Effects of different seed pretreatments on germination of ten Calligonum species

In order to determine the optimum seed pre??sowing treatments and patterns of germination,a greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effects of abrasion,sulphuric acid,boiling water,cold stratification and seed exudate treatments on the germination of ten Calligonum species.The results showed that the response of seed germination to the different pretreatments was similar for all ten Calligonum species.The abrasion,sulphuric acid and cold stratification treatments significantly promoted overall germinability.Compared with the control,the exudate treatment significantly decreased the percent germination,hampered the rate of germination and bolstered dormancy for almost all species.The cold stratification treatment can break the dormancy of viable Calligonum seeds and increased the germination,but it has a little lethal effect on viable seeds probably as well as the boiling water treatments.The germinaton patterns performed significant difference between the pre-sowing treatments for all ten Calligonum species,and the speed and percent germination of the Calligonum species can be greatly increased by mechanical scarification or sulphuric acid treatments.The results showed that seeds of C.junceum have strong ability of germinating.

Effect of graded levels of rapeseed oil in isonitrogenous diets on the development of the gastrointestinal tract, and utilisation of protein, fat and energy in broiler chickens

The effect of feeding 0, 4, 8 and 16% rapeseed oil from 12-42 days of age was studied in broiler chickens on performance, digestibility of nutrients, and development of gastrointestinal tract, protein and energy metabolism. Thirty six female chickens (Ross 208) with initial body weight average 246 g were allocated to the four groups and kept pair-wise in metabolism cages. The chickens were fed similar amounts of metabolisable energy (ME) per day and similar amounts of essential amino acids relative to ME by adjusting with crystalline amino acids. The chickens were subjected to four balance periods each of five days with two 24 h measurements of gas exchange in two open-air-circuit respiration chambers inserted on the second and third day of each period. The addition of rapeseed oil increased the amount of gutfill indicating a reduced rate of passage and causing a hypertrophy of the gastrointestinal tract. There was a positive effect on feed utilisation as well as on digestibility especially of dietary fat together with higher utilisation of protein with addition of rapeseed oil. The partial fat digestibility of rapeseed oil estimated by regression was 91.1% and the partial metabolisability (ME/GE) of the rapeseed oil was estimated to 85% yielding an apparent metabolisable energy value of 34.30 MJ/kg.

Comparative analysis of allantoin quercetin, and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid in Nitraria tangutorum Bobr. Seed by HPLC-APCI-MS and CE

This paper describes the simultaneous determination of allantoin, quercetin, and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline-3-carboxylic acid (MTCCA) in Nitraria tangutorum Bobr seed by HPLC-APCI-MS and CE (capillary electrophoresis) methods. The final optimized chromatographic conditions were investigated in a reversed-phase Eclipse XDB-C8 column (150 x 4.6 mm, 5 mu m). A seventeen-minute gradient elution, (A: aqueous acetonitrile 20% (v/v); B: aqueous acetonitrile 60% (v/v); C: pure acetonitrile 100%) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min was selected for the separation of three natural products with diode array detection (DAD) at 220 nm. A CE experiment was carried out in a fused silica capillary with 32 mmol/L boric acid (pH 10), 32 mmol/L SDS and acetonitrile (10.0%, v/v). The applied potential and temperature was, respectively, set at 19 kV and 25 degrees C. After development, the validation was performed in parallel for HPLC and CE, with the same standards and sample to avoid differences due to the manipulation. The validation parameters of both techniques were adequate for the intended purpose.

Recomendações técnicas para a cultura da soja na região Central do Brasil 1996/97.

Situacao mundial da soja; Producao; Exportacoes/importacoes; Esmagamento; Estoques finais; Farelo de soja; Oleo de soja; Balanco de oferta e demanda mundial de soja; Recomendacoes tecnicas; Exigencias climaticas; Exigencias hidricas; Exigencias termicas e fotoperiodicas; Rotacao de culturas; Selecao de especies para rotacao de culturas; Planejamento da propriedade; Rotacao de culturas com a soja no sul do Maranhao; Manejo do solo; Manejo de residuos culturais; Preparo do solo; Alternancia do uso de implementos no preparo do solo; Rompimento da camada compactada; Sistema de semeadura direta; Correcao e manutencao da fertilidade do solo; Acidez do solo; Calagem; Qualidade do calcario e condicoes de uso; Correcao da acidez subsuperficial; Exigencias minerais e adubacao para a cultura da soja; Adubacao; Cultivares; Cuidados na aquisicao e na utilizacao da semente; Qualidade da semente; Armazenamento da sementes; Tratamento e inoculacao de sementes; Tratamento; Inoculacao; Preparo da semente; Instalacao da lavoura; Cuidados relativos ao manuseio das sementes; Epoca de semeadura; Semeadura na entressafra; Populacao de plantas e espacamento; Calculo da quantidade de sementes; Controle de plantas daninhas; Manejo de pragas; Doencas e medidas de controle; Consideracoes gerais; Doencas identificadas no Brasil; Principais doencas e demidas de controle; Retencao foliar "haste verde"); Colheita; Fatores que afetam a eficiencia da colheita; Avaliacao de perdas; Como evitar perdas; Tecnologia de sementes; Selecao do local; Avaliacao da qualidade; Remocoes de torroes para prevenir a disseminacao do nematoide de cisto.

Program, abstracts and related documents.

The context: Soil biodiversity and sustainable agriculture; Abstracts - Theme 1: Monitoring and assessment: Bioindicators of soil health: assessment and monitoring for sustainable agriculture; Practical tools to measure soil health and their use by farmers; Biological soil quality from biomass to biodiversity - importance and resilience to management stress and disturbance; Integrated management of plant-parasitic nematodes in maize-bean cropping systems; Microbial quantitative and qualitative changes in soils under different crops and tillage management systems in Brazil; Diversity in the rhizobia associated with Phaseolus vulgaris L: in Ecuador and comparisons with Mexican bean rhizobia; Sistemas integrados ganadería-agricultura en Cuba; Soil macrofauna as bioindicator of soil quality; Biological functioning of cerrado soils; Hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate as a soil quality indicator in different pasture systems; Soil management and soil macrofauna communities at Embrapa Soybean, Londrina, Brazil; Soil macrofauna in a 24 - year old no-tillage system in Paraná, Brazil; Invertebrate macrofauna of soils inpastures under different forms of management in the cerrado (Brazil); Soil tillage modifies the invertebrate soil macrofauna community; Soil macrofauna in various tillage and land use systems on an oxisols near Londrina, Paraná, Brazil; Interference of agricultural systems on soil macrofauna; Scarab beetle-grub holes in various tillage and crop management systems at Embrapa Soybean, Londrina, Brazil; Biological management of agroecosystems; Soil biota and nutrient dynamics through litterfall in agroforestry system in Rondônia, Amazônia, Brazil; Soil-C stocks and earthworm diversity of native and introduced pastures in Veracruz, Mexico; Theme 2 : Adaptive management: Some thoughts on the effects and implications of the transition from weedy multi-crop to wead-free mono-crop systems in Africa; Towards sustainable agriculture with no-tillage and crop rotation systems in South Brazil; Effect of termites on crusted soil rehabilitation in the Sahel; Management of macrofauna in traditional and conventional agroforestry systems from India with special reference to termites and earthworms; Adaptive management for redeveloping traditional agroecosystems; Conservation and sustainable use of soil biodiversity: learning with master nature!; Convergence of sciences: inclusive technology innovation processes for better integrated crop/vegetation, soil and biodiversity management; Potential for increasing soil biodiversity in agroecosystems; Biological nitrogen fixation and sustainability in the tropics; Theme 3: Research and innovation: Plant flavonoids and cluster roots as modifiers of soil biodiversity; The significance of biological diversity in agricultural soil for disease suppressiveness and nutrient retention; Linking above - and belowground biodiversity: a comparison of agricultural systems; Insect-pests in biologically managed oil and crops: the experience at ICRISAT; Sistemas agricolas micorrizados en Cuba; The effect of velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens) on the tropical earthworm Balanteodrilus pearsei: a management option for maize crops in the Mexican humid tropics; The potential of earthworms and organic matter quality in the rehabilitation of tropical soils; Research and innovation in biological management of soil ecosystems; Application of biodynamic methods in the Egyptian cotton sector; Theme 4: Capacity building and mainstreaming: Soil ecology and biodiversity: a quick scan of its importance for government policy in The Netherlands; Agrotechnological transfer of legume inoculants in Eastern and Southern Africa; Agricultura urbana en Cuba; Soil carbon sequestration for sustaining agricultural production and improving the environment; Conservation and sustainable management of below-ground biodiversity: the TSBF-BGBD network project; The tropical soil biology and fertility institute of CIAT (TSBF); South-South initiative for training and capacity building for the management of soil biology/biodiversity; Strategies to facilititate development and adoption of integrated resource management for sustainable production and productivity improvement; The challenge program on biological nitrogen fixation (CPBNF); Living soil training for farmers: improving knowledge and skills in soil nutrition management; Do we need an inter-governmental panel on land and soil (IPLS)? Protection and sustainable use of biodiversity of soils; Cases Studies -- Plant parasitic nematodes associated with common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and integrated management approaches; Agrotechnological transfer of legume inoculants in Eastern and Southern Africa; Restoring soil fertility and enhancing productivity in Indian tea plantations with earthworms and organic fertilizers; Managing termites and organic resources to improve soil productivity in the Sahel; Overview and case studies on biological nitrogen fixation: perspectives and limitations; Soil biodiversity and sustainable agriculture: an overview.

A practical approach to the degradation of polychlorinated biphenyls in transformer oil

A practical and efficient disposal method for hydrodechlormation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in transformer oil is reported. Transformer oil containing PCBs was treated by nanometric sodium hydride (nano-NaH) and transition metal catalysts. High destruction and removal efficiency (89.8%) can be attained by nano-NaH alone under mild conditions. The process exhibits apparent characteristics of a first order reaction. The reductive ability of nano-NaH was enhanced by the addition of transition metal catalysts. In the presence of TiCl4, 99.9% PCBs was hydrodechlorinated. The complex reducing reagents, Ni(OAc)(2) + i-PrONa, show extra hydrodechlorinating activity for di-chlorinated biphenyls. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reação de genótipos de girassol à mancha de alternaria (alternariaster helianthi) em condições de campo, nas safras 2013/2014 e 2014/2015.

RESUMO: A reação de 23 genótipos de girassol à mancha de Alternaria foi avaliada em dois experimentos de campo, conduzidos em Londrina, PR, nas safras 2013/2014 e 2014/2015. Os experimentos foram semeados em outubro de 2013 e outubro de 2014. A severidade da doença, que ocorreu por infecção natural das plantas pelo fungo, foi avaliada na fase de desenvolvimento R3, utilizando uma escala diagramática da doença. Após a colheita, também foram avaliados a produtividade, o peso de mil aquênios e o teor de óleo. Em cada experimento, verificou-se diferença estatística significativa entre os híbridos avaliados em condições de campo, tanto para a severidade da doença, quanto para os componentes de produção. Nenhum genótipo de girassol apresentou resistência completa à mancha de Alternaria. ABSTRACT: The reaction of 23 sunflower genotypes to Alternaria leaf spot disease was evaluated in two field experiments carried out in Londrina, state of Paraná, Brazil, during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 growing seasons. The experiments were sown in October 2013 and October 2014. Alternaria disease severity, under natural conditions in the field, was evaluated at the R3 growth stage with reference to a diagrammatic scale developed for this disease. After harvesting, yield, 1000-seed weight and oil content were also evaluated. For each experiment, statistical significance was observed among the evaluated genotypes for disease severity and yield components. None of the sunflower genotypes showed complete resistance to Alternaria leaf spot.

The Impact of the Oil Industry on Water in Nigeria: How Adequate is the Law and its Enforcement?

Engobo, E., The Impact of the Oil Industry on Water in Nigeria: How Adequate is the Law and its Enforcement? 1 Benin Journal of Public Law (2003) 88-112 RAE2008

Angiosarcoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, and probable chloracne in a worker exposed to waste oil contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

A worker developed angiosarcoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, and skin lesions characteristic of mild chloracne. About 10 years earlier he had been employed at a truck terminal in Saint Louis, Missouri, at a time when it was sprayed with waste oil contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The occurrence of these three rare conditions in a single exposed worker supports the aetiological relation between environmental exposure to TCDD and the subsequent development of soft tissue sarcoma and porphyria cutanea tarda.

Seed Scheduling for Peer-to-Peer Networks

The initial phase in a content distribution (file sharing) scenario is a delicate phase due to the lack of global knowledge and the dynamics of the overlay. An unwise distribution of the pieces in this phase can cause delays in reaching steady state, thus increasing file download times. We devise a scheduling algorithm at the seed (source peer with full content), based on a proportional fair approach, and we implement it on a real file sharing client [1]. In dynamic overlays, our solution improves up to 25% the average downloading time of a standard protocol ala BitTorrent.

The legitimation of risk and democracy: A case study of Bt cotton in Andhra Pradesh, India

This thesis explores the inter-related attempts to secure the legitimation of risk and democracy with regard to Bt cotton, a genetically modified crop, in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. The research included nine months of ethnographic fieldwork, extensive library and newspaper research, as well as university attendance in India, undertaken between June, 2010 and March, 2011. This comparative study (involving organic, NPM and Bt cotton cultivation) was conducted in three villages in Telangana, a region which was granted secession from Andhra Pradesh in July, 2013, and in Hyderabad, the state capital. Andhra Pradesh is renowned for its agrarian crisis and farmer suicides, as well as for the conflict which Bt cotton represents. This study adopts the categories of legitimation developed by Van Leeuwen (2007; 2008) in order to explore the theory of risk society (Beck, 1992; 1994; 1999; 2009), and the Habermasian (1996: 356-366) core-periphery model as means of theoretically analysing democratic legitimacy. The legitimation of risk and democracy in relation to Bt cotton refers to normative views on the way in which power should be exercised with regard to risk differentiation, construction and definition. The analysis finds that the more legitimate the exercise of power, the lower the exposure to risk as a concern for the collective. This also has consequences for the way in which resources are distributed, knowledge constructed, and democratic praxis institutionalised as a concern for social and epistemic justice. The thesis argues that the struggle to legitimate risk and democracy has implications not only for the constitution of the new state of Telangana and the region’s development, but also for the emergence of global society and the future development of humanity as a whole.

Characteristics of Biodiesel Oil Atomized by a Two-Fluid Nozzle Using PDA

Drop size and velocity distribution in a spray of fuel play an important role in determining combustion efficiency. The Phase Doppler anemometer (PDA) is a well-established technique allowing simultaneous measurement of velocity and size of droplets. In this work, effect of bio-substitute component on the size and velocity of biodiesel droplets which are generated by a two-fluid nozzle are investigated comprehensively using a PDA.

Effect of biodiesel oil composition on droplet size distribution

Droplet size distribution of biodiesel oil with various compositions was investigated in this work. The droplets generated by a two-fluid atomizer were measured by a commercial PDA. It was found that viscosity of the fuel has a strong effect on the drop size distribution. Additionally, effect of air injection pressures applied to atomize the spray was taken into account. Shear force induced by flow field exerts an effect on distribution of biodiesel droplets in atomized spray.