Integration of Torrefaction with Steam Power Plant

Torrefaction is one of the pretreatment technologies to enhance the fuel characteristics of biomass. The efficient and continuous operation of a torrefaction reactor, in the commercial scale, demands a secure biomass supply, in addition to adequate source of heat. Biorefinery plants or biomass-fuelled steam power plants have the potential to integrate with the torrefaction reactor to exchange heat and mass, using available infrastructure and energy sources. The technical feasibility of this integration is examined in this study. A new model for the torrefaction process is introduced and verified by the available experimental data. The torrefaction model is then integrated in different steam power plants to simulate possible mass and energy exchange between the reactor and the plants. The performance of the integrated plant is investigated for different configurations and the results are compared.

Effect of dose and application site on quinclorac absorption by barnyardgrass biotypes

This work aimed to evaluate the uptake and translocation of quinclorac in function of application sites (shoot or roots) by Echinochloa crusgalli biotypes resistant and susceptible to this herbicide. The treatments consisted of quinclorac doses (0; 0.5; 1; 2; 4; 16 and 64 ppm), applied on the shoot or roots of seedlings of barnyardgrass biotypes. The experimental units consisted of plastic cups containing 250 cm³ of sand. The treatments were applied 10 days after emergence, when barnyardgrass plants reached a 2- to 3- leaf growth stage. The barnyardgrass biotypes were irrigated with nutritive solution weekly and maintained for 40 days after emergence, when length, fresh and dry matter of shoot and roots were evaluated. Variance analysis was carried out using the F test at 5% probability, and in case of significance, a non-linear regression analysis was also carried out using a three-parameter logistic model. In the susceptible biotype, quinclorac was more absorbed by the roots than by the shoot. Comparing dry mass production of the different plant parts of the susceptible biotype per application site, it was verified that quinclorac action is higher when applied to the plant roots. However, for the resistant biotype, it was not possible to determine the dose causing 50% reduction in dry mass accumulation (GR50) and in the resistance index (RI) between both biotypes, due to its high resistance to quinclorac (128 times the recommended dosage). The results showed that quinclorac resistance by the evaluated biotype is not due to differences in the absorption site, strongly suggesting that the resistance acquired by the biotype may result from alteration in the target site.

A Modified phosphate-carrier protein theory is proposed as a non-target site mechanism For glyphosate resistance in weeds

Glyphosate is an herbicide that inhibits the enzyme 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPs) (EC 2.5.1.19). EPSPs is the sixth enzyme of the shikimate pathway, by which plants synthesize the aromatic amino acids phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan and many compounds used in secondary metabolism pathways. About fifteen years ago it was hypothesized that it was unlikely weeds would evolve resistance to this herbicide because of the limited degree of glyphosate metabolism observed in plants, the low resistance level attained to EPSPs gene overexpression, and because of the lower fitness in plants with an altered EPSPs enzyme. However, today 20 weed species have been described with glyphosate resistant biotypes that are found in all five continents of the world and exploit several different resistant mechanisms. The survival and adaptation of these glyphosate resistant weeds are related toresistance mechanisms that occur in plants selected through the intense selection pressure from repeated and exclusive use of glyphosate as the only control measure. In this paper the physiological, biochemical, and genetic basis of glyphosate resistance mechanisms in weed species are reviewed and a novel and innovative theory that integrates all the mechanisms of non-target site glyphosate resistance in plants is presented.

Integration of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) residues with a pre-plant herbicide enhances weed suppression in broad bean (Vicia faba)

Field trial was conducted with the aim of utilizing allelopathic crop residues to reduce the use of synthetic herbicides in broad bean (Vicia faba) fields. Sunflower residue at 600 and 1,400 g m-2 and Treflan (trifluralin) at 50, 75 and 100% of recommended dose were incorporated into the soil alone or in combination with each other. Untreated plots were maintained as a control. Herbicide application in plots amended with sunflower residue had the least total weed count and biomass, which was even better than herbicide used alone. Integration of recommended dose of Treflan with sunflower residue at 1,400 g m-² produced maximum (987.5 g m-2) aboveground biomass of broad bean, which was 74 and 36% higher than control and recommended herbicide dose applied alone, respectively. Combination of herbicide and sunflower residue appeared to better enhance pod number and yield per unit area than herbicide alone. Application of 50% dose of Treflan in plots amended with sunflower residue resulted in similar yield advantage as was noticed with 100% herbicide dose. Chromatographic analysis of residue-infested field soil indicated the presence of several phytotoxic compounds of phenolic nature. Periodic data revealed that maximum suppression in weed density and dry weight synchronized with peak values of phytotoxins observed 4 weeks after incorporation of sunflower residues. Integration of sunflower residues with lower herbicide rates can produce effective weed suppression without compromising yield as a feasible and environmentally sound approach in broad bean fields.

Resistance to ACCase inhibitors in Eleusine indica from Brazil involves a target site mutation

Eleusine indica (goosegrass) is a diploid grass weed which has developed resistance to ACCase inhibitors during the last ten years due to the intensive and frequent use of sethoxydim to control grass weeds in soybean crops in Brazil. Plant dose-response assays confirmed the resistant behaviour of one biotype obtaining high resistance factor values: 143 (fenoxaprop), 126 (haloxyfop), 84 (sethoxydim) to 58 (fluazifop). ACCase in vitro assays indicated a target site resistance as the main cause of reduced susceptibility to ACCase inhibitors. PCR-generated fragments of the ACCase CT domain of the resistant and sensitive reference biotype were sequenced and compared. A point mutation was detected within the triplet of aspartate at the amino acid position 2078 (referred to EMBL accession no. AJ310767) and resulted in the triplet of glycine. These results constitute the first report on a target site mutation for a Brazilian herbicide resistant grass weed.

A Survey about Integration of Journal Systems with Repositories in Brazil

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Integration of JINR Information Resources

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Islandora Sync: Enabling Administrators and Developers

Presentation at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Preparing for CRIS: Challenges and Opportunities for Systems Integration at Finnish Universities

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

The site of self-incompatibility action in cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum)

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) Schumann) is a fruit tree that is attracting attention in Brazil and also in other tropical countries. Its pulp is used to prepare ice-cream, juices, jellies and many other home-made sweets. This species has a very low fecundity, attributed to problems with pollination and self-incompatibility, noted as being restrictive to the agronomic productivity of the species. Controlled pollinations between compatible and incompatible parents were made and flowers were collected at three times: 24, 48 and 72 h after pollinations, during the floral seasons of 1995 and 1998. In flowers collected 24 h after pollination, in both compatible and incompatible crosses, around 70% of ovules showed egg apparatus without evidences of sperm cell delivery; nevertheless some pollen tubes had been observed. Ovaries collected at 48 h showed different behaviors according to the type of cross. In the compatibles, 35% of ovules did not show evidences of gamete fusion. In incompatible crosses this number rose to 50%. Collected ovaries with 72 h, from compatible and incompatible crosses, showed respectively 1.2% and 14.2% of the ovules with the egg apparatus and polar nuclei only. In these ovaries, for the two types of crosses, the presence of sperm nuclei was common and the zygote was still undivided. The incompatibility action is occurring after fertilization, in a late self-incompatibility action.

Efficient retrovirus-mediated transfer of cell-cycle control genes to transformed cells

The use of gene therapy continues to be a promising, yet elusive, alternative for the treatment of cancer. The origins of cancer must be well understood so that the therapeutic gene can be chosen with the highest chance of successful tumor regression. The gene delivery system must be tailored for optimum transfer of the therapeutic gene to the target tissue. In order to accomplish this, we study models of G1 cell-cycle control in both normal and transformed cells in order to understand the reasons for uncontrolled cellular proliferation. We then use this information to choose the gene to be delivered to the cells. We have chosen to study p16, p21, p53 and pRb gene transfer using the pCL-retrovirus. Described here are some general concepts and specific results of our work that indicate continued hope for the development of genetically based cancer treatments.