TITANIC - The Design History, Forensic Analysis of the Sinking, and Aftermath

After more than one hundred years the Titanic is still probably the most remembered ship in the world. This paper briefly discusses the history of the Titanic from why the White Star Line decided to build the Olympic class ships through the recently signed treaty protecting the ship. It is shown that many of the design features of the ship were far ahead of the rest of the industry but that some compromises were against the naval architect’s desires. A number of myths concerning the ship are dispelled. The circumstances leading up to the collision with the iceberg and the sinking of the ship are examined followed by an analysis of the sinking; the discovery of the ship; and finally after almost thirty-five years, a treaty to protect the ship.

Oklahoma

The case of White Star Petroleum, LLC v. MUFG Union Bank, N.A. presented two questions of state law certified to the Oklahoma Supreme Court by the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma: (1) Are the “trust funds” create[d] by Title 42 O.S. § 144.2, entitled “Creation and Appropriation of Trust Funds for Payment of Lienable Claims,” limited to obligations due nonoperator joint working interest owners, or do such funds include payments due [to] holders of mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens arising under and perfected by Title 42 O.S. § 144? (2) Does the Oil and Gas Owners’ Lien Act of 2010 grant an operator and non-operator working interest owner a lien in proceeds from purchasers of oil and gas which is prior and superior to any claim of the holder of a mechanic’s and materialmen’s lien asserted under Title 42 O.S. § 144? The above questions were certified to aid in the bankruptcy court’s resolution of two particular adversarial proceedings.

Simulated storage causes carbohydrate loss and rooting differences in two poinsettia cultivars

Unrooted cuttings of ‘Prestige Red’ and ‘White Star’ poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch) were stored in a box at 10 °C for 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 d to simulate shipping and holding. Visual root ratings decreased following ≥4 d of storage but did not differ from the non-stored cuttings. Root rating of ‘White Star’ was 0.5 higher and cuttings maintained higher fructose and glucose concentrations compared to ‘Prestige Red’. Glucose (r2 = 0.4824) followed by fructose plus glucose (r2 = 0.4222) were the best predictors of rooting. Carbohydrate maintenance may be an indicator of storage tolerant and better-rooting cultivars.

The Moon and Planets in Ancient Mesopotamia

In ancient Mesopotamia, all five planets visible to the naked eye were known and studied, along with the Moon, the Sun, the stars, and other celestial phenomena. In all Mesopotamian sources concerning the Moon and the planets, be they textual or iconographical, the astronomical, astrological, and religious aspects are intertwined. The term “astral science” covers all forms of Mesopotamian scholarly engagement with celestial entities, including celestial divination and astrology. Modern research on Mesopotamian astral science began in the 19th century. Much research remains to be done, because important sources remain unpublished and new questions have been posed to published sources. From ca. 3000 bce onward, Mesopotamians used a calendar with months and years, which indicates that the Moon was studied at that early age. In cuneiform writing, the Sumerian and Akkadian names of the Moongod, Nanna/Sin, are attested since ca. 2500 bce. The most common Akkadian names of the five planets, Šiḫṭu (Mercury), Dilbat (Venus), Ṣalbatānu (Mars), White Star (Jupiter), and Kayyāmānu (Saturn), are attested first in 1800–1000 bce. The Moon, the Sun, and the planets were viewed as gods or manifestations of gods. From ca. 1800 bce onward, the phenomena of the Moon, the Sun, and the planets were studied as signs that were produced by the gods to communicate with humankind. Between ca. 600 bce and 100 ce, Babylonian scholars reported lunar and planetary phenomena in astronomical diaries and related texts. Their purpose was to enable predictions of the reported phenomena with period-based, so-called Goal-Year methods. After the end of the 5th century bce Babylonian astronomers introduced the zodiac and developed new methods for predicting lunar and planetary phenomena known as mathematical astronomy At about the same time they developed horoscopy and other forms of astrology that use the zodiac, the Moon, the Sun, and the planets to predict events on Earth.

Maslow’s model of needs: application to Cunard and White Star marketing communications between 1900 and the 1950s

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse Cunard’s marketing communications during a period of significant social and economic change. The intention is to show, firstly, how the company sought to meet and influence potential passengers’ understanding of their travel needs and, secondly, how these would be met. Design/methodology/approach The companies’ marketing communications are analysed using Maslow’s hierarchy. This is a well known descriptor of human needs. Findings Beyond a description and review of Cunard’s advertising, Maslow’s model of needs is shown to provide a rationale to the company’s approach. In particular, it gives an understanding of the continued, though changing, use of images of the ship to meet the needs of different cohorts of passengers. It shows how carefully constructed images in both word and picture assuaged passengers’ concerns over social needs and how the company promised to meet the highest needs, whether that be for the holiday maker or the emigrant. Research limitations/implications During much of the period under discussion, much of the advertising design work was done in house. Though none of these files have survived, other sources of information (for example, house magazines and internal correspondence) provide an understanding of Cunard’s attitude to its customers and the business opportunities it saw in a changing market. Where specific dates for documents are not available, a chronology of ship building and use has been applied. Practical implications This paper shows how a well-established model can be used in a different way, adding to the understanding of a company adapting to changing social and economic conditions. Originality/value To the best of author’s knowledge, this is the first time that Maslow’s hierarchy has been used explicitly as a tool to analyse marketing and advertising material. Though the existing literature includes some discussion of shipping line posters visual content, there is little further discussion of their content or purpose in a changing social context. This paper provides a more structured analytical view.

Characterization of Resistance to Major Tropical Root-Knot Nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in Solanum sisymbriifolium

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are important contributors to yield reduction in tomato. Though resistant cultivars to common species (Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita, and M. javanica) are available, they are not effective against other major species of root-knot nematodes. Cultivars or lines of Solanum sisymbriifolium were examined to assess the presence and level of resistance to five major species: M. arenaria race 1, M. incognita race 3, M. haplanaria, M. javanica, and M. enterolobii. Differences in S. sisymbriifolium response to the nematode infection were apparent when susceptibility or resistance was classified by the egg counts per gram fresh weight of root and the multiplication rate of the nematodes. The cultivar Diamond was highly susceptible, Quattro and White Star were susceptible, while Sis Syn II was resistant to M. arenaria. Quattro, White Star, and Sis Syn II exhibited a moderate to high level of resistance to M. incognita but the nematode increased 2.5-fold from the initial population of the M. incognita on Diamond. All S. sisymbriifolium cultivars were highly resistant to both M. haplanaria and M. enterolobii, while highly susceptible to M. javanica. A microplot study under field conditions using Sis Syn II confirmed that M. arenaria, M. incognita, and M. haplanaria were not pathogenic on the plant. Likewise, an examination on cross-sections of galled root tissues confirmed the susceptibility and resistance of S. sisymbriifolium lines to Meloidogyne spp. Using S. sisymbriifolium as a resistant rootstock or a new source of resistance may result in the development of nonchemical and sustainable management strategies to protect the tomato crop.

Using White Star (Nymphoides humboldtiana) for lake landscaping

ABSTRACT White Star (Nymphoides humboldtiana), an aquatic-environmental native species of Brazilian flora, was selected in order to be used as ornamental plant in lakes. White Star plants were submitted to two water levels (high water level, up to 30 cm water depth and, low water level until substrate saturation) and two light intensities (full sun and 50% shading) to evaluate vegetative and flowering development. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a subplot scheme, being the water level the main plot and luminosity the subplot. Seven replicates were performed, and the sample unit consisted of one plant. Data related to number of leaves and flowers, length and diameter of petioles and leaf area were submitted to analyze of variance and regression. We observed an increase in number of leaves and flowers in the treatment of high water level in full sun, and an increase of petiole length in high water level with shading. No difference between leaf area of plants grown under full sun and with shading (p<0.05) was observed. At low water level, plants presented lower vegetative development than those grown at high water level, besides the flowering inhibition in shaded condition. These results demonstrated that White Star can be used in ornamental lakes with a water depth of at least 20 cm above the rhizome and exposed to full sun.

Mode of application influences the biofertilizing efficacy of cyanobacterial biofilm formulations in chrysanthemum varieties under protected cultivation

Availability of nutrients in soil plays an important role in the productivity and quality of flowers in chrysanthemum. A set of novel biofilm inoculants- Anabaena-Azotobacter, Anabaena-Pseudomonas fluorescens (An-Psf) and Anabaena-Trichoderma (An-Tr) were applied as carrier based dry formulation or soil drench and their performance compared in two varieties of chrysanthemum (White Star and Zembla), in a climate-controlled greenhouse. Both the An-Psf and (An-Tr) inoculants enhanced glomalin related soil proteins in the rhizosphere of White Star, while in terms of polysaccharide content of soil, both these inoculants performed better in Zembla variety. Significant increases in the availability of selected macro and micronutrients in rhizosphere soil samples, in both chrysanthemum varieties were recorded, particularly when the inoculants were applied as soil drench. Principal Component analysis illustrated the significant interaction among soil and plant parameters, more specifically, the distinct effect of the inoculants, as compared to the application of carrier alone or control treatment. This investigation demonstrated the varietal effects on soil biological activities and significance of mode of application of microbial inoculants in influencing plant growth and rhizospheric metabolic activities.