scholarly journals Expansin helps maize to keep the right timing: inducible expression of an Expansin gene mitigates drought effects on grain yields

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michela Osnato
2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry A. Nboyine ◽  
Kenneth Opare-Obuobi ◽  
Iddrisu Yahaya ◽  
Benjamin K. Badii ◽  
Francis Kusi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Panicle-feeding insects are a challenge in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) cultivation but most farmers do not protect the crop. Here, the effects of pest management in different sorghum cultivars on grain yields and the financial returns after protecting the crop from panicle-feeding insects was studied. Results There were significant insecticide treatments × cultivars/genotypes interaction effects for Stenodiplosis sorghicola, Clavigralla tomentosicollis, Nezara viridula, Dysdercus fasciantus and Riptortus dentipes. Generally, pest infestations were higher in the untreated control compared to K-Optimal- or NSO-treated sorghum. Infestations were also higher in compact-headed cultivars (Dorado and Kapaala) compared to those with open heads (CSSOR 08-V01 and CSSOR 10-V07). Damage was approximately 1.7-fold higher in the untreated controls than in NSO or K-Optimal. Grain yields were about 14% higher in NSO or K-Optimal treated sorghum than in controls. Gross margins were between 16- and 35-fold higher in protected sorghum compared to the untreated ones. Conclusion These findings suggest that an effective integrated pest management strategy for sorghum farmers must comprise cultivars that do not have compact heads, and the use of about two sprays of NSO or a synthetic pyrethroid when high numbers of panicle-feeding insects are observed during the growing season. Judicious use of insecticides and the “right” cultivar will improve the profitability of sorghum farmers with gross marginal returns that are at least 15-fold higher than that obtained by farmers who adopt only good agronomic practices without insecticide sprays.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-118
Author(s):  
Misran Misran

The use of fertilizers with the right amount could increase  the growth and yield of lowland rice. This research aims to determine the effect of fertilizer use on the growth and yield of lowland rice. The experiment was conducted on the farmers field in Sungai Lareh, Koto Tangah District, Padang City of West Sumatera Province, from July to December 2009. Research used Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with five replications. The treatments tested were: (A) Urea + KCl, (B) Urea + SP36, (C) Urea + SP36 + KCl, (D) without fertilizers (as control). The dosages of fertilizer were: 150 kg Urea, 100 kg SP36, and 75 kg KCl per hectare. The results showed that the use of a complete fertilizer (Urea + SP36 + KCl), or combination of Urea + KCl, or combination of Urea + SP36 had a significant effect on the growth and yield compared to without fertilizer treatment. The use of Urea + KCl resulted about 5.04 t/ha dry grains harvest (DGH) or increased grain yield as much as 14.03%, and the use of Urea + SP36 gave the results as much as 5.69 t/ha DGH or increased grain yields as much as 28.73%, and use of a complete fertilizer Urea + SP36 + KCl gave the results 6.13 t/ha DGH or increased yields about 38.69%. Whereas, without fertilized gave only grain yield as much as 4.42 t/ha DGH.


Author(s):  
J. Anthony VanDuzer

SummaryRecently, there has been a proliferation of international agreements imposing minimum standards on states in respect of their treatment of foreign investors and allowing investors to initiate dispute settlement proceedings where a state violates these standards. Of greatest significance to Canada is Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which provides both standards for state behaviour and the right to initiate binding arbitration. Since 1996, four cases have been brought under Chapter 11. This note describes the Chapter 11 process and suggests some of the issues that may arise as it is increasingly resorted to by investors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Gainotti

Abstract The target article carefully describes the memory system, centered on the temporal lobe that builds specific memory traces. It does not, however, mention the laterality effects that exist within this system. This commentary briefly surveys evidence showing that clear asymmetries exist within the temporal lobe structures subserving the core system and that the right temporal structures mainly underpin face familiarity feelings.


Author(s):  
J. Taft∅

It is well known that for reflections corresponding to large interplanar spacings (i.e., sin θ/λ small), the electron scattering amplitude, f, is sensitive to the ionicity and to the charge distribution around the atoms. We have used this in order to obtain information about the charge distribution in FeTi, which is a candidate for storage of hydrogen. Our goal is to study the changes in electron distribution in the presence of hydrogen, and also the ionicity of hydrogen in metals, but so far our study has been limited to pure FeTi. FeTi has the CsCl structure and thus Fe and Ti scatter with a phase difference of π into the 100-ref lections. Because Fe (Z = 26) is higher in the periodic system than Ti (Z = 22), an immediate “guess” would be that Fe has a larger scattering amplitude than Ti. However, relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations show that the opposite is the case for the 100-reflection. An explanation for this may be sought in the stronger localization of the d-electrons of the first row transition elements when moving to the right in the periodic table. The tabulated difference between fTi (100) and ffe (100) is small, however, and based on the values of the scattering amplitude for isolated atoms, the kinematical intensity of the 100-reflection is only 5.10-4 of the intensity of the 200-reflection.


Author(s):  
Russell L. Steere ◽  
Michael Moseley

A redesigned specimen holder and cap have made possible the freeze-etching of both fracture surfaces of a frozen fractured specimen. In principal, the procedure involves freezing a specimen between two specimen holders (as shown in A, Fig. 1, and the left side of Fig. 2). The aluminum specimen holders and brass cap are constructed so that the upper specimen holder can be forced loose, turned over, and pressed down firmly against the specimen stage to a position represented by B, Fig. 1, and the right side of Fig. 2.


Author(s):  
K.S. McCarty ◽  
N.R. Wallace ◽  
W. Litaker ◽  
S. Wells ◽  
G. Eisenbarth

The production of adrenocorticotropic hormone by non-pituitary carcinomas has been documented in several tumors, most frequently small cell carcinoma of the lung, islet cell carcinomas of the pancreas, thymomas and carcinoids. Electron microscopy of these tumors reveals typical membrane-limited "neurosecretory" granules. Confirmation of the granules as adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) requires the use of OsO4 as a primary fixative to give the characteristic cored granule appearance in conjunction with immunohistochemical demonstration of the hormone peptide. Because of the rarity of ectopic ACTH production by mammary carcinomas and the absence of appropriate ultrastructural studies in the two examples of such ectopic hormone production in the literature of which we are aware (1,2), we present biochemical and ultrastructural data from a carcinoma of the breast with apparent ACTH production.The patient had her primary tumor in the right breast in 1969. The tumor recurred as visceral and subcutaneous metastases in 1976 and again in 1977.


Author(s):  
Melinda L. Estes ◽  
Samuel M. Chou

Many muscle diseases show common pathological features although their etiology is different. In primary muscle diseases a characteristic finding is myofiber necrosis. The mechanism of myonecrosis is unknown. Polymyositis is a primary muscle disease characterized by acute and subacute degeneration as well as regeneration of muscle fibers coupled with an inflammatory infiltrate. We present a case of polymyositis with unusual ultrastructural features indicative of the basic pathogenetic process involved in myonecrosis.The patient is a 63-year-old white female with a one history of proximal limb weakness, weight loss and fatigue. Examination revealed mild proximal weakness and diminished deep tendon reflexes. Her creatine kinase was 1800 mU/ml (normal < 140 mU/ml) and electromyography was consistent with an inflammatory myopathy which was verified by light microscopy on biopsy muscle. Ultrastructural study of necrotizing myofiber, from the right vastus lateralis, showed: (1) degradation of the Z-lines with preservation of the adjacent Abands including M-lines and H-bands, (Fig. 1), (2) fracture of the sarcomeres at the I-bands with disappearance of the Z-lines, (Fig. 2), (3) fragmented sarcomeres without I-bands, engulfed by invading phagocytes, (Fig. 3, a & b ), and (4) mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrate in the endomysium.


Author(s):  
D. Cherns

The use of high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) to determine the atomic structure of grain boundaries and interfaces is a topic of great current interest. Grain boundary structure has been considered for many years as central to an understanding of the mechanical and transport properties of materials. Some more recent attention has focussed on the atomic structures of metalsemiconductor interfaces which are believed to control electrical properties of contacts. The atomic structures of interfaces in semiconductor or metal multilayers is an area of growing interest for understanding the unusual electrical or mechanical properties which these new materials possess. However, although the point-to-point resolutions of currently available HREMs, ∼2-3Å, appear sufficient to solve many of these problems, few atomic models of grain boundaries and interfaces have been derived. Moreover, with a new generation of 300-400kV instruments promising resolutions in the 1.6-2.0 Å range, and resolutions better than 1.5Å expected from specialist instruments, it is an appropriate time to consider the usefulness of HREM for interface studies.


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