High-pressure synthesis of gadolinium indium gallium garnet

High-pressure synthesis of garnet Gd3In2Ga3O12 is reported. It was found that the pressure-temperature region for the synthesis of Gd3In2Ga3O12 can be expressed as T(degrees C) < 2350-250P(GPa), and high pressure greatly reduced the reaction time. It was also found that the garnet Gd3In2Ga3O12 decomposed to GdGaO3 and In2O3 under 3.5 GPa and 1650 degrees C, and this process was accompanied by an increasing density of the products and an increasing coordination number for Ga3+ (4 to 6).

Variation in radio refractivity index associated with formation of low - pressure systems

Numerous low - pressure systems form in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. These low-pressure systems are highly useful in bringing the rainfall over the Indian sub continent. The developments of these systems are accompanied by the reduction in air temperature and an increase in atmospheric humidity. The radio refractivity, which is a function of the atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, also changes following the development of these systems. Variation of radio refractive index and its vertical gradient are analysed for many low pressure systems formed over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. It is found that the atmosphere becomes super refractive associated with the formation of these systems, caused by the increase in humidity and decrease in temperature. The maximum gradient is observed near the surface layers, especially in the lowest 1 km. Super refraction leads to increased radar detection range and extension of radio horizon

Effect of combined heat and high-pressure treatments on the texture of chicken breast muscle (Pectoralis fundus)

Commercially supplied chicken breast muscle was subjected to simultaneous heat and pressure treatments. Treatment conditions ranged from ambient temperature to 70 °C and from 0.1 to 800 MPa, respectively, in various combinations. Texture profile analysis (TPA) of the treated samples was performed to determine changes in muscle hardness. At treatment temperatures up to and including 50 °C, heat and pressure acted synergistically to increase muscle hardness. However, at 60 and 70 °C, hardness decreased following treatments in excess of 200 MPa. TPA was performed on extracted myofibrillar protein gels that after treatment under similar conditions revealed similar effects of heat and pressure. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis of whole muscle samples revealed that at ambient pressure the unfolding of myosin was completed at 60 °C, unlike actin, which completely denatured only above 70 °C. With simultaneous pressure treatment at >200 MPa, myosin and actin unfolded at 20 °C. Unfolding of myosin and actin could be induced in extracted myofibrillar protein with simultaneous treatment at 200 MPa and 40 °C. Electrophoretic analysis indicated high pressure/temperature regimens induced disulfide bonding between myosin chains.

High pressure/thermal treatment effects on the texture of beef muscle

The effects of high pressure (to 800 MPa) applied at different temperatures (20-70 degreesC) for 20 min on beef post-rigor longissimus dorsi texture were studied. Texture profile analysis showed that when heated at ambient pressure there was the expected increase in hardness with increasing temperature and when pressure was applied at room temperature there was again the expected increase in hardness with increasing pressure. Similar results to those found at ambient temperature were found when pressure was applied at 40 degreesC. However, at higher temperatures, 60 and 70 degreesC it was found that pressures of 200 MPa caused large and significant decreases in hardness. The results found for hardness were mirrored by those for gumminess and chewiness. To further understand the changes in texture observed, intact beef longissimus dorsi samples and extracted myofibrils were both subjected to differential scanning calorimetry after being subjected to the same pressure/temperature regimes. As expected collagen was reasonably inert to pressure and only at temperatures of 60-70 degreesC was it denatured/unfolded. However, myosin was relatively easily unfolded by both pressure and temperature and when pressure denatured a new and modified structure was formed of low thermal stability. Although this new structure had low thermal stability at ambient pressure it still formed in both the meat and myofibrils when pressure was applied at 60 degreesC. It seems unlikely that structurally induced changes can be a major cause of the significant loss of hardness observed when beef is treated at high temperature (60-70 degreesC) and 200 MPa and it is suggested that accelerated proteolysis under these conditions is the major cause. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High night temperature induces contrasting responses for spikelet fertility, spikelet tissue temperature, flowering characteristics and grain quality in rice

Climate change is increasing night temperature (NT) more than day temperature (DT) in rice-growing areas. Effects of combinations of NT (24-35°C) from microsporogenesis to anthesis at one or more DT (30 or 35°C) at anthesis on rice spikelet fertility, temperature within spikelets, flowering pattern, grain weight per panicle, amylose content and gel consistency were investigated in contrasting rice cultivars under controlled environments. Cultivars differed in spikelet fertility response to high NT, with higher fertility associated with cooler spikelets (P < 0.01). Flowering dynamics were altered by high NT and a novel high temperature tolerance complementary mechanism, shorter flower open duration in cv. N22, was identified. High NT reduced spikelet fertility, grain weight per panicle, amylose content and gel consistency, whereas high DT reduced only gel consistency. Night temperature >27°C was estimated to reduce grain weight. Generally, high NT was more damaging to grain weight and selected grain quality traits than high DT, with little or no interaction between them. The critical tolerance and escape traits identified, i.e. spikelet cooling, relatively high spikelet fertility, earlier start and peak time of anthesis and shorter spikelet anthesis duration can aid plant breeding programs targeting resilience in warmer climates.

Resilience of rice (Oryzaspp.) pollen germination and tube growth to temperature stress

Resilience of rice cropping systems to potential global climate change will partly depend on temperature tolerance of pollen germination (PG) and tube growth (PTG). Germination of pollen of high temperature susceptible Oryza glaberrima Steud. (cv. CG14) and O. sativa L. ssp. indica (cv. IR64) and high temperature tolerant O. sativa ssp. aus (cv. N22), was assessed on a 5.6-45.4°C temperature gradient system. Mean maximum PG was 85% at 27°C with 1488 μm PTG at 25°C. The hypothesis that in each pollen grain, minimum temperature requirements (Tn) and maximum temperature limits (Tx) for germination operate independently was accepted by comparing multiplicative and subtractive probability models. The maximum temperature limit for PG in 50% of grains (Tx(50)) was lowest (29.8°C) in IR64 compared with CG14 (34.3°C) and N22 (35.6°C). Standard deviation (sx) of Tx was also low in IR64 (2.3°C) suggesting that the mechanism of IR64's susceptibility to high temperatures may relate to PG. Optimum germination temperatures and thermal times for 1mm PTG were not linked to tolerating high temperatures at anthesis. However, the parameters Tx(50) and sx in the germination model define new pragmatic criteria for successful and resilient PG, preferable to the more traditional cardinal (maximum and minimum) temperatures.

Exhumation of high-pressure granulites of the Guaxupe Complex, southeastern Brazil

This paper describes tectonic and metamorphic features of Precambrian rocks from the Guaxupe Complex and Varginha Shear Zone (VSZ) near the city of Guaxupe in the southern part of the Sao Francisco Craton, southeastern Brazil. The VSZ separates the metasediments of Araxa Group to the north from the granulites of Guaxupe Complex to the south. The sinistral transcurrent VSZ crosses the entire area striking approximately E-W, bending towards SE in the eastern part. Because of this bend, transpressional movement occurred, facilitating the exhumation of the garnet-rich rocks of the deepest exposed part of the granulite-facies terrane.In the garnet granulites the highest pressure-temperature conditions recorded are approximately 1040 degreesC and 14.4 kbar. The rocks underwent decompression from 14.0 kbar to 8.0 kbar, cooling from 980 degreesC to 710 degreesC, the retrograde path following the boundary between the kyanite and sillimanite stability fields. This interval is interpreted to record the uplift of the lower crustal granulite-facies terrane and re-equilibration during magmatic intrusions. For the felsic granulites an interval of 700-810 degreesC and 8.0-11.5 kbar was attained, also pointing to regional decompression.The granulites of the Guaxupe Complex comprise a medium- to high-pressure lower-crustal terrane, with local occurrences of higher-pressure garnet-rich gneisses, which were uplifted along a transpressional segment of the VSZ. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

High-Pressure Micellar Solutions of Polystyrene-block-polybutadiene and Polystyrene-block-polyisoprene in Propane Exhibit Cloud-Pressure Reduction and Distinct Micellization End Points

Micellar solutions of polystyrene-block-polybutadiene and polystyrene-block-polyisoprene in propane are found to exhibit significantly lower cloud pressures than the corresponding hypothetical nonmicellar solutions. Such a cloud-pressure reduction indicates the extent to which micelle formation enhances the apparent diblock solubility in near-critical and hence compressible propane. Concentration-dependent pressure-temperature points beyond which no micelles can be formed, referred to as the micellization end points, are found to depend on the block type, size, and ratio. The cloud-pressure reduction and the micellization end point measured for styrene-diene diblocks in propane should be characteristic of all amphiphilic diblock copolymer solutions that form micelles in compressible solvents.

Deciphering High-Pressure metamorphism in collisional context using microprobe-mapping methods : application to the Stak eclogitic massif (NW Himalaya)

The Stak massif, northern Pakistan, is a newly recognized occurrence of eclogite formed by the subduction of the northern margin of the Indian continent in the northwest Himalaya. Although this unit was extensively retrogressed during the Himalayan collision, records of the high-pressure (HP) event as well as a continuous pressure-temperature (P-T) path were assessed from a single thin section using a new multiequilibrium method. This method uses microprobe X-ray compositional maps of garnet and omphacitic pyroxene followed by calculations of ∼200,000 P-T estimates using appropriate thermobarometers. The Stak eclogite underwent prograde metamorphism, increasing from 650 °C and 2.4 GPa to the peak conditions of 750 °C and 2.5 GPa, then retrogressed to 700–650 °C and 1.6–0.9 GPa under amphibolite-facies conditions. The estimated peak metamorphic conditions and P-T path are similar to those of the Kaghan and Tso Morari high- to ultrahigh-pressure (HP-UHP) massifs. We propose that these three massifs define a large HP to UHP province in the northwest Himalaya, comparable to the Dabie-Sulu province in China and the Western Gneiss Region in Norway.

Genotypic variation for cold tolerance during reproductive development in rice: Screening with cold air and cold water

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants are susceptible to low temperature during the young microspore stage, which occurs 10-12 days before heading. Low temperature at this time increases spikelet sterility which can cause massive yield loss. Increasing the cold tolerance of cultivars can reduce yield variability in temperate rice-growing environments. Two experiments were conducted in cold air screenings and two were conducted in cold water screenings to examine genotypic variation for cold tolerance, explore flowering traits related to spikelet sterility, and investigate whether the results reflect the level of cold tolerance determined previously in the field. Cold air screenings imposed day/night temperatures of 27 degrees C/13 degrees C, 25 degrees C/15 degrees C and 32 degrees C/25 degrees C following particle initiation until 50% heading, while cold water screenings maintained a relatively constant 19 degrees C. The variation in the commencement of low air temperature treatment did not have an effect on the level of spikelet sterility, indicating that exposure to low temperature during the young microspore stage was more important than the duration of exposure. Spikelet sterility of common cultivars showed a significant correlation between cold air and cold water screenings (r(2) = 0.63, p < 0.01), cold air and field screenings (r(2) = 0.52, p < 0.01) and cold water and field screenings (r(2) = 0.53, p < 0.01), indicating that cold air and cold water can be used for screening genotypes for low temperature tolerance. HSC55, M 103 and Jyoudeki were identified as cold tolerant and Doongara, Sasanishiki and Nipponbare as susceptible cultivars. There was a significant negative relationship between spikelet sterility and both the number of engorged pollen grains per anther and anther area only after imposing cold air and cold water treatment hence, it was concluded that these flowering traits were facultative in nature. In addition, cultivars originating from Australia and California were inefficient at producing filled grain with similar sized anthers containing a similar number of engorged pollen grains as cultivars from other origins. One suggested reason for this poor conversion to filled grain of cultivars from Australia and California may be associated with their small stigma area, particularly when exposed to low temperature conditions. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental data on photophysiology and growth rates of the invasive foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera showing high thermal tolerance from the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aqaba

Invasive species allow an investigation of trait retention and adaptations after exposure to new habitats. Recent work on corals from the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) shows that tolerance to high temperature persists thousands of years after invasion, without any apparent adaptive advantage. Here we test whether thermal tolerance retention also occurs in another symbiont-bearing calcifying organism. To this end, we investigate the thermal tolerance of the benthic foraminifera Amphistegina lobifera from the GoA (29° 30.14167 N 34° 55.085 E) and compare it to a recent "Lessepsian invader population" from the Eastern Mediterranean (EaM) (32° 37.386 N, 34°55.169 E). We first established that the studied populations are genetically homogenous but distinct from a population in Australia, and that they contain a similar consortium of diatom symbionts, confirming their recent common descent. Thereafter, we exposed specimens from GoA and EaM to elevated temperatures for three weeks and monitored survivorship, growth rates and photophysiology. Both populations exhibited a similar pattern of temperature tolerance. A consistent reduction of photosynthetic dark yields was observed at 34°C and reduced growth was observed at 32°C. The apparent tolerance to sustained exposure to high temperature cannot have a direct adaptive importance, as peak summer temperatures in both locations remain <32°C. Instead, it seems that in the studied foraminifera tolerance to high temperature is a conservative trait and the EaM population retained this trait since its recent invasion. Such pre-adaptation to higher temperatures confers A. lobifera a clear adaptive advantage in shallow and episodically high temperature environments in the Mediterranean under further warming.

Temporal and spatial variation in temperature experienced by macrofauna at main endeavour Hydrothermal vent field

A significant focus of hydrothermal vent ecological studies has been to understand how species cope with various stressors through physiological tolerance and biochemical resistance. Yet, the environmental conditions experienced by vent species have not been well characterized. This objective requires continuous observations over time intervals that can capture environmental variability at scales that are relevant to animals. We used autonomous temperature logger arrays (four roughly parallel linear arrays of 12 loggers spaced every 10–12 cm) to study spatial and temporal variations in the thermal regime experienced by hydrothermal vent macrofauna at a diffuse flow vent. Hourly temperatures were recorded over eight months from 2010 to 2011 at Grotto vent in the Main Endeavour vent field on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, a focus area of the Ocean Networks Canada cabled observatory. The conspicuous animal assemblages in video footage contained Ridgeia piscesae tubeworms, gastropods (primarily Lepetodrilus fucensis), and polychaetes (polynoid scaleworms and the palm worm Paralvinella palmiformis). Two dimensional spatial gradients in temperature were generally stable over the deployment period. The average temperature recorded by all arrays, and in some individual loggers, revealed distinctive fluctuations in temperature that often corresponded with the tidal cycle. We postulate that this may be related to changes in bottom currents or fluctuations in vent discharge. A marked transient temperature increase lasting over a period of days was observed in April 2011. While the distributions and behavior of Juan de Fuca Ridge vent invertebrates may be partially constrained by environmental temperature and temperature tolerance, except for the one transient high-temperature event, observed fluid temperatures were generally similar to the thermal preferences for some species, and typically well below lethal temperatures for all species. Average temperatures of the four arrays ranged from 4.1 to 11.0 °C during the deployment, indicating that on an hourly timescale the temperature conditions in this tubeworm community were fairly moderate and stable. The generality of these findings and behavioural responses of vent organisms to predictable rhythmicity and non-periodic temperature shifts are areas for further investigation

Field performance of in-service cast iron water reticulation pipe buried in reactive clay

Field monitoring is an important means for understanding soil behaviour and its interaction with buried structures such as pipeline. This paper details the successful instrumentation of a section of an in-service cast iron water main buried in an area of reactive clay where frequent water pipe breakage has been observed. The instrumentation included measurement of pipe strain; pipe water pressure and temperature; soil pressure, temperature, moisture content and matric suction, as well as the meteorological conditions on site. The data generally indicated that changes in soil temperature, suction and moisture content were directly related to the local climatic variations. The suction and moisture content data indicated that the soil profile at the site down to around 700 mm, and probably down to 1000 mm, is affected by changes in surface weather, while soil conditions below this depth appear to be more stable. Analysis of pipe strain indicated that the pipe behaves like a cantilever beam, with the top experiencing predominantly tensile strains during summer. Subsequently, these trends reduce to compressive strains as soil swelling occurs due to increase of moisture content with the onset of winter.

Development of cat's claw creeper leaf-tying moth Hypocosmia pyrochroma (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at different temperatures: Implications for establishment as a biological control agent in Australia and South Africa

The leaf-tying moth Hypocosmia pyrochroma Jones (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a native of sub tropical South America, has been introduced as a biological control agent for cat’s claw creeper, Dolichandra unguis-cati (L.) Lohman (Bignoniaceae), in Australia and South Africa. So far there has been no evidence of its field establishment in either country. A narrow temperature tolerance is a potential limiting factor for the establishment of weed biological control insects in novel habitats. In this study, we evaluated the effect of seven constant temperatures (12–40 °C) on the survival and development of H. pyrochroma in temperature-controlled cabinets. Temperatures between 20 and 30 °C were the most favorable for adult survival, oviposition, egg hatching, and larval and pupal development. Adult survival (12–40 °C) and egg development (15–35 °C) showed tolerance for wider temperature ranges than oviposition, and larval and pupal development, which were all negatively affected by both high (>30 °C) and low (<20 °C) temperatures. The degree-day (DD) requirement to complete a generation was estimated as 877 above a threshold temperature of 12 °C. Based on DD requirements and an obligatory winter diapause of pupae from mid-autumn to mid-spring, the potential number of generations (egg to adult) the leaf-tying moth can complete in a year in Australia or South Africa range from one to three. A climate-matching model predicted that the inland regions of both Australia and South Africa are less favorable for H. pyrochroma than the coastal areas. The study suggested that H. pyrochroma is more likely to establish in the coastal areas of Australia where most of the cat’s claw creeper infestations occur, than in South Africa where most of the cat’s claw creeper infestations are inland.