Studies on photoblastic germination in lettuce seed

It was shown, with the aid of osmotic inhibition of germination, that the action of the far-red-absorbing form of phytochrome (Pf) in promoting germination can be completed even if the seed is held under conditions where germination is not possible. An effect of the continuing action of Pf beyond the point of complete germination promotion was demonstrated by enhancement of germination rate after removal of the osmotically active solute.

Previous reports that the rate of growth in water of seeds freed from the expansion-restricting endosperm is independent of the state of phytochrome were confirmed. However, a marked, phytochrome-mediated enhancement of the growth potential of such seeds was demonstrated through restricting water uptake by incubation in an osmoticum.

An experimental system, utilizing the appearance of a geotropic curvature in the radicle of the excised axial portion of the seed, was developed for more detailed studies of the phytochrome-enhanced growth potential. It was possible to demonstrate the light effect in water as well as in osmotica; this apparently is not possible with de-endospermed entire seeds. As in intact seeds, the effect of the continuing action of Pf is to enhance the rate of the response. Secretion of a chemical inhibitor of growth by the endosperm as a possible mechanism of induction of light sensitivity has been ruled out.

The phytochrome-dependent rate of appearance of geotropic curvature in osmotica is paralleled in time by a similar dependence of the rate of early extension growth of the embryonic axis. Only the first small increment of growth is a differentially responsive to red (R) and far-red (F); the rate of later increase in length is independent of the light regime.

It was shown that the high concentrations of gibberellic acid required for germination promotion in the intact seed are due at least in part to a diffusion barrier in the endosperm, and that the occasional reports in the literature of the ineffectiveness of kinetin are probably due to the same phenomenon. It was shown that gibberellin, like red light, enhances the growth potential of the axis, but kinetin does not. The difference in rates of response obtained after R-irradiation or gibberellin treatment, together with other results reported in the literature, strongly suggests that gibberellic acid and red light promote germination by different means. The idea that kinetin promotes germination by yet another mechanism, probably operating in the cotyledons, was supported through two different experimental approaches.

The phenomenon of temperature-dependent dark germination was examined in detail, using a wide range of both temperatures and incubation times. With the aid of the half-seed system, it was demonstrated that the promotive effect of low temperature on germination could not be due to a low optimum temperature for early growth of the radicle, since the rate of that process increased with increasing temperature, up to the highest temperature used.

It was shown that phytochrome does not function at high temperatures. This fact is of considerable importance in interpreting the phenomenon of thermodormancy, since in the literature only a small part of the effect of high temperature has been ascribed to an effect on phytochrome, and at that, only to an acceleration of dark reversion of Pf to the red-absorbing form of phytochrome (Pr). Partial denaturation of phytochrome may also make some contribution.

It was shown that the germination-promoting effect of low temperature depends on the presence of Pf, and concluded that low temperatures act by delaying or preventing transformation of Pf. Support for the assumption that Pf, not Pr, is the active form of phytochrome in lettuce seeds was drawn from the same evidence.

Attempts to stimulate germination by repeated irradiation with F over relatively prolonged incubation times resulted in failure, as have similar attempts reported in the literature. However, an enhancement of growth potential in the half-seed system by the maintenance of a small amount of Pf over long periods at ordinary temperatures by repeated irradiation with F was demonstrated.

It was observed that cold storage of the dry seed prevents or delays loss of dark dormancy during post-harvest storage. No change in the response of the half-seed in osmoticum to R and F was observed in seeds that has lost dark dormancy; that is, no internal change took place to measurably increase the growth potential of the embryonic axis. This suggests that the endosperm is the seat of changes responsible for after-ripening of photoblastic lettuce seed.

Development of roll waves in open channels

This study is concerned with some of the properties of roll waves that develop naturally from a turbulent uniform flow in a wide rectangular channel on a constant steep slope . The wave properties considered were depth at the wave crest, depth at the wave trough, wave period, and wave velocity . The primary focus was on the mean values and standard deviations of the crest depths and wave periods at a given station and how these quantities varied with distance along the channel.

The wave properties were measured in a laboratory channel in which roll waves developed naturally from a uniform flow . The Froude number F (F = u_n/√gh_n, u_n = normal velocity , h_n = normal depth, g =acceleration of gravity) ranged from 3. 4 to 6. 0 for channel slopes S_o of . 05 and . 12 respectively . In the initial phase of their development the roll waves appeared as small amplitude waves with a continuous water surface profile . These small amplitude waves subsequently developed into large amplitude shock waves. Shock waves were found to overtake and combine with other shock waves with the result that the crest depth of the combined wave was larger than the crest depths before the overtake. Once roll waves began to develop, the mean value of the crest depths h_nmax increased with distance . Once the shock waves began to overtake, the mean wave period T_av increased approximately linearly with distance.

For a given Froude number and channel slope the observed quantities h^-_max/h_n , T' (T' = S_o T_av √g/h_n), and the standard deviations of h^-_max/h_n and T', could be expressed as unique functions of l/h_n (l = distance from beginning of channel) for the two-fold change in h_n occurring in the observed flows . A given value of h^-_max/h_n occurred at smaller values of l/h_n as the Froude number was increased. For a given value of h /hh^-_max/h_n the growth rate of δh^-_max/h^-_maxδl of the shock waves increased as the Froude number was increased.

A laboratory channel was also used to measure the wave properties of periodic permanent roll waves. For a given Froude number and channel slope the h^-_max/h_n vs. T' relation did not agree with a theory in which the weight of the shock front was neglected. After the theory was modified to include this weight, the observed values of h^-_max/h_n were within an average of 6.5 percent of the predicted values, and the maximum discrepancy was 13.5 percent.

For h^-_max/h_n sufficiently large (h^-_max/h_n > approximately 1.5) it was found that the h^-_max/h_n vs. T' relation for natural roll waves was practically identical to the h^-_max/h_n vs. T' relation for periodic permanent roll waves at the same Froude number and slope. As a result of this correspondence between periodic and natural roll waves, the growth rate δh^-_max/h^-_maxδl of shock waves was predicted to depend on the channel slope, and this slope dependence was observed in the experiments.

Real-Time Bayesian Analysis of Ground Motion Envelopes for Earthquake Early Warning

Current earthquake early warning systems usually make magnitude and location predictions and send out a warning to the users based on those predictions. We describe an algorithm that assesses the validity of the predictions in real-time. Our algorithm monitors the envelopes of horizontal and vertical acceleration, velocity, and displacement. We compare the observed envelopes with the ones predicted by Cua & Heaton's envelope ground motion prediction equations (Cua 2005). We define a "test function" as the logarithm of the ratio between observed and predicted envelopes at every second in real-time. Once the envelopes deviate beyond an acceptable threshold, we declare a misfit. Kurtosis and skewness of a time evolving test function are used to rapidly identify a misfit. Real-time kurtosis and skewness calculations are also inputs to both probabilistic (Logistic Regression and Bayesian Logistic Regression) and nonprobabilistic (Least Squares and Linear Discriminant Analysis) models that ultimately decide if there is an unacceptable level of misfit. This algorithm is designed to work at a wide range of amplitude scales. When tested with synthetic and actual seismic signals from past events, it works for both small and large events.