Annual evolution of global, direct and diffuse radiation and fractions in tilted surfaces

It was evaluated the annual evolution of global, direct and diffuse components of incident solar radiation on tilted surfaces to 12.85, 22.85 and 32.85º, facing north, in Botucatu, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The radiometric fractions were obtained for each component of the radiation in the aforementioned surfaces, through the ratio with the global and top of the atmosphere radiations. Seasonality was evaluated based on monthly averages of daily values. The measures occurred between 04/1998 and 07/2001 at 22.85º; 08/2001 and 02/2003 at 12.85º; and from 03/2003 to 12/2007 at 32.85º, with concomitant measures in the horizontal surface (reference). The levels of global and direct radiation on tilted surfaces were lower in summer and higher in the equinoxes when compared with the horizontal. The diffuse radiation on tilted surfaces was lower in most months, with losses of up to 65%. A trend of increasing differences occurred between horizontal and tilted surfaces with the increase of the angle in all the components and fractions of incident radiation. The annual evolution of rainfall and cloud cover ratio directly affected the atmospheric transmissivity of direct and diffuse components in the region.

Citrus root distribution under water stress grown in sandy soil of central Florida

The experiment was conducted in an orchard located in University of Florida (Citrus Research and Education Center), Lake Alfred, Polk County, Florida, USA. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of water stress in root distribution of 'Valencia' orange tree on 'Swingle' citrumelo rootstock. Three treatments were imposed on the trees: 1) normal irrigation with microsprinklers, 2) no irrigation in winter (November through mid-March) and 3) rainfall exclusion by placing a water repelling fabric (Tyvek) under the trees. Trees in treatments 1 and 2 received normal rainfall during the winter, but treatment 3 received no rain. Normal irrigation was resumed on all treatments in mid March. Soil was collected using root auger head (0.09 m diameter and height 0.25 m) in two opposing quadrants (West and East at 3 horizontal distances from tree trunk (1, 2 and 3 m) and 4 depths (0.0-0.15; 0.15-0.30; 0.30-0.60 and 0.60-0.90 m). The results from root sampling showed that there was a significant difference in root distribution between irrigated treatment and non irrigated/non rainfall.

Root system distribution of sugarcane irrigated with domestic sewage effluent aplication by subsurface drip system

Irrigation with domestic sewage effluent (DSE) has been recommended by subsurface dripping, as it can obtain a high rate of irrigation efficiency and faster use of salts in comparison with other irrigation methods. The study aimed at evaluating the area, the length and the effective depth of the root system of sugarcane irrigated with DSE by subsurface drip system and with different irrigation rates at depths of 0.00-0.20, 0.20-0.40, 0.40-0.60 and 0.60-0.80m. The experiment was carried out in the municipality of Piracicaba, in the state of São Paulo (SP), Brazil, in a sugarcane area irrigated with DSE in a completely randomized blocks set up in furrows, with three replications and four treatments, which are: one area without irrigation (AWI) and three irrigated areas meeting 50% (T50%), 100% (T100%) and 200% (T200%) of the crop's water need between each round of irrigation. T100% and T200% provided smaller areas and lengths of roots in the two deepest layers, as compared to AWI and T50%, which stimulated the development of deeper roots due to the water stress. TWI, T100% and T200% presented 80% of the roots up to a depth of 0.40m and T50% treatment presented 76.43% of roots total.

Outlining precision boundaries among areas with different variability standards using magnetic susceptibility and geomorphic surfaces

There is an increasing demand for detailed maps that represent in a simplified way the knowledge of the variability of a particular area or region maps. The objective was to outline precision boundaries among areas with different accuracy variability standards using magnetic susceptibility and geomorphic surfaces. The study was conducted in an area of 110 ha, which identified three compartment landscapes based on the geomorphic surfaces model. To determinate pH, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, the total sand and clay, 514 soil samples were collected at depths of 0-0.20 m and 0.60-0.80 m. The sum of base, cationic exchange capacity and base saturation were calculated and the magnetic susceptibility was evaluated in the laboratory using a system based on a balance of analytical precision method. Geomorphic surfaces identification allowed setting specific management areas (locations with maximum homogeneity of soil attributes). The map of spatial variability of magnetic susceptibility can be used to validate the precise boundaries among geomorphic surfaces identified in the field and infer the variability of clay content and soil base saturation.

Physical characteristics of oily spraying liquids and droplets formed on coffee leaves and glass surfaces

The physical characteristics of a spray liquid are important in getting a good droplet formation and control efficiency over a particular target. As a function of these characteristics, it is possible to decipher which is the best adjuvant based on the respective concentration used during the spray. Therefore, ten spraying liquids were prepared, which varied in concentrations of pesticide lufenuron + profenofos, mineral oil, water and manganese sulfate. Pendant droplets formed from these mixtures were measured to examine their impact on surface tension. Droplets were applied to the surface of coffee leaves and the surface tension, contact angle formed and the leaf area wetted by the droplet, were measured. A smooth glass surface was taken as a comparative to the coffee leaves. The highest concentrations of oil resulted in lower surface tension, smaller contact angles of droplets on leaf surfaces and larger areas wetted by the droplets. Both surfaces showed hydrophilic behavior.

Fatigue study of the fillet weld waving on weld toe and the penetration in the weld root based on the effective notch stress approach

The fatigue failure of structures under fluctuating loads in fillet weld joints raises a demand to determine the parameters related to this type of loading. In this study, the stress distribution in the susceptible area of weld toe and weld root in fillet welded models analyzed by finite element method applying FEMAP software. To avoid the geometrical singularity on the path of analytical stress analysis in the toe and root area of a weld model the effective notch stress approach applied by which a proper fictitious rounding that mostly depend on the material of structure is applied. The models with different weld toe waving width and radius are analyzed while the flank angle of weld varied in 45 and 30 degrees. The processed results shows that the waving compare to the straight weld toe makes differences in the value of stress and consequently the stress concentration factor between the tip and depth of the waves in the weld toe which helps to protect the crack of propagation and gives enough time and tools to be informed of the crack initiation in the structure during the periodical observation of structure. In the weld root study the analyses among the models with the welding penetration percentage from non-penetration to the full-penetration shows a slightly increase in the root area stress value which comparing with the stiffening effect of penetration conclude that the half-penetration can make an optimization between the stress increase and stiffening effect of deep penetration.

Histopathological and histomicrobiological study of root canal therapy medication, comparison of calcium hydroxide versus gutta-percha with zinc oxide/eugenol in the teeth of dogs

The presence of microorganisms in dental structures with experimentally induced necrosis was evaluated. The materials were tested to evaluate their antimicrobial activity and tissue repair efficacy. Four dogs were used in this experiment, with a total of 64 roots of premolar teeth, divided into three groups. The root canals of Group I were filled with gutta-percha and zinc oxide/eugenol cement; Group II were filled with calcium hydroxide, and Group III were not filled. All animals were clinically and radiographically examined 15 days after surgery andthen again every subsequent 15 days until 120 days, when the teeth were extracted en bloc.Histopathological analysis showed inflammatory infiltration, cement and bone resorption andnecrotic tissue in the apical delta in different proportions. Histomicrobiological analysis showedthe presence of microorganisms inside the teeth structures, with different concentrationsaccording to the treatment used. There was statistical significance between the groups(p>0.05). Gutta-percha with zinc oxide/eugenol demonstrated good antimicrobial activity;calcium hydroxide was not efficient. The conclusion of this study is that gutta-percha withzinc oxide/eugenol is the better protocol for filling root canals in dogs.

Research and development of III-V semiconductor surfaces for improved device interfaces

This thesis is devoted to understanding and improving technologically important III-V compound semiconductor (e.g. GaAs, InAs, and InSb) surfaces and interfaces for devices. The surfaces and interfaces of crystalline III-V materials have a crucial role in the operation of field-effect-transistors (FET) and highefficiency solar-cells, for instance. However, the surfaces are also the most defective part of the semiconductor material and it is essential to decrease the amount of harmful surface or interface defects for the next-generation III-V semiconductor device applications. Any improvement in the crystal ordering at the semiconductor surface reduces the amount of defects and increases the material homogeneity. This is becoming more and more important when the semiconductor device structures decrease to atomic-scale dimensions. Toward that target, the effects of different adsorbates (i.e., Sn, In, and O) on the III-V surface structures and properties have been investigated in this work. Furthermore, novel thin-films have been synthesized, which show beneficial properties regarding the passivation of the reactive III-V surfaces. The work comprises ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) environment for the controlled fabrication of atomically ordered III-V(100) surfaces. The surface sensitive experimental methods [low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS), and synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (SRPES)] and computational density-functionaltheory (DFT) calculations are utilized for elucidating the atomic and electronic properties of the crucial III-V surfaces. The basic research results are also transferred to actual device tests by fabricating metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors and utilizing the interface sensitive measurement techniques [capacitance voltage (CV) profiling, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy] for the characterization. This part of the thesis includes the instrumentation of home-made UHV-compatible atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) reactor for growing good quality insulator layers. The results of this thesis elucidate the atomic structures of technologically promising Sn- and In-stabilized III-V compound semiconductor surfaces. It is shown that the Sn adsorbate induces an atomic structure with (1×2)/(1×4) surface symmetry which is characterized by Sn-group III dimers. Furthermore, the stability of peculiar ζa structure is demonstrated for the GaAs(100)-In surface. The beneficial effects of these surface structures regarding the crucial III-V oxide interface are demonstrated. Namely, it is found that it is possible to passivate the III-V surface by a careful atomic-scale engineering of the III-V surface prior to the gate-dielectric deposition. The thin (1×2)/(1×4)-Sn layer is found to catalyze the removal of harmful amorphous III-V oxides. Also, novel crystalline III-V-oxide structures are synthesized and it is shown that these structures improve the device characteristics. The finding of crystalline oxide structures is exploited by solving the atomic structure of InSb(100)(1×2) and elucidating the electronic structure of oxidized InSb(100) for the first time.

Fracture modes and acoustic emission characteristics of hydrogen-assisted cracking in high-strength low-alloy steel weldment

The aim of the present paper is to study the relationship between the fracture modes in hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) in microalloied steel and the emission of acoustic signals during the fracturing process. For this reason, a flux-cored arc weld (FCAW) was used in a high-strength low-alloy steel. The consumable used were the commercially available AWS E120T5-K4 and had a diameter of 1.6 mm. Two different shielding gases were used (CO2 and CO2+5% H2) to obtain complete phenomenon characterization. The implant test was applied with three levels of restriction stresses. An acoustic emission measurement system (AEMS) was coupled to the implant test apparatus. The output signal from the acoustic emission sensor was passed through an electronic amplifier and processed by a root mean square (RMS) voltage converter. Fracture surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and image analysis. Fracture modes were related with the intensity, the energy and the number of the peaks of the acoustic emission signal. The shielding gas CO2+5% H2 proved to be very useful in the experiments. Basically, three different fracture modes were identified in terms of fracture appearance: microvoid coalescence (MVC), intergranular (IG) and quasi-cleavage (QC). The results show that each mode of fracture presents a characteristic acoustic signal.

Algorithm to determine the intersection curves between bezier surfaces by the solution of multivariable polynomial system and the differential marching method

The determination of the intersection curve between Bézier Surfaces may be seen as the composition of two separated problems: determining initial points and tracing the intersection curve from these points. The Bézier Surface is represented by a parametric function (polynomial with two variables) that maps a point in the tridimensional space from the bidimensional parametric space. In this article, it is proposed an algorithm to determine the initial points of the intersection curve of Bézier Surfaces, based on the solution of polynomial systems with the Projected Polyhedral Method, followed by a method for tracing the intersection curves (Marching Method with differential equations). In order to allow the use of the Projected Polyhedral Method, the equations of the system must be represented in terms of the Bernstein basis, and towards this goal it is proposed a robust and reliable algorithm to exactly transform a multivariable polynomial in terms of power basis to a polynomial written in terms of Bernstein basis .

Root exudation of imazapyr by eucalypt, cultivated in soil

Imazapyr has been used to control stump sprouting in stand of Eucalyptus plantations, where herbicide is applied to the tree trunk before cutting. The herbicide is applied exclusively on the stump to be killed, but little is known about the final fate of the molecule. Imazapyr exudation via roots of eucalypt grown in soil as the substrate was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Different herbicide doses (0.000, 0.375, 0.750, 1.125, 1.500, and 3.000 kg ha-1 a.i.) were applied on the aerial parts of 8-month-old Eucalyptus grandis clonal seedlings, cultivated in pots with 18.0 dm³ of soil. Forty days after this treatment, the eucalypt plants were cut and a lateral opening in the containers was made and the plants inclined 90º, with plants sensitive to herbicide presence (sorghum and cucumber) sown into the openings along the exposed soil surface. After 15-day sowing, toxicity symptoms on the shoots as well as the shoot and root system dry biomass of the bio-indicators were evaluated. The results suggest that eucalypt roots do exude imazapyr, and/or its metabolites, at concentrations high enough to cause toxicity to the bio-indicators. Toxicity effects were observed in all plants sown along the exposed soil profile of the container, with higher intensity at higher doses.

Growth and nutrient concentration in coffee root system under weed species competition

The effects of competition of six weed species on growth, nutrient concentration and nutrient content of coffee plant root system under greenhouse conditions were evaluated. Thirty days after coffee seedling transplantation into 12 L pots with soil level area of 6.5 dm². Weeds were transplanted or sowed in these pots, at densities of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 plants per pot. The duration of competition (or weedy periods) from weed transplantation or emergence until plant harvesting, at the weed preflowering stage, were (in days): 77 (Bidens pilosa), 180 (Commelina diffusa), 82 (Leonurus sibiricus), 68 (Nicandra physaloides), 148 (Richardia brasiliensis) and 133 (Sida rhombifolia). Dry matter of coffee plants was linearly reduced with increasing B. pilosa and S. rhombifolia density, with pronounced effect of B. pilosa. C. diffusa was the only weed species whose increasing density in the pots did not diminish crop root dry matter. L. sibiricus, N. physaloides and R. brasiliensis reduced root dry matter of coffee plants by 75, 52 and 47%, respectively, as compared to the weed-free treatment, regardless of weed density. Under competition, even though weed species showed lower macronutrient concentration in the roots (except for P), they accumulated 4.2 (N), 12.3 (P), 4.3 (K), 5.5 (Ca), 7.6 (Mg) and 4.4 (S) times more nutrients in the roots than the coffee plants. Crop and weed nutrient concentration, as well as competition degrees greatly varied depending on both weed species and densities.

Allelopathic effect of black mustard tissues and root exudates on some crops and weeds

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the phytotoxic effect of black mustard extracts and root exudates on two crops: Trifolium alexandrinum and Triticum aestivum, and two weeds: Phalaris paradoxa and Sisymbrium irio. The seeds were treated with aqueous and ethanolic extracts and chloroform for eight days, or subjected to root exudates of just harvested mustard in a greenhouse for five weeks. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify phytotoxins from plant tissues. Seed germination of P. paradoxa was reduced with the lowest concentration of the different extracts. However, the aqueous extract at 4% completely curtailed the germination of all the target species. In general, plant extracts had a concentration-dependent reduction of seedling growth of the target species. However, the ethanolic extract, at the lowest concentration, has stimulated the shoot length of both T. alexandrinum and T. aestivum, and the root length of the former. Mustard root exudates inhibited emergence and growth of the target species throughout the experiment. Ferulic and syringic acids were the dominant allelochemicals found when HPLC was used.

Host suitability of weeds and forage species to root-knot nematode meloidogyne graminicola as a funcion of irrigation management

The irrigated rice production can be limited by various phytopathogenic agents, including root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Thus, the aim of this research was to check the host suitability of plant species most often found off-season and during rice cultivation, to root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola, under two irrigation managements. Two experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. In the first experiment seven plant species that occur in an area of rice cultivation, in fallow, off-season were evaluated. For the second experiment nine weed species infesting the irrigated rice culture were tested in rainfed and flooding conditions. The sixteen species, kept individually in pots with sterilized substrate, were inoculated with 5,000 eggs and second stage juveniles (J2) of nematode. BRS 410 IRGA rice plants inoculated with M.graminicola were used as control. Two months after inoculation, the root system of each plant was evaluated for number of galls and nematode reproduction factor. It was verified that the species of off-season of rice cultivation Sida rhombifolia, Raphanus raphanistrum, Spergula arvensis, Lotus corniculatus and Trifolium repens, and, during the cycle of rice cultivation, Aeschynomene denticulata, Leersia hexandra, are immune to nematode. The plant species off-season, Avena strigosa and Lolium multiflorum and of cultivation, Alternanthera philoxeroides, red rice, Echinochloa crusgalli, Cyperus difformis, Cyperus esculentus, Cyperus iria and Fimbristylis miliacea would behave as hosts of M.graminicola, mostly under rainfed conditions.

Anatomical and ultrastructural aspects of root and mycorrhiza of Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Speg. var. falcata (Benth.) Altschul (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae)

A. peregrina var. falcata form mutualistic symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. An anatomical and ultrastructural study was carried out to analyze some aspects of this simbiotic association as well as some root features. The results evidenced the presence of fibers with non-lignified thicked secondary walls in the stele and sparse papillae on root surface. A. peregrina var. falcata mycorrhizas presented features of Arum-type (intercellular hyphae) and Paris-type (extensive coils) arbuscular mycorrhiza. Their general appearance with extraradical hyphae, intracellular coils, intercellular hyphae and arbuscules, is in agreement with arbuscular mycorrhizas of several plants. The ultrastructural observations showed that in intercellular hyphae and arbuscules vacuoles were dominant and that in rough endoplasmatic reticulum and small vesicles seems to be associated with arbuscule senescence process.