. Interestingly, the Mo shoot content also decreases in the presence of Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn and Cd for symbiotic alders. In symbiotic alders, Pb shoot translocation was promoted in presence of Pb. On the other hand, Cd exclusion in symbiotic root tissues was observed with Pb and Cd. In the presence of symbiosis, only Cd and Pb showed translocation into aerial tissues when present in the nutrient solution. Moreover, the translocation of Ni to shoot was prevented by symbiosis in the presence of Cd, Ni and Pb. The hydroponic experiment demonstrated that alders benefit from the symbiosis, producing more biomass (total, root and shoot) than non nodulated alders in control condition, and in the presence of metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and Cd). Heavy metals did not reduce the nodule numbers (SNN), but the presence of Zn or Cd did reduce nodule allocation. Our study suggests that the Frankia-alder symbiosis is a promising (and a compatible) plant-microorganism association for the revegetation of contaminated sites, with minimal risk of metal dispersion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photocatalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide Using Zn–Cu–Ga Layered Double Hydroxides Assembled with Cu Phthalocyanine: Cu in Contact with Gaseous Reactant is Needed for Methanol Generation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kawamura Shogo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Photocatalytic conversion of CO2 into fuels is an attractive option in terms of both reducing the increased concentration of atmospheric CO2 as well as generating renewable hydrocarbon fuels. It is necessary to investigate good catalysts for CO2 conversion and to clarify the mechanism irradiated by natural light. Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH have been attracting attention for CO2 photoreduction with the expectation of sorption capacity for CO2 in the layered space and tunable semiconductor properties as a result of the choice of metal cations. This study first clarifies the effects of Cu doping to LDH comprising Zn and Al or Ga. Cu could be incorporated in the cationic layers of LDH as divalent metal cations and/or interlayer anions as Cu(OH42−. The formation rates of methanol and CO were optimized for [Zn1.5Cu1.5Ga(OH8]+2Cu(OH42−·mH2O at a total rate of 560 nmol h−1 gcat−1 irradiated by UV–visible light. Cu phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate hydrate (CuPcTs4− and silver were effective as promoters of LDH for CO2 photoreduction. Especially, the total formation rate using CuPcTs-[Zn3Ga(OH8]+2CO32−·mH2O irradiated by visible light was 73% of that irradiated by UV–visible light. The promotion was based on HOMO–LUMO excitation of CuPcTs4− by visible light. The LUMO was distributed on N atoms of pyrrole rings bound to central Cu2+ ions. The photogenerated electrons diffused to the Cu site would photoreduce CO2 progressively in a similar way to inlayer and interlayer Cu sites in the LDH in this study.

Youth Responses to School Shootings: a Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Travers, Áine; McDonagh, Tracey; Elklit, Ask

2018-05-19

This paper aims to synthesize research relating to youth responses to school shootings between 2014 and 2017. The main questions it addresses are how such events impact young people psychologically, and what risk or protective factors may contribute to different trajectories of recovery? Recent research suggests that most young people exposed to school shootings demonstrate resilience, exhibiting no long-term dysfunction. However, a minority will experience severe and chronic symptoms. The likelihood of experiencing clinically significant reactions is influenced by pre-trauma functioning as well as peri-traumatic and post-traumatic factors. These include proximity to the trauma, peri-traumatic dissociation, post-traumatic emotional regulation difficulties, social support, and flexibility of coping styles. Research that separates the distinguishing features of young people with differing recovery styles is vital to tailor intervention. But methodological and design issues associated with such research necessitates caution in drawing conclusions. Variation in definitions and measures and the self-report nature of many of the studies are potential sources of bias. Greater uniformity across designs would enhance confidence and allow for improved evidence-based intervention.

Racial and Mental Illness Stereotypes and Discrimination: An Identity-Based Analysis of the Virginia Tech and Columbine Shootings

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Charlene Y.; Purdie-Vaughns, Valerie; Phelan, Jo C.; Yu, Gary; Yang, Lawrence H.

2015-01-01

The Virginia Tech and Columbine High shootings are 2 of the deadliest school massacres in the United States. The present study investigates in a nationally representative sample how White Americans’ causal attributions of these shooting moderate their attitudes toward the shooter’s race. White Americans shown a vignette based on the Virginia Tech shooting were more likely to espouse negative beliefs about Korean American men and distance themselves from this group the more they believed that the shooter’s race caused the shooting. Among those who were shown a vignette based on the Columbine High shooting, believing that mental illness caused the shooting was associated with weaker negative beliefs about White American men. White Americans in a third condition who were given the Virginia Tech vignette and prompted to subtype the shooter according to his race were less likely to possess negative beliefs about Korean American men the more they believed that mental illness caused the shooting. There was no evidence for the ultimate attribution error. Theoretical accounts based on the stereotype and in-group-out-group bias literature are presented. The current findings have important implications for media depictions of minority group behavior and intergroup relations. PMID:25198415

Porous HKUST-1 derived CuO/Cu2O shell wrapped Cu(OH)2 derived CuO/Cu2O core nanowire arrays for electrochemical nonenzymatic glucose sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Cuiping; Cui, Jiewu; Wang, Yan; Zheng, Hongmei; Zhang, Jianfang; Shu, Xia; Liu, Jiaqin; Zhang, Yong; Wu, Yucheng

2018-05-01

Self-supported CuO/Cu2O@CuO/Cu2O core-shell nanowire arrays (NWAs) are successfully fabricated by a simple and efficient method in this paper. Anodized Cu(OH)2 NWAs could in-situ convert to HKUST-1 at room temperature easily. Cu(OH)2 NWAs cores and HKUST-1 shells transform into CuO/Cu2O simultaneously after calcinations and form CuO/Cu2O@CuO/Cu2O core-shell NWAs. This smart configuration of the core-shell structure not only avoids the agglomeration of the traditional MOF-derived materials in particle-shape, but also facilitates the ion diffusion and increases the active sites. This novel structure is employed as substrate to construct nonenzymatic glucose sensors. The results indicate that glucose sensor based on CuO/Cu2O@CuO/Cu2O core-shell NWAs presents ultrahigh sensitivity (10,090 μA mM-1 cm-2), low detection limit (0.48 μM) and wide linear range (0.99-1,330 μM). In addition, it also shows excellent anti-interference ability toward uric acid, ascorbic acid and L-Cysteine co-existing with glucose, good reproducibility and superior ability of real sample analysis.

Effect of gamma irradiation on seed germination and organization of shoot apex in Solanum melongena and Capsicum annum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, J.D.; Shah, J.J.

1974-01-01

Seeds of S. melongena and C. annum were irradiated with 10, 20 and 30 kR exposures of gamma rays. All doses bring about morphological and structural changes in the shoot apex. Cytohistological zonation is absent in the shoot apex of treated seeds. Tunica and corpus cells become inactive. The plastochron period between the two successive leaf primordia is shorter in irradiated shoot apices than in unirradiated ones. In Capsicum certain shoot apices showed arrested internodes between the cotyledon and next leaf. (author)

Comparative study of Cu-Zr and Cu-Ru alloy films for barrier-free Cu metallization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Ying; Cao Fei; Zhang Milin; Liu Yuntao

2011-01-01

The properties of Cu-Zr and Cu-Ru alloy films were comparatively studied to evaluate their potential use as alloying elements. Cu alloy films were deposited on SiO 2 /Si substrates by magnetron sputtering. Samples were subsequently annealed and analyzed by four-point probe measurement, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction data suggest that Cu film has preferential (111) crystal orientation and no extra peak corresponding to any compound of Cu, Zr, Ru, and Si. According to transmission electron microscopy results, Cu grains grow in size for both systems but the grain sizes of the Cu alloy films are smaller than that of pure Cu films. These results indicate that Cu-Zr film is suitable for advanced barrier-free metallization in terms of interfacial stability and lower resistivity.

Optoelectronics applications in multimedia shooting training systems: SPARTAN

Science.gov (United States)

Glogowski, Tomasz; Hlosta, Pawel; Stepniak, Slawomir; Swiderski, Waldemar

2017-10-01

Multimedia shooting training systems are increasingly being used in the training of security staff and uniformed services. An advanced practicing-training system SPARTAN for simulation of small arms shooting has been designed and manufactured by Autocomp Management Ltd. and Military Institute of Armament Technology for the Polish Ministry of National Defence. SPARTAN is a stationary device designed to teach, monitor and evaluate the targeting of small arms and to prepare soldiers for: • firing the live ammunition at open ranges for combat targets and silhouettes • detection, classification and engagement of real targets upon different terrains, weather conditions and periods during the day • team work as a squad during the mission by using different types of arms • suitable reactions in untypical scenarios. Placed in any room the training set consists of: • the projection system that generates realistic 3D imaging of the battlefield (such as combat shooting range) in high-resolution • system that tracks weapons aiming points • sound system which delivers realistic mapping of acoustic surroundings • operator station with which the training is conducted and controlled • central processing unit based on PC computers equipped with specialist software realizing individual system functions • units of smart weapons equipped with radio communication modules, injection laser diodes and pneumatic reloading system. The system make possible training by firing in dynamic scenarios, using combat weapons and live ammunition against visible targets moving on a screen. The use of infrared camera for detecting the position of impact of a projectile.

School Shootings; Standards Kill Students and Society

Science.gov (United States)

Angert, Betsy L.

2008-01-01

School shootings have been in the news of late. People ponder what occurs in classrooms today. Why would a young person wish to take a life? Within educational institutions, the killings are a concern. In our dire attempt to teach the children and ensure student success, it seems many of our offspring are lost. Some students feel separate from…

Cu/Cu{sub 2}O/CuO nanoparticles: Novel synthesis by exploding wire technique and extensive characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sahai, Anshuman [Department of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector-62, Noida 201307 (India); Goswami, Navendu, E-mail: navendugoswami@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, A-10, Sector-62, Noida 201307 (India); Kaushik, S.D. [UGC-DAE-Consortium for Scientific Research Mumbai Centre, R5 Shed, BARC, Mumbai 400085 (India); Tripathi, Shilpa [UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Indore, M.P. (India)

2016-12-30

Highlights: The salient features of this research article are following: • Mixed phase synthesis of Cu/Cu{sub 2}O/CuO nanoparticles prepared by Exploding Wire Technique (EWT). • Predominant Cu/Cu{sub 2}O phases along with minor CuO phase revealed through XRD, TEM, Raman, FTIR, UV–Visible and PL analyses. • XPS analysis provided direct evidences of Cu{sup 2+} and Cu{sup +} along with O deficiency for prepared nanoparticles. • Room temperature weak ferromagnetic behaviour was demonstrated for Cu/Cu{sub 2}O/CuO nanoparticles. - Abstract: In this article, we explore potential of Exploding Wire Technique (EWT) to synthesize the copper nanoparticles using the copper metal in a plate and wire geometry. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of prepared material indicates presence of mixed phases of copper (Cu) and copper oxide (Cu{sub 2}O). Agglomerates of copper and copper oxide comprised of ∼20 nm average size nanoparticles observed through high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Micro-Raman (μR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies of prepared nanoparticles reveal existence of additional minority CuO phase, not determined earlier through XRD and TEM analysis. μR investigations vividly reveal cubic Cu{sub 2}O and monoclinic CuO phases based on the difference of space group symmetries. In good agreement with μRaman analysis, FTIR stretching modes corresponding to Cu{sub 2}-O and Cu-O were also distinguished. Investigations of μR and FTIR vibrational modes are in accordance and affirm concurrence of CuO phases besides predominant Cu and Cu{sub 2}O phase. Quantum confinement effects along with increase of band gaps for direct and indirect optical transitions of Cu/Cu{sub 2}O/CuO nanoparticles are reflected through UV–vis (UV–vis) spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy spots the electronic levels of each phase and optical transitions processes

Localization of cells containing sedimented amyloplasts in the shoots of normal and lazy rice seedlings.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, K; Takahashi, H; Suge, H

1994-12-01

We have examined the localization of the cells containing sedimented amyloplasts (putative statocytes) and its relation to the graviresponding sites in the shoots of normal and lazy rice seedlings. All graviresponsive organs of the shoots of normal rice seedlings, the mesocotyl, the coleoptile and the leaf-sheath base, were found to possess the statocytes. This is the first indication that mesocotyl senses gravity by its own cells in inducing gravitropic bending in rice seedlings. In lazy-Kamenoo, although the shoots lost their gravitropic response with the advance of age, sedimentation of amyloplasts itself might not be attributable to the agravitropic growth of the shoots, because, including those of the leaf-sheath bases that had lost their response to gravity, sedimented amyloplasts appeared to be identical to those of normal Kamenoo and of younger seedlings of lazy-Kamenoo whose gravitropism is still apparent.

78 FR 69707 - Notice of Temporary Closure to Recreational and Target Shooting on Public Lands at Hartman Rocks...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-20

... Temporary Closure to Recreational and Target Shooting on Public Lands at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area, CO... recreational shooting affects public lands at Hartman Rocks Recreation Area in Gunnison County, Colorado. The... Hartman Rocks in Gunnison County, Colorado. The area is unsafe for target shooting due to its proximity to...

Shoot regeneration of callus culture from irradiated sheed of piper nigrum L by gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishak; Hutabarat, D.

1988-01-01

Shoot regeneration was obtained from callus that induced by irradiated seed with 25 and 50 Gy of gamma-rays and then on M.S. medium containing NAA 1 ppm and 2-ip 0.5 ppm. Irradiated seed with a dose of 25 Gy produced normal root and failed to produce shoot, but rice callus. Irradiated seed with a dose of 50 Gy pruduce callus only. Shoot differentiation occured after the callus were cultured on M.S., medium containing 2-ip 1 ppm and Kinetin 2.5 ppm. (authors). 9 refs, 3 figs

CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation on Cu(1 1 1), Cu@Cu(1 1 1), Rh@Cu(1 1 1) and RhCu(1 1 1) surfaces: A comparison studies of catalytic activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Riguang; Duan, Tian [Key Laboratory of Coal Science and Technology of Ministry of Education and Shanxi Province, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi (China); Ling, Lixia [Key Laboratory of Coal Science and Technology of Ministry of Education and Shanxi Province, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi (China); Research Institute of Special Chemicals, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi (China); Wang, Baojun, E-mail: wangbaojun@tyut.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Coal Science and Technology of Ministry of Education and Shanxi Province, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, Shanxi (China)

2015-06-30

Highlights: • Adsorbed Rh atom on Cu catalyst exhibits better catalytic activity for CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation. • The adsorbed Rh atom is the reaction active center for CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation. • The morphology of Cu substrate has negligible effect on CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation. - Abstract: In the CVD growth of graphene, the reaction barriers of the dehydrogenation for hydrocarbon molecules directly decide the graphene CVD growth temperature. In this study, density functional theory method has been employed to comparatively probe into CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation on four types of Cu(1 1 1) surface, including the flat Cu(1 1 1) surface (labeled as Cu(1 1 1)) and the Cu(1 1 1) surface with one surface Cu atom substituted by one Rh atom (labeled as RhCu(1 1 1)), as well as the Cu(1 1 1) surface with one Cu or Rh adatom (labeled as Cu@Cu(1 1 1) and Rh@Cu(1 1 1), respectively). Our results show that the highest barrier of the whole CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation process is remarkably reduced from 448.7 and 418.4 kJ mol{sup −1} on the flat Cu(1 1 1) and Cu@Cu(1 1 1) surfaces to 258.9 kJ mol{sup −1} on RhCu(1 1 1) surface, and to 180.0 kJ mol{sup −1} on Rh@Cu(1 1 1) surface, indicating that the adsorbed or substituted Rh atom on Cu catalyst can exhibit better catalytic activity for CH{sub 4} complete dehydrogenation; meanwhile, since the differences for the highest barrier between Cu@Cu(1 1 1) and Cu(1 1 1) surfaces are smaller, the catalytic behaviors of Cu@Cu(1 1 1) surface are very close to the flat Cu(1 1 1) surface, suggesting that the morphology of Cu substrate does not obviously affect the dehydrogenation of CH{sub 4}, which accords with the reported experimental observations. As a result, the adsorbed or substituted Rh atom on Cu catalyst exhibit a better catalytic activity for CH{sub 4} dehydrogenation compared to the pure Cu catalyst, especially on Rh-adsorbed Cu catalyst, we can conclude that the potential of synthesizing high-quality graphene with the

SU-E-T-614: Plan Averaging for Multi-Criteria Navigation of Step-And-Shoot IMRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, M; Gao, H [Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, Shanghai (China); Craft, D [Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: Step-and-shoot IMRT is fundamentally discrete in nature, while multi-criteria optimization (MCO) is fundamentally continuous: the MCO planning consists of continuous sliding across the Pareto surface (the set of plans which represent the tradeoffs between organ-at-risk doses and target doses). In order to achieve close to real-time dose display during this sliding, it is desired that averaged plans share many of the same apertures as the pre-computed plans, since dose computation for apertures generated on-the-fly would be expensive. We propose a method to ensure that neighboring plans on a Pareto surface share many apertures. Methods: Our baseline step-and-shoot sequencing method is that of K. Engel (a method which minimizes the number of segments while guaranteeing the minimum number of monitor units), which we customize to sequence a set of Pareto optimal plans simultaneously. We also add an error tolerance to study the relationship between the number of shared apertures, the total number of apertures needed, and the quality of the fluence map re-creation. Results: We run tests for a 2D Pareto surface trading off rectum and bladder dose versus target coverage for a clinical prostate case. We find that if we enforce exact fluence map recreation, we are not able to achieve much sharing of apertures across plans. The total number of apertures for all seven beams and 4 plans without sharing is 217. With sharing and a 2% error tolerance, this number is reduced to 158 (73%). Conclusion: With the proposed method, total number of apertures can be decreased by 42% (averaging) with no increment of total MU, when an error tolerance of 5% is allowed. With this large amount of sharing, dose computations for averaged plans which occur during Pareto navigation will be much faster, leading to a real-time what-you-see-is-what-you-get Pareto navigation experience. Minghao Guo and Hao Gao were partially supported by the NSFC (#11405105), the 973 Program (#2015CB856000

SU-E-T-614: Plan Averaging for Multi-Criteria Navigation of Step-And-Shoot IMRT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, M; Gao, H; Craft, D

2015-01-01

Purpose: Step-and-shoot IMRT is fundamentally discrete in nature, while multi-criteria optimization (MCO) is fundamentally continuous: the MCO planning consists of continuous sliding across the Pareto surface (the set of plans which represent the tradeoffs between organ-at-risk doses and target doses). In order to achieve close to real-time dose display during this sliding, it is desired that averaged plans share many of the same apertures as the pre-computed plans, since dose computation for apertures generated on-the-fly would be expensive. We propose a method to ensure that neighboring plans on a Pareto surface share many apertures. Methods: Our baseline step-and-shoot sequencing method is that of K. Engel (a method which minimizes the number of segments while guaranteeing the minimum number of monitor units), which we customize to sequence a set of Pareto optimal plans simultaneously. We also add an error tolerance to study the relationship between the number of shared apertures, the total number of apertures needed, and the quality of the fluence map re-creation. Results: We run tests for a 2D Pareto surface trading off rectum and bladder dose versus target coverage for a clinical prostate case. We find that if we enforce exact fluence map recreation, we are not able to achieve much sharing of apertures across plans. The total number of apertures for all seven beams and 4 plans without sharing is 217. With sharing and a 2% error tolerance, this number is reduced to 158 (73%). Conclusion: With the proposed method, total number of apertures can be decreased by 42% (averaging) with no increment of total MU, when an error tolerance of 5% is allowed. With this large amount of sharing, dose computations for averaged plans which occur during Pareto navigation will be much faster, leading to a real-time what-you-see-is-what-you-get Pareto navigation experience. Minghao Guo and Hao Gao were partially supported by the NSFC (#11405105), the 973 Program (#2015CB856000

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos Altomani Neves Dias

2015-01-01

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

Proteomic analysis of shoot tissue during photoperiod induced growth cessation in V. riparia Michx. grapevines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Kim J

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Growth cessation, cold acclimation and dormancy induction in grapevines and other woody perennial plants native to temperate continental climates is frequently triggered by short photoperiods. The early induction of these processes by photoperiod promotes winter survival of grapevines in cold temperate zones. Examining the molecular processes, in particular the proteomic changes in the shoot, will provide greater insight into the signaling cascade that initiates growth cessation and dormancy induction. To begin understanding transduction of the photoperiod signal, Vitis riparia Michx. grapevines that had grown for 35 days in long photoperiod (long day, LD, 15 h were subjected to either a continued LD or a short photoperiod (short day, SD, 13 h treatment. Shoot tips (4-node shoot terminals were collected from each treatment at 7 and 28 days of LD and SD for proteomic analysis via two-dimensional (2D gel electrophoresis. Results Protein profiles were characterized in V. riparia shoot tips during active growth or SD induced growth cessation to examine physiological alterations in response to differential photoperiod treatments. A total of 1054 protein spots were present on the 2D gels. Among the 1054 proteins, 216 showed differential abundance between LD and SD (≥ two-fold ratio, p-value ≤ 0.05. After 7 days, 39 protein spots were more abundant in LD and 30 were more abundant in SD. After 28 days, 93 protein spots were more abundant in LD and 54 were more abundant in SD. MS/MS spectrometry was performed to determine the functions of the differentially abundant proteins. Conclusions The proteomics analysis uncovered a portion of the signal transduction involved in V. riparia grapevine growth cessation and dormancy induction. Different enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle and glutamate synthetase isoforms were more abundant either in LD or SD treatments. In LD tissues the significantly differentially more abundant proteins

Proteomic analysis of shoot tissue during photoperiod induced growth cessation in V. riparia Michx. grapevines

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background Growth cessation, cold acclimation and dormancy induction in grapevines and other woody perennial plants native to temperate continental climates is frequently triggered by short photoperiods. The early induction of these processes by photoperiod promotes winter survival of grapevines in cold temperate zones. Examining the molecular processes, in particular the proteomic changes in the shoot, will provide greater insight into the signaling cascade that initiates growth cessation and dormancy induction. To begin understanding transduction of the photoperiod signal, Vitis riparia Michx. grapevines that had grown for 35 days in long photoperiod (long day, LD, 15 h) were subjected to either a continued LD or a short photoperiod (short day, SD, 13 h) treatment. Shoot tips (4-node shoot terminals) were collected from each treatment at 7 and 28 days of LD and SD for proteomic analysis via two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis. Results Protein profiles were characterized in V. riparia shoot tips during active growth or SD induced growth cessation to examine physiological alterations in response to differential photoperiod treatments. A total of 1054 protein spots were present on the 2D gels. Among the 1054 proteins, 216 showed differential abundance between LD and SD (≥ two-fold ratio, p-value ≤ 0.05). After 7 days, 39 protein spots were more abundant in LD and 30 were more abundant in SD. After 28 days, 93 protein spots were more abundant in LD and 54 were more abundant in SD. MS/MS spectrometry was performed to determine the functions of the differentially abundant proteins. Conclusions The proteomics analysis uncovered a portion of the signal transduction involved in V. riparia grapevine growth cessation and dormancy induction. Different enzymes of the Calvin-Benson cycle and glutamate synthetase isoforms were more abundant either in LD or SD treatments. In LD tissues the significantly differentially more abundant proteins included flavonoid

Induction and inhibition of film yeast from fermented bamboo shoot by seasoning plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaruwan Maneesri

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Three samples of fermented bamboo shoot taken from a village in Amphur Kokpho, Pattani Province, were microbiologically examined. Total viable count was between at 104-105 cfu/ml while pH range was between 3.4-4.4. Isolation and identification of film yeast on surface of fermented liquid revealed Saccharomyces cerevisiae J1, Candida krusei J2 and Candida krusei J3. When film yeast was cultivated in liquid culture with different NaCl concentrations (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5% (w/v, all species tolerated 2.5% NaCl addition. However, growth decreased depending on NaCl concentration. S. cerevisiae J1 grew faster than C. krusei J2 and C. krusei J3. The cultivation of film yeast in medium with different agar concentrations (0.3, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% (w/v within 24 h showed that 0.3% was the optimal agar concentration. Seasoning plants (garlic, ginger, galangal, lemon grass, lesser galangal, clove, kaffir lime, garcinia and shallot were extracted with water (3% (w/v and tested for growth inhibition. Results showed the clove extract inhibited all yeast strains within 12 h and after that the efficiency of inhibition was decreased. At low concentration of 0.75% (w/v clove extract could inhibit film yeast in fermented bamboo shoot.

Effect of cultivation ages on Cu accumulation in Greenhouse Soils in North China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jun; Guo, Wenmiao; Chen, Xin; Shi, Yi

2017-11-01

In this study, we determined the influence of cultivation age on Cu accumulation in greenhouse soils. The concentration of plant available Cu (A-Cu) decreased with depth, and the contents of top soils (0-40 cm) in greenhouses were higher than those of the open field. There was a positive correlation between A-Cu concentrations in soils and cultivation ages (R2=0.572). The contents of total Cu (T-Cu) decreased with depth, and positively correlated with cultivation ages in top soils (0-20cm) (R2=0.446). The long-term usage of manures can cause Cu increase and accumulation in greenhouse soils in comparison to the open field.

Cadmium uptake from solution by plants and its transport from roots to shoots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarvis, S.C.; Jones, L.H.P.; Hopper, M.J.

1976-02-01

The uptake of cadmium by the roots of plants, and its transport to shoots was examined using solution culture. Uptake by the roots of perennial ryegrass over a period of 4 hours from an aqueous solution containing 0.25 ppm cadmium as CdCl/sub 2/ was (i) enhanced by killing the roots and (ii) depressed when Ca/sup 2 +/, Mn/sup 2 +/ or Zn/sup 2 +/ were added to the solution. The distribution of cadmium between the roots and shoots of 23 species was examined at 4 days after a single, 3-day exposure to a nutrient solution containing 0.01 ppm added Cd. In all except 3 species, i.e. kale, lettuce and watercress, more than 50% of that taken up was retained in the shoot, and in fibrous roots of fodder beet, parsnip, carrot and radish it was greater than in the swollen storage roots. When perennial ryegrass was similarly exposed to solutions containing 0.01, 0.05, and 0.25 ppm added cadmium, uptake, as measured at 3 days after adding cadmium, increased with increasing rates of addition, but the proportion retained in the roots was constant (approximately 88%). There was no further transport from roots to shoots during the next 21 days, with the result that the concentration in the shoots decreased progressively with increasing growth. It is concluded that although the roots of several species can take up large quantities of cadmium from solution there are mechanisms which may restrict the movement of cadmium through plants, and thus to animals. 21 references, 7 tables.

When the Exception Is the Rule: School Shootings, Bare Life, and the Sovereign Self

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Harvey

2015-01-01

Much discourse on school shootings tends to imply a binary separation between what is considered normal and exceptional, between an expected course of human events and sociohistorical aberrations. In this article Harvey Shapiro suggests the need for new directions in our responses: First, he shows how responses to school shootings tend to…

Photoluminescence characteristics of sintered silica glass doped with Cu ions using mesoporous SiO{sub 2}-PVA nanocomposite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ikeda, Hiroshi [Art, Science and Technology Center for Cooperative Research, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Murata, Takahiro [Faculty of Education and Master' s Course in Education, Kumamoto University, 2-40-1 Kurokami, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto 860-8555 (Japan); Fujino, Shigeru, E-mail: fujino@astec.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Art, Science and Technology Center for Cooperative Research, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan)

2015-07-15

Monolithic silica glasses doped with Cu ions were prepared by immersing a mesoporous SiO{sub 2}-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite in a copper nitrate solution followed by sintering at 1100 °C for 12 h in air. The Cu ions were reduced from divalent to monovalent during the sintering process and consequently Cu{sup +} was doped into the silica glass matrix. The sintered glass possessed blue or yellow photoluminescence (PL) under UV irradiation, depending on the total concentration of Cu ions in the sintered silica glass. At a lower concentration below 30 ppm, the isolated Cu{sup +} existed in the glass matrix resulting in the blue PL. However, above 70 ppm, the Cu{sup +}–Cu{sup +} pairs were present, exhibiting the yellow PL. It was demonstrated that the PL characteristics of the sintered silica glasses doped with monovalent copper ions were affected by the total concentration of Cu ions in the glass, which can be adjusted as a function of the immersion conditions. - Highlights: • Silica glass doped with Cu{sup +} was fabricated by sintering the nanocomposite. • The Cu ions were reduced from divalent to monovalent during the sintering process. • The sintered glass possessed blue or yellow PL under UV irradiation. • The blue and yellow PL are due to isolated Cu{sup +} and Cu{sup +}–Cu{sup +} pairs, respectively. • The PL characteristics depended on the total concentration of Cu ions in the glass.

Motion-Blur-Free High-Speed Video Shooting Using a Resonant Mirror

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiaki Inoue

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This study proposes a novel concept of actuator-driven frame-by-frame intermittent tracking for motion-blur-free video shooting of fast-moving objects. The camera frame and shutter timings are controlled for motion blur reduction in synchronization with a free-vibration-type actuator vibrating with a large amplitude at hundreds of hertz so that motion blur can be significantly reduced in free-viewpoint high-frame-rate video shooting for fast-moving objects by deriving the maximum performance of the actuator. We develop a prototype of a motion-blur-free video shooting system by implementing our frame-by-frame intermittent tracking algorithm on a high-speed video camera system with a resonant mirror vibrating at 750 Hz. It can capture 1024 × 1024 images of fast-moving objects at 750 fps with an exposure time of 0.33 ms without motion blur. Several experimental results for fast-moving objects verify that our proposed method can reduce image degradation from motion blur without decreasing the camera exposure time.

Size of and damage on shoots of Passiflora suberosa (Passifloraceae influence oviposition site selection of Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elna Mugrabi-Oliveira

1996-01-01

Full Text Available Oviposition site selection of Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius, 1775 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae was studied when size of and damage on shoots were variable in a natural population of Passiflora suberosa Linnaeus (Passifloraceae, and through sequential and simultaneous choice experiments performed under insectary conditions. Females showed marked oviposition preference for undamaged and largest shoots of P. suberosa. Eggs were mostly laid on the terminal buds of intact shoots under natural conditions. In simultaneous choice trials, females preferred to oviposit on shoots from which leaves (ten were removed but the terminal bud maintained to those where leaves were kept but the terminal bud was cut out. In sequential choice trials, they did not lay eggs on shoots from which the terminal bud was removed. Females preferred to oviposit on large to short intact shoots in both sequential and simultaneous choice trials. Females laid eggs preferentially on shoots with the greatest leaf area when most plants were intact in the field during early spring. Later in fall, when mostly large, old shoots were damaged or in a reproductive stage (less desirable for oviposition, oviposition intensity was highest on the shortest, youngest shoots of P. suberosa. Thus, females might rank these quality attributes higher than size while selecting shoots for oviposition. The consequences of ovipositing selectively on intact, large shoots of P. suberosa are discussed from the view point of H. erato phyllis larval performance.

Racial and mental illness stereotypes and discrimination: an identity-based analysis of the Virginia Tech and Columbine shootings.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Charlene Y; Purdie-Vaughns, Valerie; Phelan, Jo C; Yu, Gary; Yang, Lawrence H

2015-04-01

The Virginia Tech and Columbine High shootings are 2 of the deadliest school massacres in the United States. The present study investigates in a nationally representative sample how White Americans' causal attributions of these shooting moderate their attitudes toward the shooter's race. White Americans shown a vignette based on the Virginia Tech shooting were more likely to espouse negative beliefs about Korean American men and distance themselves from this group the more they believed that the shooter's race caused the shooting. Among those who were shown a vignette based on the Columbine High shooting, believing that mental illness caused the shooting was associated with weaker negative beliefs about White American men. White Americans in a third condition who were given the Virginia Tech vignette and prompted to subtype the shooter according to his race were less likely to possess negative beliefs about Korean American men the more they believed that mental illness caused the shooting. There was no evidence for the ultimate attribution error. Theoretical accounts based on the stereotype and in-group-out-group bias literature are presented. The current findings have important implications for media depictions of minority group behavior and intergroup relations. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of benzylaminopurine (BAP) pulsing on in vitro shoot ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2011-03-28

Mar 28, 2011 ... Research Cluster, Faculty of Science, University Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Accepted 12 ... number of bud formation in shoot cultures of Musa acuminata cv. ... In tissue culture, plant growth regulators (PGR) are.

Shoot multiplication of Paphiopedilum orchid through in vitro cutting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

waraporn

2012-09-20

Sep 20, 2012 ... regulators could remain higher shoot multiplication than in other media. The micropropagation ... stalk nodes, buds, root tips and rhizome segments. For mass ... plants, the future mass-market orchids will most likely be.

Cu/Cu2O/CuO nanoparticles: Novel synthesis by exploding wire technique and extensive characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Sahai, Anshuman; Goswami, Navendu; Kaushik, S. D.; Tripathi, Shilpa

2016-12-01

In this article, we explore potential of Exploding Wire Technique (EWT) to synthesize the copper nanoparticles using the copper metal in a plate and wire geometry. Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of prepared material indicates presence of mixed phases of copper (Cu) and copper oxide (Cu2O). Agglomerates of copper and copper oxide comprised of ∼20 nm average size nanoparticles observed through high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Micro-Raman (μR) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies of prepared nanoparticles reveal existence of additional minority CuO phase, not determined earlier through XRD and TEM analysis. μR investigations vividly reveal cubic Cu2O and monoclinic CuO phases based on the difference of space group symmetries. In good agreement with μRaman analysis, FTIR stretching modes corresponding to Cu2-O and Cu-O were also distinguished. Investigations of μR and FTIR vibrational modes are in accordance and affirm concurrence of CuO phases besides predominant Cu and Cu2O phase. Quantum confinement effects along with increase of band gaps for direct and indirect optical transitions of Cu/Cu2O/CuO nanoparticles are reflected through UV-vis (UV-vis) spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy spots the electronic levels of each phase and optical transitions processes occurring therein. Iterative X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) fitting of core level spectra of Cu (2p3/2) and O (1s), divulges presence of Cu2+ and Cu+ in the lattice with an interesting evidence of O deficiency in the lattice structure and surface adsorption. Magnetic analysis illustrates that the prepared nanomaterial demonstrates ferromagnetic behaviour at room temperature.

Assessment of silver nitrate on callus induction and in vitro shoot regeneration in tomato (solanum lycopersicum mill.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, S.H.; Ali, S.; Jan, S.A.

2014-01-01

In vitro morphogenesis is greatly influenced by a gaseous plant growth regulator (ethylene). The effect of silver nitrate (AgNO/sub 3/) and different plant growth regulators were assessed on callus induction, In vitro shoot regeneration and multiple primordial shoots per explant in tomato. The maximum callus induction frequency was recorded culturing hypocotyls, while In vitro shoot regeneration frequency and the number of primordial shoots per explant were significantly higher when leaf discs were used as explants. The callus induction frequency was improved by the supplementation of 10-15 mg/l AgNO/sub 3/ in MS basal media along with 2.0 mg/l IAA, 2.5 mg/l BAP and yielded the highest callus induction frequency (91.33%) in cv. Rio Grande, followed by Roma (88.33%) and Moneymaker (82.66%). Similarly, the highest In vitro shoot regeneration frequency (96.66, 92.66 and 90%) was recorded in Rio Grande, Roma and Moneymaker on MS media fortified with 0.1 mg/l IAA, 1.0 mg/l ZEA and 2.0 mg/l BAP along with 8-10 mg/l AgNO/sub 3/. AgNO/sub 3/ also had promotive effect on induction of multiple shoots per explant. These findings indicate that ethylene is linked with the suppression of In vitro morphogenesis in tomato and AgNO3 interacts with ethylene and enhances callus induction and In vitro shoot regeneration in tomato. (author)

Changes in transcript expression patterns as a result of cryoprotectant treatment and liquid nitrogen exposure in Arabidopsis shoot tips.

Science.gov (United States)

Gross, Briana L; Henk, Adam D; Bonnart, Remi; Volk, Gayle M

2017-03-01

Transcripts related to abiotic stress, oxidation, and wounding were differentially expressed in Arabidopsis shoot tips in response to cryoprotectant and liquid nitrogen treatment. Cryopreservation methods have been implemented in genebanks as a strategy to back-up plant genetic resource collections that are vegetatively propagated. Cryopreservation is frequently performed using vitrification methods, whereby shoot tips are treated with cryoprotectant solutions, such as Plant Vitrification Solution 2 (PVS2) or Plant Vitrification Solution 3 (PVS3); these solutions remove and/or replace freezable water within the meristem cells. We used the model system Arabidopsis thaliana to identify suites of transcripts that are up- or downregulated in response to PVS2 and PVS3 treatment and liquid nitrogen (LN) exposure. Our results suggest that there are many changes in transcript expression in shoot tips as a result of cryoprotection and that these changes exceed the number detected as a result of LN exposure. In total, 180 transcripts showed significant changes in expression level unique to treatment with either the cryoprotectant or cryopreservation followed by recovery. Of these 180 transcripts, 67 were related to stress, defense, wounding, lipid, carbohydrate, abscisic acid, oxidation, temperature (cold/heat), or osmoregulation. The responses of five transcripts were confirmed using qPCR methods. The transcripts responding to PVS2 + LN suggest an oxidative response to this treatment, whereas the PVS3 + LN treatment invoked a more general metabolic response. This work shows that the choice of cryoprotectant can have a major influence on the patterns of transcript expression, presumably due to the level and extent of stress experienced by the shoot tip. As a result, there may be divergent responses of study systems to PVS2 and PVS3 treatments.

First-principles study of atomic ordering in bcc Cu-Al

Science.gov (United States)

Lanzini, F.; Gargano, P. H.; Alonso, P. R.; Rubiolo, G. H.

2011-01-01

The order-disorder transitions and phase stability in the body centered cubic structure of Cu-Al binary alloys are studied by means of theoretical methods. The total energy of different ordered compounds sharing a common bcc Bravais lattice was calculated within the framework of density functional theory. A set of effective cluster interactions was calculated through a cluster expansion (CE) of the total energies. The finite temperature phase diagram of bcc Cu-Al was obtained using the CE formalism coupled with the cluster variation method calculation of the configurational entropy. These results are confronted with a simpler semi-empirical approach based on effective pair interactions obtained from experiment. Both approaches predict a single first-order A2/DO3 transition for compositions close to Cu3Al, in agreement with the most recent experimental results.

Variations in Enzymatic Activities of Shoots and Roots as an Indicator for Irradiated Seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelbbaary, N.A.; Elagamay, M.R.

2005-01-01

Germinated seedlings from oil seeds (sesame and sunflower) and legumes (Trigonella, Haricot, broad bean and cow pea) were irradiated with gamma rays at doses of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1 kGy and the data were collected from shoots and roots. Enzymatic activities appeared to be correlated with gamma irradiation dose. The enzymatic activities of irradiated seeds understudy were significantly higher than controls. The peroxidase activities were nearly similar in both roots and shoots, while acid phosphatase activities in roots were higher than in shoots. Also protein contents were higher in roots. The peroxidase and acid phosphatase specific activities in roots were similar. Shoots peroxidase enzymatic activity increased with increased gamma doses. The seedling under study showed two different levels of peroxidase activity, higher as sesame, Trigonella and Sunflower, and lower such as all other legumes understudy. Similar tendency have been also noticed in roots-enzymatic activity, positive correlation between gamma doses treatment and peroxidase enzymatic activity, again two groups higher activity cow pea, broad bean, bean and Trigonella lower such as sesame, such as sesame, sunflower and haircut

Rapid multiplication of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.: a timber yielding tree legume through axillary shoot proliferation and ex vitro rooting.

Science.gov (United States)

Vibha, J B; Shekhawat, N S; Mehandru, Pooja; Dinesh, Rachana

2014-01-01

An efficient and improved method for in vitro propagation of mature tree of Dalbergia sissoo, an ecologically and commercially important timber yielding species, has been developed through axillary shoot proliferation. Bud breaking occurred from nodal shoot segments derived from rejuvenated shoots produced during early spring from a 20-25-year-old lopped tree, on MS medium containing 8.88 μM benzylaminopurine (BAP). Multiple shoots differentiated (20-21shoots/node) on re-culture of explants on half-strength agar gelled amended MS medium with a combination of 2.22 μM of BAP and 0.002 μM of thidiazuron (TDZ) with 1.0 mM each of Ca(NO3)2, K2SO4, KCl, and NH4(SO4)2. The maximum shoot multiplication (29-30 shoots/node) was achieved on subculturing in the above mentioned but liquid medium. Furthermore, the problem of shoot tip necrosis and defoliation observed on solid medium were overcome by the use of liquid medium. Ex vitro rooting was achieved on soilrite after basal treatment of microshoots with 984 μM of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 2 min. About 90 % microshoots were rooted on soilrite within 2-3 weeks under the greenhouse conditions. From 20 nodal shoot segments, about 435 hardened plants were acclimatized and transplanted. This is the first report for rapid in vitro propagation of mature trees of D. sissoo on liquid medium followed by ex vitro rooting.

Tailoring Graphene Morphology and Orientation on Cu(100), Cu(110), and Cu(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobberger, Robert; Arnold, Michael

2013-03-01

Graphene CVD on Cu is phenomenologically complex, yielding diverse crystal morphologies, such as lobes, dendrites, stars, and hexagons, of various orientations. We present a comprehensive study of the evolution of these morphologies as a function of Cu surface orientation, pressure, H2:CH4, and nucleation density. Growth was studied on ultra-smooth, epitaxial Cu films inside Cu enclosures to minimize factors that normally complicate growth. With low H2:CH4, Mullins-Sekerka instabilities propagate to form dendrites, indicating transport limited growth. In LPCVD, the dendrites extend hundreds of microns in the 100, 111, and 110 directions on Cu(100), (110), and (111) and are perturbed by twin boundaries. In APCVD, multiple preferred dendrite orientations exist. With increasing H2:CH4, the dendritic nature of growth is suppressed. In LPCVD, square, rectangle, and hexagon crystals form on Cu(100), (110) and (111), reflecting the Cu crystallography. In APCVD, the morphology becomes hexagonal on each surface. If given ample time, every growth regime yields high-quality monolayers with D:G Raman ratio rationally tailor the graphene crystal morphology and orientation.

Translocation of radiolabeled indole-3-acetic acid and indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol from kernel to shoot of Zea mays L

Science.gov (United States)

Chisnell, J. R.; Bandurski, R. S.

1988-01-01

Either 5-[3H]indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) or 5-[3H]indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol was applied to the endosperm of kernels of dark-grown Zea mays seedlings. The distribution of total radioactivity, radiolabeled indole-3-acetic acid, and radiolabeled ester conjugated indole-3-acetic acid, in the shoots was then determined. Differences were found in the distribution and chemical form of the radiolabeled indole-3-acetic acid in the shoot depending upon whether 5-[3H]indole-3-acetic acid or 5-[3H]indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol was applied to the endosperm. We demonstrated that indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol applied to the endosperm provides both free and ester conjugated indole-3-acetic acid to the mesocotyl and coleoptile. Free indole-3-acetic acid applied to the endosperm supplies some of the indole-3-acetic acid in the mesocotyl but essentially no indole-3-acetic acid to the coleoptile or primary leaves. It is concluded that free IAA from the endosperm is not a source of IAA for the coleoptile. Neither radioactive indole-3-acetyl-myo-inositol nor IAA accumulates in the tip of the coleoptile or the mesocotyl node and thus these studies do not explain how the coleoptile tip controls the amount of IAA in the shoot.