bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enzyme Activities and Degradation of Nutrients in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Seeds during Germination
Authors: Rahman MS , Sana NK , Hasan MM , Huque ME , Shaha RK
Published: November 2009

BARI-3 varieties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed at different germinating periods. Among the varieties, the highest amylase activity was found in BARI-2 and lowest in BARI-3 during germination at 45 hours in water. The maximum activity of invertase was found in BARI-2 and minimum in BARI-1 at 72 hours of germination. Lipase activity was highest in BARI-2 and lowest in BARI-1. The highest protease activity was found in BARI-2 and lowest in BARI-3. The amount of total protein and water-soluble protein were found to be highest in BARI-1 and BARI-3, respectively. During light germination, carbohydrate depletion starts after initial imbibitions, and was completed in 120-144 hours. The variety BARI-1 was found to contain the highest amount of free sugar while BARI-3 had the lowest amount. BARI-2 was found to contain highest amount of reducing sugar and BARI-1 contained the lowest amount. The highest amount of starch was found in BARI-3 and lowest in BARI-1. The starch content in chickpea seed decreased gradually during germination. Among the varieties, BARI-1 was found to contain the highest amount of lipid while BARI-3 contained the lowest amount. The seed storage substances were found to decrease gradually with the increase of germination time. The results indicate that degradation of reserve seed nutrients accelerate the development of seedling growth during germination. Key words: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed, Carbohydrate, Protein, Lipid, Hydrolytic Enzymes.   DOI:10.3329/jbs.v16i0.3738 J. bio-sci. 16: 29-34, 2008
Population Dynamics of Maize Stem Borer, Chilo partellus Swinhoe in Upper Himalayas of Jammu Region
Authors: Ahad Ishtiyaq , Bhagat RM , Ahmad Hafeez , Monobrullah Mohammad
Published: November 2009

Key words: Population, stem borer and natural enemies DOI:10.3329/jbs.v16i0.3758 J. bio-sci. 16: 137-138, 2008
How Radical is Derrida's Deconstructive Reading?
Authors: Kakoliris Gerasimos
Published: November 2009

The aim of my paper is to focus upon those aspects of Derrida's relation to language and textual interpretation that have not been adequately dealt with by either proponents of deconstruction, who take Derrida to have effected a total revolution in the way in which we must read texts, or those critics who view deconstruction as having subverted all possible criteria for a valid interpretation leading, thus, to an anarchical textual ‘freeplay’. This inadequate approach by both proponents and critics is the result of a failure to consider Derrida's deconstructive approach as enacting a process of ‘double reading.’ This ‘double reading’ commences with an initial stage or level which seeks to reconstruct a text's authorial intention or its vouloir dire. This initial level then prepares the text, through the identification of authorial or textual intention, for the second stage or level. At this second stage or level, which is the passage to deconstructive reading per se, the blind spots and aporias of the text are set forth. Through this focus upon the process of deconstructive reading as ‘doubling reading,’ it becomes evident that deconstruction is not as revolutionary as proponents or critics have assumed. For, Derrida's initial reading, or the ‘doubling’ of a text's authorial or textual intention is firmly set within a traditional interpretative form.
Handling Value: Notes on Derrida's Inheritance of Marx
Authors: Pepperell Nicole
Published: November 2009

Derrida's Specters of Marx asks whether and how we could inherit Marx today: whether we might find, in a certain spirit of Marx, the critical resources to challenge resurgent liberal ideals, without this challenge assuming a dogmatic or totalitarian form. Derrida's own response to this question involves a curious move: a material transformation of Marx's text, in which Derrida first foreshadows, and then carries out, the excision of a single sentence from the pivotal passage in which Marx christens the commodity fetish. The excision subtly transforms the meaning of Marx's text and, in the process, acts out a vision of inheritance as an active, transformative performance, rather than as a passive transmission of inherited content to its heirs. In this paper, I explore the way in which Derrida foreshadows and then effects this curious elision. I highlight the distinctive understanding of transformative inheritance at the heart of Derrida's text, and also pose the question of why Derrida should effect this particular transformation in the search for a certain deconstructive spirit in Marx's work.
CADrx for GBM Brain Tumors: Predicting Treatment Response from Changes in Diffusion-Weighted MRI
Authors: Huo Jing , Okada Kazunori , Kim Hyun J. , Pope Whitney B. , Goldin Jonathan G. , Alger Jeffrey R. , Brown Matthew S.
Published: November 2009

The goal of this study was to develop a computer-aided therapeutic response (CADrx) system for early prediction of drug treatment response for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumors with diffusion weighted (DW) MR images. In conventional Macdonald assessment, tumor response is assessed nine weeks or more post-treatment. However, we will investigate the ability of DW-MRI to assess response earlier, at five weeks post treatment. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map, calculated from DW images, has been shown to reveal changes in the tumor’s microenvironment preceding morphologic tumor changes. ADC values in treated brain tumors could theoretically both increase due to the cell kill (and thus reduced cell density) and decrease due to inhibition of edema. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of features that quantify changes from pre- and post-treatment tumor ADC histograms to detect treatment response. There are three parts to this study: first, tumor regions were segmented on T1w contrast enhanced images by Otsu’s thresholding method, and mapped from T1w images onto ADC images by a 3D region of interest (ROI) mapping tool using DICOM header information; second, ADC histograms of the tumor region were extracted from both pre- and five weeks post-treatment scans, and fitted by a two-component Gaussian mixture model (GMM). The GMM features as well as standard histogram-based features were extracted. Finally, supervised machine learning techniques were applied for classification of responders or non-responders. The approach was evaluated with a dataset of 85 patients with GBM under chemotherapy, in which 39 responded and 46 did not, based on tumor volume reduction. We compared adaBoost, random forest and support vector machine classification algorithms, using ten-fold cross validation, resulting in the best accuracy of 69.41% and the corresponding area under the curve (Az) of 0.70.
Free Vibration Analysis of Sandwich Beams: A Dynamic Finite Element
Authors: Hashemi Seyed M. , Adique Ernest J.
Published: November 2009

The free vibration analysis of three-layered symmetric sandwich beams is studied. The governing differential equations of motion in free vibration are coupled both in axial and bending deformations. The weighted residual method is used and the resulting weak integral form of the governing equations is discretized using the Finite Element Method (FEM) formulation. The dynamic, frequency-dependent, trigonometric shape functions, derived from the solution of the uncoupled equations, are then used to develop the element matrices. The assembly of resulting Dynamic Finite Element (DFE) matrices leads to a nonlinear eigenvalue problem. A determinant search method is then used to compute the coupled natural frequencies and modes of a symmetric, thin face-layer sandwich beam. The DFE numerical results for the first four bending-axial coupled modes, obtained from a 20-element mesh, show good agreement with FEM, exact Dynamic Stiffness Matrix (DSM) method, and other results available in the literature. All the four modes are found to be dominated by bending deformation. The discussion of results is followed by some concluding remarks.
Strength of Super-Structure UN-ECE R66 Rollover Approval of Coaches based on Thin-Walled Framework Structures
Authors: Hashemi S.M. R. , Walton A. C. , Kayvantash K.
Published: November 2009

Around 30,000 bus or coach occupants are injured every year in the European Union (EU).The prime objective of this paper is to describe Cranfield Impact Centre’s (CIC’s) structural crashworthiness approach for coach rollover certification process as defined by the United Nations-Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) Regulation R66 [1].CIC was instrumental in the formulation of UN-ECE Regulation R66, the first ever “virtual testing approach” approved by the UK Government, for coach rollover approval.The virtual testing approach is based on the concept of thin-walled framework structures through Finite Element (FE) modelling.It is supported by a series of static and dynamic tests of the floor, waist and roof cant-rail joints. The main reasons for component testing importance in determining the bus and coach super-structure collapse responses are twofold – Firstly, to provide a calculation model with elasto-plastic stiffness data for all the possible plastic hinge locations (recorded as moment/rotation data for each joint) and secondly, to assess the structural integrity of the super-structure joints under quasi-static and dynamic loadings.The R66 regulation has been adopted by EU member states, together with Australia, South Africa and India, in a modified form, to improve the occupant safety by providing a safe zone within the vehicle during rollover [1 and 3].The methodology adopted to develop the rollover coach models is based on extending the problem from a quasi-static approach to a more complex dynamic situation that includes the influence of super-structure to ground interactions.
Measuring Autophagy in Macrophages
Authors: Harris James , Hanrahan Orla , De Haro Sergio A.
Published: November 2009

Macroautophagy is a conserved intracellular homeostatic mechanism for the degradation of cytosolic constituents. Autophagy can promote cell survival by providing essential amino acids from the breakdown of macromolecules during periods of nutrient deprivation, and can remove damaged or excess organelles, such as mitochondria and peroxisomes. More recently, autophagy has been shown to play an important role in innate and adaptive immune responses to pathogenic bacteria in macrophages and dendritic cells. This unit presents protocols for the measurement of autophagy in macrophages. Curr. Protoc. Immunol. 87:14.14.1‐14.14.13. © 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Uniform Hölder Bounds for Nonlinear Schrödinger Systems with Strong Competition
Authors: Noris Benedetta , Terracini Susanna , Tavares Hugo , Verzini Gianmaria
Published: November 2009

For the positive solutions of the Gross–Pitaevskii system

we prove that L∞‐boundedness implies C0,α‐boundedness for every α ϵ (0,1), uniformly as β → +∞. Moreover, we prove that the limiting profile as β → +∞ is Lipschitz‐continuous. The proof relies upon the blowup technique and the monotonicity formulae by Almgren and Alt, Caffarelli, and Friedman. This system arises in the Hartree‐Fock approximation theory for binary mixtures of Bose–Einstein condensates in different hyperfine states. Extensions to systems with k > 2 densities are given. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The impact of poor assembly ergonomics on product quality: A cost–benefit analysis in car manufacturing
Authors: Falck Ann‐Christine , Örtengren Roland , Högberg Dan
Published: November 2009

The study aimed at analyzing the relationship between assembly ergonomics, assemblability (“ease of assembly”), and product quality and at quantifying these relationships in economic terms. This was in order to better to support the development of more ergonomic product and assembly solutions, particularly at early stages of the car development process. The assembly of 24,443 cars was studied for 8 weeks in an assembly plant and for another 16 weeks as factory‐complete vehicles. The results show increased risks for quality errors of 3.0 and 3.7 times and total action costs that were 8.7 times and 8.2 times higher for high and medium physical load assemblies compared to low physical load assemblies for 55 tasks assessed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Variations in the foliar δ13C and C3/C4 species richness in the Japanese flora of Poaceae among climates and habitat types under human activity
Authors: Hanba Yuko T. , Kobayashi Tsuyoshi , Enomoto Takashi
Published: November 2009

For 383 Poaceae species harvested over the Japanese islands and stored as herbarium specimens along several decades, we determined C3 and C4 types of photosynthesis from leaf stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C). Then, we sought the relationships between C4 species richness and climatic factors or habitat types. Except for the two Panicum species (P. lanuginosum and P. scoparium) having the possibility of C3–C4 intermediate, 227 and 154 species were classified into C3 and C4. The C4 species richness increased from northern to southern islands in Japan, positively correlated with mean annual air temperature. Greater C4 species richness in the seashore habitats, and smaller C4 species richness in the shaded, wet and highland habitats would be related to the photosynthetic responses to local environmental factors such as irradiance level and temperature regime. No difference of leaf δ‐value of C3 Poaceae was obtained between the habitats with different soil water availability, suggesting the less importance of soil water availability on leaf water‐use efficiency in C3 Poaceae species in Japan having humid climate. Additionally, possible effects of human activity around the harvested time or site on leaf δ‐value were estimated, because the habitat includes the sites with high human activity. Leaf δ‐value was decreased with sampling year, and it was higher in the densely inhabited district for both C3 and C4. They are probably due to a historical decrease in the atmospheric δ‐value via increasing human activity, and high gas emission at the districts of high human density.
What makes the satellite‐based EVI–GPP relationship unclear in a deciduous broad‐leaved forest?
Authors: Nagai Shin , Saigusa Nobuko , Muraoka Hiroyuki , Nasahara Kenlo Nishida
Published: November 2009

Recent studies have suggested that gross primary production (GPP) of terrestrial vegetation can be estimated directly with the satellite‐based Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). However, the reported EVI–GPP relationships showed wide variability, with the regression functions showing widely scattered data. In the present study, we examined the possible reasons for this variability in the EVI–GPP relationship using daily EVI values from satellite and field measurements and daily flux‐based GPP in a cool‐temperate deciduous broad‐leaved forest in Japan. The variability appears to be caused by noise due to cloud contamination in the satellite data as well as the different seasonality of EVI and GPP, especially during the leaf‐expansion period. Our findings indicate that improvement of cloud screening and consideration of the leaf‐expansion period are critical when applying the EVI–GPP relationship.
Influence of Cobalt Doping on the Physical Properties of Zn0.9Cd0.1S Nanoparticles
Authors: Singhal Sonal , Chawla Amit Kumar , Gupta Hari Om , Chandra Ramesh
Published: November 2009

Zn0.9Cd0.1S nanoparticles doped with 0.005–0.24 M cobalt have been prepared by co-precipitation technique in ice bath at 280 K. For the cobalt concentration >0.18 M, XRD pattern shows unidentified phases along with Zn0.9Cd0.1S sphalerite phase. For low cobalt concentration (≤0.05 M) particle size, d
XRDis ~3.5 nm, while for high cobalt concentration (>0.05 M) particle size decreases abruptly (~2 nm) as detected by XRD. However, TEM analysis shows the similar particle size (~3.5 nm) irrespective of the cobalt concentration. Local strain in the alloyed nanoparticles with cobalt concentration of 0.18 M increases ~46% in comparison to that of 0.05 M. Direct to indirect energy band-gap transition is obtained when cobalt concentration goes beyond 0.05 M. A red shift in energy band gap is also observed for both the cases. Nanoparticles with low cobalt concentrations were found to have paramagnetic nature with no antiferromagnetic coupling. A negative Curie–Weiss temperature of −75 K with antiferromagnetic coupling was obtained for the high cobalt concentration.
Poor pregnancy outcome following assisted reproductive technology among women operated on for bilateral endometriomas
Authors: Yamamoto Setsuko , Umeki Michiko , Maeda Tomoko , Yamaguchi Mina , Hamano Teruhiro
Published: November 2009

Purpose

To determine the first line of infertility treatment for managing patients with unilateral or bilateral ovarian endometriomas.

Methods

We evaluated pregnancy outcome in patients who had received ovarian surgery for unilateral (Group U, n = 47) or bilateral endometriomas (Group B, n = 38) and aspiration with or without alcohol fixation for unilateral (Group u, n = 37) or bilateral endometriomas (Group b, n = 22). Subsequently, 64 of these women, excluding 29 dropouts, underwent assisted reproductive technology. We compared the clinical pregnancy rates of the four groups.

Results

The cumulative pregnancy rate after operation of Group B (18%) was significantly lower than that of a cyst‐free control group (n = 143; 44%) and Group U (43%). Group B had fewer oocytes fertilized during ART than did Group b (P < 0.005) and fewer blastocysts available for transfer (P < 0.005). The cumulative pregnancy rate of Group B was also lower than in Group b (P = 0.052).

Conclusions

Pregnancy outcomes of Group B were not better than for Group b. Therefore, encouraging such women to move directly to ART might help avoid ovarian damage and improve their ability to achieve a pregnancy.
Perspectives on Utilizing Unique Features of Microfluidics Technology for Particle and Cell Sorting
Authors: Adams Jonathan D. , Soh H. Tom
Published: November 2009

Sample preparation is often the most tedious and demanding step in an assay, but it also plays an essential role in determining the quality of results. As biological questions and analytical methods become increasingly sophisticated, there is a rapidly growing need for systems that can reliably and reproducibly separate cells and particles with high purity, throughput, and recovery. Microfluidics technology represents a compelling approach in this regard, allowing precise control of separation forces for high performance separation in inexpensive or even disposable devices. In addition, microfluidics technology enables the fabrication of arrayed and integrated systems that operate either in parallel or in tandem, in a capacity that would be difficult to achieve in macroscale systems. In this report, we use recent examples from our work to illustrate the potential of microfluidic cell- and particle-sorting devices. We demonstrate the potential of chip-based high-gradient magnetophoresis that enable high-purity separation through reversible trapping of target particles paired with high-stringency washing with minimal loss. We also describe our work in the development of devices that perform simultaneous multitarget sorting, either through precise control of magnetic and fluidic forces or through the integration of multiple actuation forces into a single monolithic device. We believe that such devices may serve as a powerful “front-end” module of highly integrated analytical platforms capable of providing actionable diagnostic information directly from crude, unprocessed samples—the success of such systems may hold the key to advancing point-of-care diagnostics and personalized medicine.
Backscattering Interferometry for Low Sample Consumption Molecular Interaction Screening
Authors: Kussrow Amanda , Enders Carolyn S. , Morcos Ereny F. , Bornhop Darryl J.
Published: November 2009

Backscattering interferometry (BSI), which uses a simple optical train comprising a He—Ne laser, a microfluidic channel, and a position sensor, has now enabled the measurement of both tethered and free-solution, label-free, molecular interactions within just nanoliters of sample. The simple macro-to-micro interface allows for a highly efficient assay work flow, which has been used to interrogate molecular binding interactions between proteins, ions and protein, and small molecules and proteins, with a high dynamic range of dissociation constants ( KD) and unmatched sensitivity. With this technique, the equilibrium KD for several different binding partners was determined, typically using just picomole—micromole quantities of the binding pair at physiologically relevant concentrations.
Shock focusing in a planar convergent geometry: experiment and simulation
Authors: BOND C. , HILL D. J. , MEIRON D. I. , DIMOTAKIS P. E.
Published: November 2009

The behaviour of an initially planar shock wave propagating into a linearly convergent wedge is investigated experimentally and numerically. In the experiment, a 25° internal wedge is mounted asymmetrically in a pressure-driven shock tube. Shock waves with incident Mach numbers in the ranges of 1.4–1.6 and 2.4–2.6 are generated in nitrogen and carbon dioxide. During each run, the full pressure history is recorded at fourteen locations along the wedge faces and schlieren images are produced. Numerical simulations performed based on the compressible Euler equations are validated against the experiment. The simulations are then used as an additional tool in the investigation.

The linearly convergent geometry strengthens the incoming shock repeatedly, as waves reflected from the wedge faces cross the interior of the wedge. This investigation shows that aspects of this structure persist through multiple reflections and influence the nature of the shock-wave focusing. The shock focusing resulting from the distributed reflected waves of the Mach 1.5 case is distinctly different from the stepwise focusing at the higher incoming shock Mach number. Further experiments using CO2 instead of N2 elucidate some relevant real-gas effects and suggest that the presence or absence of a weak leading shock on the distributed reflections is not a controlling factor for focusing.
Focus identification in child Mandarin
Authors: ZHOU PENG , CRAIN STEPHEN
Published: November 2009

In this study, we investigated how Mandarin-speaking children and adults interpret focus structures likeZhiyou Yuehan chi-le pingguo‘Only John ate an apple’ andShi Yuehan chi-de pingguo‘It is John who ate an apple’. We found that children tended to associate focus operatorszhiyou‘only’ andshi‘be’ with the verb phrase (VP), whereas adults uniquely associated them with the subject noun phrase (NP). To account for this difference, we propose that children initially treat focus operators as adverbials, thus ending up associating them with the VP. In order to assess our proposal, we examined children's understanding ofzhiyou-constructions with negation, likeZhiyou Yuehan meiyou chi pingguo‘Only John didn't eat an apple’. It was found that children, like adults, consistently associated the focus operator with the subject NP in this construction. The findings have an important bearing on language learnability, since negation assists children in reaching the adult-like interpretation.
A technique for calculating ionospheric Doppler shifts from standard ionograms suitable for scientific, HF communication, and OTH radar applications
Authors: Lynn K. J. W.
Published: November 2009

High‐resolution Doppler ionograms taken at 5 min intervals were obtained from a KEL IPS 71 ionosonde operating over a full ionosonde sweep range. The ionograms were converted into true height profiles using the program POLAN. POLAN also produced an equivalent parabolic layer model of best fit to the true height profile. A parabolic layer model of the ionosphere is defined by three parameters, namely, peak height, maximum electron density/critical frequency, and parabolic thickness. Equations for calculating Doppler shift from a time‐varying parabolic layer model have long been known but have seen remarkably little use in the absence of suitable input data and a means of verifying the results. This paper shows that these equations can provide an accurate means of calculating ionospheric Doppler shift based on standard ionospheric ionograms taken at a 5 min rate over a 24 h period when compared with actual Doppler measurements. Apart from its scientific interest, the demonstrated technique will prove particularly valuable in deriving Doppler shift and associated signal fading for the real‐time control of over‐the‐horizon radar and HF communication links.
De-Constructing the Cosmopolitan Gaze
Authors: Johnson Patricia
Published: November 2009

Nurturing effective inter-cultural dialogue through tourism has been positioned to be an emergent challenge to tourism professionals working toward sustainability in a globalised world (Robinson and Picard, 2006). This interdisciplinary study devises inroads into ways of addressing this challenge through ‘reading’ the language of cosmopolitanism as it appears in writings about tourism and travel through examining women's travel writing to Iran. These authors were found to mobilise notions of liminality and authenticity as discursive tools to provide authority to the voice, ground discourse and structure the gaze. The cosmopolitan gaze was found to be selective in its focus by drawing from widely held ‘legitimate’ Western discourse to construct ‘other’ by falling back on preconceived ideas of the foreign. The article addresses the scholarly conundrum of theorising cosmopolitanism and contributes in a useful way by forwarding a conceptual framework that can be applied to further understand the concept and the dynamics that characterise cultural exchange. In this way, it contributes to tourism scholarship by focussing on issues which are immediate to questions which surround sustainable tourism.
Managing Cultural Values in Sustainable Tourism: Conflicts in Protected Areas
Authors: Zeppel Heather
Published: November 2009

This article addresses the role of cultural values in sustainable tourism. It evaluates cultural conflicts between indigenous groups, recreation users and management agencies over the appropriate amenity use of protected areas in the USA, Australia and New Zealand. It assesses both social values conflicts and interpersonal conflicts between groups with different worldviews about landscapes, resource use and recreation. This article identifies six types of cross-cultural conflicts between indigenous peoples and recreation users: sacred sites/religious beliefs, resource use, land use, visitor infrastructure, recreation activity and place names. Management strategies to address cultural values in sustainable tourism and cultural conflicts over recreational use of natural areas are presented.
The Elusiveness of Sustainability in Tourism: The Culture-Ideology of Consumerism and its Implications
Authors: Higgins-Desbiolles Freya
Published: November 2009

Sustainable tourism is perhaps the most prominent feature of contemporary tourism discourse. However, despite its prominence for several decades, achieving sustainability remains as elusive as ever. This article explores the concept of the culture-ideology of consumerism developed by sociologist Leslie Sklair (2002) in order to ascertain the implications it holds for understanding how to secure meaningful sustainable tourism. Demonstrating that the current system of neoliberalism and its attendant culture-ideology of consumerism are inherently unsustainable, this article argues we must consciously move away from this value system to one less damaging.
First order reversal curve diagrams of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy films
Authors: Yin Jinhua , Zhang Hongwei , Hu Fengxia , Shen Baogen , Pan L. Q.
Published: November 2009

The exchange coupling and magnetic properties distributions in Co/Pd multilayer perpendicular magnetic anisotropy films with different magnetic properties are investigated using the experimental first order reversal curve (FORC) diagram with assistance of Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert simulation. The simulated FORC diagrams of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy films with different exchange couplings and magnetic property distributions are quite different, which make FORC diagrams very powerful for characterizing perpendicular magnetic recording media.
Photoluminescence of an Al0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs multiple quantum well in the temperature range from 5 to 400 K
Authors: Dang Giang T. , Kanbe Hiroshi , Taniwaki Masafumi
Published: November 2009

Photoluminescence (PL) of an unintentionally doped Al0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) has been measured at temperatures from 5 to 400 K. It was found that the ratio of the intensity of the n=1 electron-light hole transition (1e-1lh) to that of the n=1 electron-heavy hole transition (1e-1hh) can be described by an exponential function of reciprocal temperature. The excitation-power dependence of the 1e-1hh transition PL intensity measured at temperatures from 5 to 296 K in steps of 15–20 K showed that the relative contribution of free-carrier recombination gradually increases from 5 to 120 K and then remains constant. This tendency was confirmed by the temperature dependence of the energy difference between the 1e-1hh transition and the bulk GaAs band gap.
Nanocrystalline metastable 2/17 and 1/12 precursors: A promising class of hard magnetic materials
Authors: Bessais L. , Djéga-Mariadassou C. , Lassri H. , Mliki N.
Published: November 2009

We present a general structure model relative to the metastable P6/mmm precursors of the I4/mmm RFe11Ti (R=Pr,Sm) and R3¯m Sm2(Fe,M)17 (M=Ga,Si) equilibrium phases. This model is based on the description of the binary R1−sM5+2s compounds (s=vacancy rate, M=metal). The Rietveld analysis leads to stoichiometry consistency, respectively, with R(Fe,Ti,Co)10 and Sm(Fe,M)9. These results are corroborated by an accurate interpretation of the Mössbauer spectra. Intrinsic and extrinsic magnetic properties are presented. The precursors Sm(Fe,Ti,Co)10 and Sm(Fe,M)9C (M=Ga,Si) exhibit hard magnetic behavior. The compounds SmFe8.75M0.25C (M=Si,Ga) are particularly promising for permanent magnet applications.
A complex x-ray structure characterization of Ge thin film heterostructures integrated on Si(001) by aspect ratio trapping and epitaxial lateral overgrowth selective chemical vapor deposition techniques
Authors: Zaumseil P. , Schroeder T. , Park Ji-Soo , Fiorenza J. G. , Lochtefeld A.
Published: November 2009

The development of Ge thin film substrates with low defect densities is of interest for future microelectronics as well as photovoltaics. This paper presents a complex x-ray characterization of Ge heterostructures, which were integrated on patterned Si(001) substrates using “aspect ratio trapping (ART)” and “epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO).” In both cases, thermal SiO2 layers were patterned into trenches with appropriate aspect ratio to confine misfit dislocations. In the case of ART Ge thin films grown in 180 nm spaced trenches, the x-ray characterization reveals that the Ge coalescence process between neighboring growth windows must be carefully controlled to avoid defect generation. In the case of ELO Ge heterostructures grown from trenches spaced by 20 µm, coalescence effects are clearly reduced but complications are detected in the form of lattice plane tilt in the ELO wings. Simulations are applied to unveil the influence of the different thermal expansion coefficients of Ge, Si, and SiO2 on the strain status of the ART and ELO Ge heterostructures.
Evolution of 180°, 90°, and vortex domains in ferroelectric films
Authors: Roy Manas Kumar , Sarkar Shamik , Dattagupta Sushanta
Published: November 2009

A Landau-like theory of phase transition and its time-dependent generalization are shown to be sufficient for describing the formation and kinetics of 180°, 90°, and vortex (toroidal) domains in ferroelectric thin films. The theory relies only on the choice of boundary conditions and does not require at the outset the presence of either anisotropy or strain fields. An ingredient in the calculational scheme is the incorporation of finite element methods in the kinetic equations for the ferroelectric order parameter.
Multichannel carbon nanotube field-effect transistors with compound channel layer
Authors: Chen Changxin , Zhang Wei , Zhang Yafei
Published: November 2009

A multichannel carbon nanotube field-effect transistor (MC-CNTFET) with compound channel layer has been built. In this MC-CNTFET, a dispersedly directed array of long single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is used as primary channel layer and a randomly aligned monolayer network of short SWCNTs acts as secondary set of “bridge” channel layer, which causes large numbers of short semiconducting percolation paths formed. The device exhibits a large on-state current of 2.01 mA and simultaneously retains a high current on/off ratio of 103–104. The function dependency of the on-state current on the density of long SWCNTs and length of short SWCNTs is also presented.
Origins and diversity of Brassica and its relatives.
Authors: Dixon G. R.
Published: November 2009

This chapter describes the biodiversity as well as the origin and geographical distribution of natural Brassica species and its relatives. Some information is given on variations in chromosome counts, morphology, physiology and habitat preference of both cultivated and wild Brassica species and forms.
Developmental processes.
Authors: Heuvelink E.
Published: November 2009

The following stages of tomato plant development are considered: germination, leaf appearance and leaf growth, stem development, root development, flowering (in particular, the factors affecting the number of leaves preceding the first inflorescence, a hypothesis on tomato flowering, and the appearance rate of new trusses), flower development, pollination, fruit set, and fruit development (with reference to the relationship between fruit development and fruit growth).
Selecting the orchard site, site preparation and orchard planning and establishment.
Authors: Barden J. A. , Neilsen G. H.
Published: November 2009

This chapter covers the selection of orchard site for apple production, including soil physico-chemical property analysis, site preparation, replant-site preparation, orchard planning and tree establishment.
Plant water relations and irrigation.
Authors: Menzel C. M.
Published: November 2009

This chapter on litchi (Litchi chinensis) and longans covers the following: soil and plant water relations; irrigation requirements; tree water use; irrigation in China, Vietnam and India; soil water uptake; relationship between gas exchange and tree water status; models of leaf gas exchange; relationship between growth and weather; effects of drought on the growth of young trees, flowering in potted plants and orchard trees, and fruit growth and quality; irrigation management; irrigation systems; and monitoring of tree water use.
Pests.
Authors: Waite G. K.
Published: November 2009

This chapter on pests (Conopomorpha spp. as fruit borers, leaf feeders under Lepidoptera, bugs, soft scales, armoured scales, branch borers, weevils, Scarabidae beetles, leaf-feeding beetles, mites, longan erinose mite, longan gall mite, gall midges, fruit flies, bark borers, mealybugs and thrips) infesting litchi (Litchi chinensis) and/or longan provides information on the extent of damage on crops and control strategies (including biological, cultural, chemical and integrated control, and use of pheromone traps). Tabulated data on the geographical distribution of the arthropod pests of longan and litchi are presented.
Measuring uncertainty with subjective probabilities.
Authors: Hardaker J. B. , Huirne R. B. M. , Anderson J. R. , Lien G.
Published: November 2009

This chapter explains the concept of subjective probabilities (which are used to measure uncertainty) and describes methods of eliciting and describing probability distributions in the context of agriculture. The final section outlines methods for updating or revising probabilities in the light of new information that becomes available, for instance as a result of collecting more data, obtaining a forecast, or conducting an experiment about uncertain variables.
Integrating beliefs and preferences for decision analysis.
Authors: Hardaker J. B. , Huirne R. B. M. , Anderson J. R. , Lien G.
Published: November 2009

This chapter returns to an example relating to insurance against losses from foot-and-mouth disease to show how probabilities and utilities are integrated into risk analysis. It explains the use of decision trees and the payoff table approach, and how to incorporate new information in the analysis.
Decision analysis with preferences unknown.
Authors: Hardaker J. B. , Huirne R. B. M. , Anderson J. R. , Lien G.
Published: November 2009

This chapter discusses methods of decision analysis, in the context of agriculture, when the preferences or risk attitudes of the decision makers are unknown. These methods include: analysis using moments of the distribution; and stochastic efficiency methods.
Risk and mathematical programming models.
Authors: Hardaker J. B. , Huirne R. B. M. , Anderson J. R. , Lien G.
Published: November 2009

This chapter first offers an introduction to mathematical programming and then presents a basic example illustrating the bare essentials of a non-linear MP model for a dairy farmer's insurance problem. Subsequent sections discuss: mathematical programming approaches to whole-farm system planning under risk; risk programming; and stochastic programming.
Risk considerations in agricultural policy making.
Authors: Hardaker J. B. , Huirne R. B. M. , Anderson J. R. , Lien G.
Published: November 2009

This chapter deals first with government interventions that have farm-level risk implications, and then addresses issues in developing policies to manage difficult risks such as market failure as well as the management of some emerging risks, such as extreme weather, food safety, epidemic pests animal diseases, and environmental risks.
Epithelial structure and function in the hen lower intestine.
Authors: Laverty G. , Elbrønd V. S. , Árnason S.S. , Skadhauge E.
Published: November 2009

In birds, transport processes in the lower intestine mediate absorption of ions, water and a variety of organic substrates, including significant amounts of glucose, amino acids derived from protein associated with urate spheres, and short-chain fatty acids derived from fermentation processes. These transport pathways contribute to both osmoregulation and energy homeostasis. Although birds lack a urinary bladder, evidence has shown that ureteral urine, entering the distal lower intestine, is forced into the colon, caecae and even distal portions of the small intestine. Further, substrates also enter the lower intestine from the small intestine. Thus, the lower intestine serves as an 'integrating segment' for mixing and modification of both urinary and intestinal inputs. Of particular interest is that much of the transport activity of the lower intestine is regulated by the hormone aldosterone, which in turn varies inversely with dietary salt content. Numerous studies have shown that following acclimation to low-salt diets, sodium-linked organic substrate co-transporters are largely suppressed, while electrogenic sodium channels (ENaCs) are induced. These changes can be manipulated, at least in part, by resalination of low-salt hens, or by aldosterone administration to high-salt-acclimated birds. In the coprodeum, the changes in transport are paralleled by extensive remodelling of the mucosal surface, with low-salt acclimation increasing cell numbers, microvillus density and length and the proportion of 'mitochondrial-rich' (MR) cells. The latter may be the sites of proton secretion in the lower intestine. A cAMP-activated chloride secretion pathway is also present in both colon and coprodeum, and may be mediated by a CFTR-like Cl- channel. There are still a number of unresolved issues, including whether other hormones contribute to the regulation of transport activity.
Micronutrient supply: influence on gut health and immunity.
Authors: Klasing K. C.
Published: November 2009

The intestine is sensitive to the deficiency or excess of several vitamins and minerals. A deficiency of vitamin A interferes with the development and differentiation events necessary for maintaining intestinal architecture. A deficiency of vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, thiamin, niacin, or riboflavin interferes with cellular proliferation and diminishes the size of the villi. However, the gut is not the most sensitive indicator of a deficiency. Some nutrients, including long-chain fatty acids, carotenoids and vitamins A, D and E, modulate regulatory pathways of systems involved in intestinal homeostasis and health, including the immune system. By shifting the balance of regulatory processes, the dietary levels of these nutrients change gut health, sometimes for the good and sometimes to the detriment of the bird, depending on the pathogen milieu. Enteric infections markedly diminish the absorption of many micronutrients, especially the fat-soluble vitamins. The decrease in absorption may be related to: (i) decreased intestinal integrity and function due to pathology inflicted by the pathogen; (ii) increased rate of passage of digesta through the intestines; or (iii) as an integral part of the inflammatory response to the pathogens. Thus, micronutrient nutrition can affect gut health, but gut health can also affect micronutrient nutrition.
Breeder management: how did we get here?
Authors: Laughlin K. F.
Published: November 2009

Broiler breeders are managed to maximize the output of day-old chicks. This involves control of body weight, feed intake and day length during both the rearing and production periods. The relative importance of these factors has changed over time and with the commercial production strategies of different countries. Several novel concepts of managing broiler breeders have been developed in scientific studies. However, examination of the breeder management advice from commercial breeding companies shows that the precise methods have then evolved in practical use within the production industry. Some ideas, such as dwarf breeders, caged housing and artificial insemination, have not gained industry acceptance to the extent which was originally assumed. Genetic improvements in breeder performance have been steady and consistent since the late 1970s but there remains a significant variation about the average performance, which is an indication of the 'environmental' effect. Reducing this variation represents an opportunity for further improvement in flock performance.
Developments in quantitative genetics and genomics relevant for poultry breeding.
Authors: Bijma P. , Bovenhuis H.
Published: November 2009

Developments in genetics and genomics relevant for poultry breeding are reviewed, focusing on the use of molecular information in breeding programmes and the potential for improving traits affected by social interactions among individuals. QTL mapping studies have resulted in almost 700 QTL for a wide variety of traits, showing that they have been successful. However, few applications of marker-assisted selection in commercial poultry breeding exist, mainly because evidence for the QTL is often not conclusive and confidence intervals for QTL locations are large, making utilization in practice difficult. Moreover, moving from QTL to causal mutation has been successful only in a few cases. Thus, neither MAS nor selection for known genes will greatly increase responses to selection in the near future. Genome-wide selection (GWS), however, may offer a solution. Basically GWS is a method to estimate breeding values. Simulation studies suggest that accuracies of EBVs in the range of 0.7-0.8 are feasible. Tests of GWS on real data are currently ongoing, and initial results are promising. The second section of this chapter shows that social interactions create considerable heritable variance that is hidden in classical analyses. Results show that social effects contribute more than half of the heritable variance in mortality due to cannibalism in laying hens, and in growth rate and feed intake in growing pigs. We present statistical models and breeding strategies to utilize this extra heritable variation for genetic improvement. Though social genetic effects may not always be important or may be difficult to use in some cases, the promising results observed in laying hens and pigs should be sufficient incentive for further research in this area.
Mating behaviour and fertility.
Authors: Duncan I. J. H.
Published: November 2009

This article discusses the courtship and mating; development of mating behaviour; choice of mate; mating patterns; mating frequency and sex drive in fowls; practical implications in poultry breeding; hyperaggressive behaviour in broiler breeder males; and mating behaviour in other poultry species (turkeys and ducks).
Vitamins, minerals and micronutrients.
Authors: Kidd M. T.
Published: November 2009

Breeder hen micronutrient levels must be provided in adequate amounts, as a deficiency in virtually any mineral or vitamin can impair embryonic development and hatchability. As breeder hen experiments are time-consuming and costly, most micronutrients are formulated into premixes with wide safety margins. However, are nutrient levels for hen productivity also adequate for chick health and growth (i.e. chick quality)? Chick quality is an accepted viability index, but its assessment entails numerous measurements that often vary. Increasing some vitamin, mineral and micronutrient levels in hen diets will increase progeny tissue levels of these nutrients, but do these increased maternal transfer levels result in realized benefits? This depends on the nutrient, its source, level and the degree of embryo and chick stress (e.g. physiological, immunological and environmental stressors). Investigations on hen diet fat-soluble vitamins and trace elements have shown some consistent beneficial effects on progeny performance. Both the fat-soluble vitamins D and E result in carry-over effects that improve chick health, growth and bone quality. It may be that the chick's preferential absorption of glucose over fatty acids limits early fat-soluble vitamin absorption, resulting in the hen's nutrition as the primary source of these vitamins for the young chick. The trace elements zinc, manganese and selenium have a myriad of metabolic needs and have been shown to improve chick quality, especially that of chick health.
Botany and taxonomy.
Authors: Bassi D. , Monet R.
Published: November 2009

This chapter covers the origin and dissemination of peach, taxonomy of cultivated peach and wild relatives, and peach morphology (tree, leaf, flower, fruit, endocarp and seed), fruit development, fruit appearance and composition, biology and phenology, floral biology and fruit set, chilling and heat requirements, phenological phases, time of flowering, time of ripening (fruit development period), and cultivar classification.
Classical genetics and breeding.
Authors: Monet R. , Bassi D.
Published: November 2009

This chapter review peach breeding results that are useful for a breeder and those in relation to single (Mendelian) or quantitative characters.
Genetic engineering and genomics.
Authors: Abbott A. G. , Arús P. , Scorza R.
Published: November 2009

This chapter reviews peaches in relation to molecular genetics, genomics and gene discovery, and genetic transformation. Future perspectives are also discussed.
Processing peach cultivar development.
Authors: Gradziel T. M. , McCaa J. P.
Published: November 2009

This chapter describes the production and postharvest management of processing peach cultivars. The following aspects are covered: harvesting, raw product supply, transport and storage, grading, fruit halving and pitting, peeling and blanching, sorting and canning, pasteurization, and marketing.