Quantitative assessment of total and Gram-positive aerobic bacteria in fresh and ambient-temperature-stored sub-tropical marine fish

The current study was undertaken to enumerate Gram-positive bacteria in fresh sub-tropical marine fish and determine the effect of ambient storage (25°C) on the Gram-positive bacterial count. Total and Gram-positive bacteria were enumerated in the muscles, gills and gut of fresh and stored Pseudocaranx dentex, Pagrus auratus and Mugil cephalus on tryptone soya agar (TSA) and TSA with 0.25% phenylethyl alcohol (PEA), respectively. Initial studies indicated that PEA significantly reduced total aerobic bacterial count (TABC) whereas control Gram-positive bacteria were not affected by 0.25% PEA. TABC significantly increased in all fish body parts, whereas Gram-positive aerobic bacterial count (GABC) significantly increased only in the muscles and gills during ambient storage for 15 h. The TABC of the fish species increased from 4.00, 6.13 and 4.58 log cfu g-1, respectively in the muscles, gills, and gut to 6.31, 7.31 and 7.23 log cfu g-1 by the end of storage. GABC increased from 2.00, 3.52 and 2.20 log cfu g-1 to 4.70, 5.85 and 3.36 log cfu g-1. Within each species, TABC were significantly higher in the gills compared to that of muscles and gut; however, no significant differences were found in GABC between muscles and gills. This study demonstrated the potential importance of Gram-positive bacteria in sub-tropical marine fish and their spoilage.

New temperature fluctuation method for direct determination of thermal activation energy of deep levels in semiconductors

A new method is suggested where the thermal activation energy is measured directly and not as a slope of an Arrhenius plot. The sample temperature T is allowed to fluctuate about a temperature T0. The reverse-biased sample diode is repeatedly pulsed towards zero bias and the transient capacitance C1 at time t1 is measured The activation energy is obtained by monitoring the fluctuations in C1 and T. The method has been used to measure the activation energy of the gold acceptor level in silicon.

Photosynthetic responses of seven tropical seagrasses to elevated seawater temperature

This study uses chlorophyll a fluorescence to examine the effect of environmentally relevant (1-4 h) exposures of thermal stress (35-45 [deg]C) on seagrass photosynthetic yield in seven tropical species of seagrasses. Acute response of each tropical seagrass species to thermal stress was characterised, and the capacity of each species to tolerate and recover from thermal stress was assessed. Two fundamental characteristics of heat stress were observed. The first effect was a decrease in photosynthetic yield (Fv / Fm) characterised by reductions in F and Fm'. The dramatic decline in Fv / Fm ratio, due to chronic inhibition of photosynthesis, indicates an intolerance of Halophila ovalis, Zostera capricorni and Syringodium isoetifolium to ecologically relevant exposures of thermal stress and structural alterations to the PhotoSystem II (PSII) reaction centres. The decline in Fm' represents heat-induced photoinhibition related to closure of PSII reaction centres and chloroplast dysfunction. The key finding was that Cymodocea rotundata, Cymodocea serrulata, Halodule uninervis and Thalassia hemprichii were more tolerant to thermal stress than H. ovalis, Z. capricorni and S. isoetifolium. After 3 days of 4 h temperature treatments ranging from 25 to 40 [deg]C, C. rotundata, C. serrulata and H. uninervis demonstrated a wide tolerance to temperature with no detrimental effect on Fv / Fm' qN or qP responses. These three species are restricted to subtropical and tropical waters and their tolerance to seawater temperatures up to 40 [deg]C is likely to be an adaptive response to high temperatures commonly occurring at low tides and peak solar irradiance. The results of temperature experiments suggest that the photosynthetic condition of all seagrass species tested are likely to suffer irreparable effects from short-term or episodic changes in seawater temperatures as high as 40-45 [deg]C. Acute stress responses of seagrasses to elevated seawater temperatures are consistent with observed reductions in above-ground biomass during a recent El Nino event.

Stone Weathering in the Monastic Building Complex on Mountain of St Aaron in Petra, Jordan.

Since 1997 the Finnish Jabal Haroun Project (FJHP) has studied the ruins of the monastery and pilgrimage complex (Gr. oikos) of Aaron located on a plateau of the Mountain of Prophet Aaron, Jabal an-Nabi Harûn, ca. 5 km to the south-west of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra in Jordan. The state of conservation and the damaging processes affecting the stone structures of the site are studied in this M.A. thesis. The chapel was chosen as an example, as it represents the phasing and building materials of the entire site. The aim of this work is to act as a preliminary study with regards to the planning of long-term conservation at the site. The research is empirical in nature. The condition of the stones in the chapel walls was mapped using the Illustrated Glossary on Stone Deterioration, by the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Stone. This glossary combines several standards and systems of damage mapping used in the field. Climatic conditions (temperature and RH %) were monitored for one year (9/2005-8/2006) using a HOBO Microstation datalogger. The measurements were compared with contemporary measurements from the nearest weather station in Wadi Musa. Salts in the stones were studied by taking samples from the stone surfaces by scraping and with the “Paper Pulp”-method; with a poultice of wet cellulose fiber (Arbocel BC1000) and analyzing what main types of salts were to be found in the samples. The climatic conditions on the mountain were expected to be rapidly changing and to differ clearly from conditions in the neighboring areas. The rapid changes were confirmed, but the values did not differ as much as expected from those nearby: the 12 months monitored had average temperatures and were somewhat drier than average. Earlier research in the area has shown that the geological properties of the stone material influence its deterioration. The damage mapping showed clearly, that salts are also a major reason for stone weathering. The salt samples contained several salt combinations, whose behavior in the extremely unstable climatic conditions is difficult to predict. Detailed mapping and regular monitoring of especially the structures, that are going remain exposed, is recommended in this work.

1H NMR and a study of the anomalous temperature dependence of the 35Cl NQR frequencies in 2-chloro-3-pyridinol

A 35Cl NQR study of 2-chloro-3-pyridinol showed the presence of four NQR signals at 77 K. One of the lines showed a positive temperature coefficient of the NQR frequency. 1H NMR studies showed the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding, and the anomalous NQR temperature dependence has been explained in terms of Bayer and hydrogen bond effects. The room temperature x-ray structure and the low-temperature NQR data suggest the presence of a phase transition.

Pressure and temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of bulk Al23 Te77 glass

Electrical resistivity of bulk amorphous Al23T77 samples has been studied as a function of pressure (up to 80 kbar) and temperature (down to 77 K). At atmospheric pressure the temperature dependence of resistivity obeys the relation = π0 exp(δE/RT) with two activation energies. In the temperature range 300 K T > 234 K the activation energy is 0.58 eV and for 234 >T 185 K the value is δE = 0.30 ev. The activation energy has been measured as a function of pressure. The electrical resistivity decreases exponentially with the increase of pressure and at 70 kbar pressure the electrical behaviour of the sample shows a metallic nature with a positive temperature coefficient. The high pressure phase of the sample is found to be a crystalline hexagonal phase.

Determination of the thermodynamic properties of xMgO + (1 x)MnO (s, sln) from a solid-electrolyte galvanic cell in the temperature range 1163 to 1318 K

The thermodynamic activities of MgO in the NaCl-type solid solutions which can exist in xMgO + (1 x)MnO have been determined in the temperature range 1163 to 1318 K from a solid-state galvanic cell incorporating MgF2 as the solid electrolyte. The activities of MnO have been calculated by a graphical Gibbs-Duhem integration method. The activities of both the components exhibit positive deviations from ideality over the entire composition range. The excess molar enthalpies are found to be positive. Further, xMgO + (1 - x)MnO does not conform to regular-solution behaviour. The origin of the excess thermodynamic properties is discussed in relation to the cationic size disparity and the crystal-field effects.

Graphical method to include temperature variation of activation energy in Hall data analysis

A graphical method is presented for Hall data analysis, including the temperature variation of activation energy due to screening. This method removes the discrepancies noted in the analysis of recently reported Hall data on Si(In).

Counterclockwise exhumation of a hot orogen: The Paleoproterozoic ultrahigh-temperature granulites in the North China Craton

Regional metamorphic belts provide important constraints on the plate tectonic architecture of orogens. We report here a detailed petrologic examination of the sapphirine-bearing ultra-high temperature (UHT) granulites from the Jining Complex within the Khondalite Belt of the North China Craton (NCC). These granulites carry diagnostic UHT assemblages and their microstructures provide robust evidence to trace the prograde, peak and retrograde metamorphic evolution. The P–T conditions of the granulites estimated from XMgGrt(Mg/Fe + Mg) − XMgSpr isopleth calculations indicate temperature above 970 °C and pressures close to 7 kbar. We present phase diagrams based on thermodynamic computations to evaluate the mineral assemblages and microstructures and trace the metamorphic trajectory of the rocks. The evolution from Spl–Qtz–Ilm–Crd–Grt–Sil to Spr–Qtz–Crd–Opx–Ilm marks the prograde stage. The Spl–Qtz assemblage appears on the low-pressure side of the P–T space with Spr–Qtz stable at the high-pressure side, possibly representing an increase in pressure corresponding to compression. The spectacular development of sapphirine rims around spinel enclosed in quartz supports this inference. An evaluation of the key UHT assemblages based on model proportion calculation suggests a counterclockwise P–T path. With few exceptions, granulite-facies rocks developed along collisional metamorphic zones have generally been characterized by clockwise exhumation trajectories. Recent evaluation of the P–T paths of metamorphic rocks developed within collisional orogens indicates that in many cases the exhumation trajectories follow the model subduction geotherm, in accordance with a tectonic model in which the metamorphic rocks are subducted and exhumed along a plate boundary. The timing of UHT metamorphism in the NCC (c. 1.92 Ga) coincides with the assembly of the NCC within the Paleoproterozoic Columbia supercontinent, a process that would have involved subduction of passive margins sediments and closure of the intervening ocean. Thus, the counterclockwise P–T path obtained in this study correlates well with a tectonic model involving subduction and final collisional suturing, with the UHT granulites representing the core of the hot or ultra-hot orogen developed during Columbia amalgamation.

Phosphorus concentrations in the leaves of cotton in tropical Australia are determined by temperature.

Previous research on P leaf analysis for detecting deficiencies in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) has not considered temperature as a determining factor. This is despite correlations between leaf P content and temperature being observed in other crops. As part of research into a new cotton farming system for the semi-arid tropics of Australia, we conducted two P fertiliser rate experiments on recently cleared un-cropped (bicarbonate P < 5 mg kg- 1) and previously cropped (bicarbonate P 26 mg kg- 1) soil. They aimed to develop P requirements and more importantly to determine if temperature affects the leaf P concentrations used to diagnose P deficiencies. In 2002, optimal yield on un-cropped, low P soil was achieved with a 60 kg P ha- 1 rate. In 2003, residual P from the 40 kg P ha- 1 treatment produced optimal yield. On cropped, high P soil there was no yield response to treatments up to 100 kg P ha- 1. On low P soil, a positive correlation was observed between P concentration in the youngest fully-unfurled leaf (YFUL), fertiliser rate, and mean diurnal temperature in the seven days prior to sampling. On high P soil, a positive correlation was observed between the YFUL and mean diurnal temperature however there was no correlation with fertiliser rate. These results show that YFUL analysis can be used to diagnose P deficiencies in cotton, provided the temperature prior to sampling is considered.

Floating row covers and pyriproxyfen help control silverleaf whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) Biotype B (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in zucchini

In zucchini, the use of row covers until flowering and the insect growth regulator (IGR) pyriproxyfen are effective methods of reducing the number of insects, especially silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) Biotype B), on plants. We compared floating row covers (FRCs) up until flowering with silverleaf whitefly (SLW) introduced (FRC + SLW), or not introduced (FRC-only), or with introduction of SLW in open plots (SLW-only), or with introduction of SLW in open plots with IGR (SLW + IGR). FRC increased temperature and humidity compared with the uncovered treatments. Average fruit weight was less (P < 0.01) for the FRC + SLW treatment compared with the other treatments and the percentage of marketable fruit was less for the FRC + SLW than for the other three treatments. This result indicates that the use of either row covers or IGR controls whiteflies, reduces fruit damage and increases the size, weight, and quality of fruit, and may also control other sap-sucking insects. However, if SLW are already present on plants, the use of FRC may reduce predation and favour build up of SLW. Thus, FRC and IGR, if used judiciously, may provide an effective alternative to broad-spectrum pesticides in small-scale cucurbit production.

An investigation of structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of R2NiMnO6 (R = rare earth, Y)

We have investigated the structure, magnetic and dielectric properties of the double perovskite oxides, R2NiMnO6 (R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho and Y). We could refine powder X-ray diffraction patterns of all the phases on the basis of monoclinic (P2(1)/n) double perovskite structure where Ni and Mn atoms are ordered at 2c and 2d sites, respectively. All the phases are ferromagnetic insulators exhibiting relatively low dielectric loss and dielectric constants in the range 15-25. The ferromagnetic ordering temperature of the R2NiMnO6 series seems to correlate better with the radius of R3+ atoms than with the average Ni-O-Mn angle (phi) in the double perovskite structure. These results are consistent with all samples having Mn4+ and Ni2+ With minimal antisite disorder.

The mortality of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) neonate larvae in relation to drop-off and soil surface temperature: The dangers of bungy jumping

The first larval instar has been identified as a critical stage for population mortality in Lepidoptera, yet due to the body size of these larvae, the factors that contribute to mortality under field conditions are still not clear. Dispersal behaviour has been suggested as a significant, but ignored factor contributing to mortality in first-instar lepidopteran larvae. The impact that leaving the host plant has on the mortality rate of Helicoverpa armigera neonates was examined in field crops and laboratory trials. In this study the following are examined: (1) the effects of soil surface temperature, and the level of shade within the crop, on the mortality of neonates on the soil after dropping off from the host plant; (2) the percentage of neonates that dropped off from a host plant and landed on the soil; and (3) the effects of exposure to different soil surface temperatures on the development and mortality of neonates. The findings of this study showed that: (1) on the soil, surface temperatures above 43°C were lethal for neonates, and exposure to these temperatures contributed greatly to the overall mortality rate observed; however, the fate of neonates on the soil varied significantly depending on canopy closure within the crop; (2) at least 15% of neonates dropped off from the host plant and landed on the soil, meaning that the proportion of neonates exposed to these condition is not trivial; and (3) 30 min exposure to soil surface temperatures approaching the lethal level (>43°C) has no significant negative effects on the development and mortality of larvae through to the second instar. Overall leaving the plant through drop-off contributes to first-instar mortality in crops with open canopies; however, survival of neonates that have lost contact with a host plant is possible, and becomes more likely later in the crop growing season.

Effect of substrate temperature on the physical properties of dc magnetron sputtered CuAlO2 films

Copper aluminum oxide films were prepared by direct current (dc) reactive magnetron sputtering under various substrate temperatures in the range of 303–648 K and systematically studied their physical properties. The physical properties of the films were strongly affected by the substrate temperature. The films formed at substrate temperatures <373 K were amorphous while those deposited at higher substrate temperatures (≥373 K) were polycrystalline in nature. The electrical properties of the films enhanced with substrate temperature due to the improved crystallinity. The Hall mobility of 9.4 cm2/V s and carrier concentration of 3.5 × 1017 cm−3 were obtained at the substrate temperature of 573 K. The optical band gap of the films decreased from 3.87 to 3.46 eV with the increase of substrate temperature from 373 to 573 K.

Texture strengthening in warm-rolled cadmium-1% silver alloy

The variation in the tensile properties at 77 K and 300 K in warm-rolled (300 K) Cd-1% Ag alloy with deformation has been studied in longitudinal as well as transverse specimens. The low-temperature yield strength increases with warm rolling without much loss in ductility. The strength at 300 K, however, decreases with heavy warm deformation. From microstructural studies and X-ray investigations, it was observed that changes in grain size and texture occur during warm rolling. Both these changes are found to be important in deciding the tensile properties. The longitudinal and transverse strengths at 77 K vary linearly with l-frac12, where l is the average grain diameter, and thus they obey the Hall-Petch relation. The Hall-Petch slope, k, is lower in specimens with favourable lcub1013rcub texture while the intercept σo is higher when the lcub0002rcub texture is less favourable.