Growth rate

There is a need to accurately estimate the carbon sequestration potential of many of our agricultural and horticultural industries now that the Australian Government has introduced the Carbon Farming Initiative and is planning to introduce an emissions trading scheme in 2015. This study estimates that the carbon sequestration of macadamia plantations is around 3t CO 2 e/ha/yr, and provides a methodology to assess the carbon footprint of the Australian Macadamia Industry. This study attempts to estimate the growth rate, and subsequently the sequestration rate of plantation grown Macadamia spp. through regression analysis of stem characteristics of destructively sampled Macadamia integrifolia var. 344. A volume increment curve was also derived using three common genetic varieties (A4, A16 & A42). This curve is used to extrapolate a carbon sequestration rate for the national macadamia plantation estate. Once volume estimates and sequestration rates are deter-mined, an economic benefit of the carbon sequestration can be estimated by auditing the amount of carbon produced by activities such as ''on farm'' fuel use, fuel used in transport, and energy used in producing the product. In this way, a life cycle carbon budget can be developed that will aid the sustainable development of the macadamia and horticultural industries in Australia through the production of carbon credits from the carbon stored in the trees.

a b s t r a c t H.M. the King of Thailand proposed Bueng Makkasan, the repair factory belonging to the Royal Railway of Thailand (RTT), as a wastewater-collection pond of Bangkok City. It covers about 40 acres, with 5-m depth. The RRT wastewater pond functions at a repair factory and is the collection site of the directpolluted waste of homeless people living around the pond rim and also for temporary reservoir of two influent canals. The water hyacinth aquatic plants were grown well and covered almost the entire surface area of the pond.

We test for and calibrate a proxy for ocean temperature based on the skeletal composition of the widely distributed, deepsea gorgonians in the family Isididae (bamboo corals), through use of three complementary methods: a short-term comparison of element/Ca ratios to a four-year temperature record, a long-term comparison with oceanographic records spanning forty years, and a geographic comparison of Isidids collected at sites ranging from the tropics to Antarctica. The assays consistently support a temperature-dependency for Mg/Ca ratios and suggest S/Ca is indirectly affected by temperature, but indicate little or no effect of temperature on P/Ca and Sr/Ca. The consensus relationship between Mg/Ca and temperature for Isidid calcite from the comparisons with the temperature time-series is T = À0.505 + 0.048 Mg/Ca, where T is in°C, Mg/Ca is in mmol/mol, and the applicable range is 3-6°C. The results of the geographic assay, though imprecise, suggest the applicable range extends to temperatures below freezing. The scatter of data points around the regression of temperature and Mg/ Ca is wide in all assays. This could reflect the effect of factors other than temperature on Mg/Ca ratios, but is also likely to reflect limitations of the field data, the effects of assumed constant growth rates in the corals and instrumental analytical error. The combined effects of micro-scale variability in growth rates and wide confidence intervals for each data point suggests that environmental reconstruction from Isidid internode calcite from sparse data or at time scales less than decades be done with caution. Comparisons within and among colonies do not indicate strong vital effects on ontogenetic variability in the corals, other than possibly close to the central pore of the coral. However, similar Mg/Ca ratios for Isidids from Antarctic and more temperate regions suggest adaptation to local conditions and hence a role for physiology at higher taxonomic levels, at least. Taxonomically higher level vital effects are also suggested by large differences between gorgonian families in their regressions between Mg/Ca and temperature, by Mg/Ca ratios that overlap over a wide temperature and habitat range, and for a nonlinear relationship between temperature and the slope of the Mg/Ca-temperature relationship across the order.

A theoretical model linking the production of salmon, mussels and seaweed in floating, enclosed units is based on field data, laboratory tests and literature data. First step is the production of 300 metric tons of salmon in 12 production units of 500 m3 each and a total water flow of 60 m3 min. . Using a standard high energy dry feed with a feed conversion factor of 1, a production of 300 metric tons of salmon is calculated to produce 15 metric tons of nitrogen (N) and 2 .4 metric tons of phosphate (P), of which 13 metric tons of N and 0 .7 metric tons of P are dissolved. Outlet water is transferred from the salmon units to 12 closed units (500 m3 each) with blue mussels. A standing stock of 112 .5 metric tons of mussels (WW) is necessary to filtrate 60 m3 min-'. If all particles are filtrated through the mussels, 25% of the nitrogen is accumulated as increased biomass. 25-30% is released as faeces and 45-50% as dissolved matter. Particles are removed by a sedimentation trap. Outlet water from the 12 mussel filter units, containing 13 .9 metric tons of dissolved N (0 .9 metric tons from the mussels), is transferred to closed units (1000 m 3) with seaweeds. Concentration of N is calculated to 0 .44 g N m_3 and hydraulic retention time in the seaweed production unit is 4 hours. With a DW of 20% (4% N of DW) and an estimated growth rate of 10% d-' during the production period, a standing stock of 45 metric tons (FW) of seaweed is theoretically needed to bind up all dissolved N from the salmon and mussel production .

As alternative farming methods, we investigate growth, haematological, biochemical and immunological parameters of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) farmed in submersible cages in order to compare physiological status under different rearing conditions and to validate the efficacy of submersible technology in solving several of the substantial problems that exist in surface-based fish farming as heavy storms, algal and jellyfish blooms and attacks by predators. The study was conducted in 2008 in the Gulf of Castellammare (NW Sicily, Mediterranean Sea) in two submerged and two surface cages filled with 75.000 D. labrax (initial weight: 28.2 ± 4.3 gr), for each cage. No significant differences were shown in specific growth rate between the two groups, even if, fish cultured in submerged cage reached the largest size. Results from biochemical and haematological parameters examined indicated higher welfare state in fish cultured in submerged cages. Fish reared in surface cages showed a significantly higher blood cortisol and glucose levels and haematocrit value than those of submerged cages. Also lysozme and haemolytic activity, used as indicators of immunocompetence in fish exposed to stress, lead us to suppose that submergence could have a positive effect on some components of innate immune system of cultured fish. Results of this study suggest mariculture in submerged net cages a promising system that allows to minimize stress and therefore that favours animal welfare.

As part of a study of the e!ects of microgravity on protein crystallization, the growth of tetragonal crystals of thaumatin was monitored by CCD-time-lapse video in environments where convection is negligible. In Space Shuttle missions entitled United States Microgravity Laboratory-2 and Life and Microgravity Sciences, free interface di!usion and dialysis techniques were utilized to grow crystals in the advanced protein crystallization facility (APCF). Ng et al. (Acta Crystallogr. D 53 (1997) 724) have shown that the crystals recovered in these experiments are of superior crystallographic quality (at the level of their di!raction intensity, resolution, and mosaicity) with regard to earth controls. Here, the number of crystals, their size, growth rate, and protein solubility in microgravity were compared with data of dialysis experiments performed in parallel on earth. Image analysis shows that in microgravity about one-quarter to half of the crystals have nucleated and grown in the bulk of the solution, the remaining being attached to the walls of crystallization vessels. The growth of free-#oating crystals was 2.5 times faster, has resulted in 15-fold larger crystals, and consumed more protein than that of attached crystals in earth controls. Distances between immobile free-#oating crystals in microgravity were related to the size of the latter. Experimental results are in favor of a correlation between more favorable growth parameters in microgravity and better di!raction properties. The displacements of free-#oating crystals at various velocities and in various directions on unrelated trajectories are indicative of drift and stirring motion. On the basis of an overview of reactors monitored on four APCF missions some forces causing motion are proposed. Advantages of crystallization in microgravity are discussed and recommendations for future experiments given.

A model has been developed for evaluating grain size distributions in primary crystallizations where the grain growth is diffusion controlled. The body of the model is grounded in a recently presented mean-field integration of the nucleation and growth kinetic equations, modified conveniently in order to take into account a radius-dependent growth rate, as occurs in diffusion-controlled growth. The classical diffusion theory is considered, and a modification of this is proposed to take into account interference of the diffusion profiles between neighbor grains. The potentiality of the mean-field model to give detailed information on the grain size distribution and transformed volume fraction for transformations driven by nucleation and either interfaceor diffusion-controlled growth processes is demonstrated. The model is evaluated for the primary crystallization of an amorphous alloy, giving an excellent agreement with experimental data. Grain size distributions are computed, and their properties are discussed.

Mode shifting is the technique used at the third generation synchrotron light source ELETTRA to cure Coupled Bunch Instabilities (CBI). Temperature tuning of the RF cavities, based on an analytical prediction algorithm, allows longitudinal stable operating conditions to be obtained. However, once longitudinal stability has been achieved transverse instabilities can be observed, particularly during the energy ramp from 1.0 to 2.0 GeV. There has therefore been the need to extend the flexibility of the mode shifting technique. This has been achieved by the installation of adjustable HOMFS on the storage ring RF cavities. The HOMFS is effective on those longitudinal and transverse cavity Higher Order Modes which are unstable over a wide temperature range, by shifting them out of the operating temperature interval of the cavity. The installation of the HOMFS has improved the reliability and reproducibility of machine operation, also in view of the beam current upgrade.

While slash-and burn farmers convert forest to agriculture, they also regenerate significant areas of secondary fallow forests on their farms. Under what conditions does secondary forest cover persist on slash-and-burn farms? Survey data from Pará, Brazil show that secondary forests occupy 20% of farm area even after a century of settlement. In addition to restoring soil fertility, secondary forests contribute over 20% of farmers' income through products such as charcoal, fruit, game animals and firewood for on-farm processing. Econometric analysis shows that slow rates of population growth and increases in agricultural incomes through on-farm processing of agricultural products enable farmers to maintain long fallows and result in diversified systems compatible with secondary forest cover in the study area. On the other hand, declining agricultural productivity, subsidized credit, declines in the growth rate of secondary forests and policies favoring speculative land acquisition threaten secondary forest persistence. In older settlement areas, secondary forests are often the only forest resource available to the rural poor. Fallow areas should therefore be managed not only for agricultural productivity, but also for conserving forest resources.

The paper aims to examine the characteristics and factors that constrain the growth of SMEs that are operating within and outside production networks. Based on a survey of 101 firms, the analysis shows that SMEs are not homogeneous. While they share certain characteristics such as age, Filipino ownership, and foreign equity share; they differ in terms of performance export intensity, interest rates on borrowings, major sources of finance, and other economic indicators. The results also show that participation in IPNs benefits SMEs particularly parts and components makers in the electronics and auto industries. In terms of performance, IPN firms have higher mean growth rate and mean labor productivity than non-IPN firms. In terms of barriers to growth, IPN firms are primarily concerned with product and price barriers and difficulties in establishing and maintaining trust with business partners while non-IPN firms' major concerns are tax, tariff and non-tariff barriers and the country's deteriorating business environment. Two themes dominate SMEs' concerns on the type of assistance needed. For IPN firms, financing assistance would be crucial while for non-IPN firms, technology development would be the most important.

The incorporation of Te into the crystal lattice, when it is used as an n-type dopant for GaAs grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy, is studied. For this purpose, several growth temperatures, total pressures, growth rates, and substrate misorientations have been analyzed, from which it is concluded that depending on the substrate misorientation and total pressure used, the Te behaves like a volatile dopant or a nonvolatile dopant as result of the enhancement or minimization of its adsorption onto the growth surface.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different initial volume fill ratios of the granulator on granular agglomeration in a high-shear mixer. Calcium carbonate powders, with mean granule sizes of 75-150 lm were used as the raw material. Polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG 6000) was used as the melting binder. The initial liquid to solid weight ratio was fixed at 0.15. Four different initial granulator fill ratios were used 11%, 14.7%, 18.4% and 22%. The results showed that the granules that formed during the nucleation stage were a little larger when the initial fill ratio was lower than higher. In the rapidgrowth stage, the agglomeration growth rate increased as the initial fill ratio increased. The range in granule size at the end of agglomeration also increased as initial fill ratio increased. SEM images of the surface structure of the granules during the nucleation and final stages are shown.

Telecommunication and more specially mobile phones have the potential to provide solution to the existing information asymmetry in various lagging sectors like Agriculture. India’s agricultural sector suffers from low growth rates and low productivity. Issues in access to information is a week point at every stage of the agrisupply chain. For small farmers base economy like India, access to information can possible enable better incomes and productivity to the farmers. This paper through focus group discussions and in-depth interview with farmers in villages of India, has tried to find answers to the use and impact of mobile and mobile enabled services on agricultural productivity. The answers to these questions are of relevance to develop better policy environment conducive for the small and medium farmers and has implications for mobile operators, for information service providers, and for policy-makers. The results show that although, mobiles can act as catalyst to improving prod...

Serious production losses have occurred in shrimp producing countries around the world, principally due to poor rearing environments and pathogenic disease. In response to this, shrimp farmers are changing their culture methods. To understand the source and sink of nutrients which affect pondwater quality and effluent impact, the nitrogen, phosphorus and solids budget have been constructed for water exchange systems. These budgets reveal the contribution of the pond bottom soil to the accumulation of sediment and phosphorus and its potential contribution of nitrogen to the pond system. A survey of shrimp farm water quality and management practices in southern Thailand has also been completed. This reveals a high proportion of farms using low water exchange methods of shrimp culture but without the ability to maintain suitable water quality in the production ponds. Shrimp production in these systems is variable due to high incidences of disease and slow growth rates. The pond processes that might cause this are suggested and potential methods for their amelioration are discussed. Alternative culture systems such as lined ponds, low salinity rearing and recirculation farms are described in relation to their potential for remediating problems within the shrimp culture industry.

The -particle energy loss method (AEL) has been implemented in situ to monitor "lm thickness and composition during growth of GaAs, InP and LaF based materials by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). In the AEL method, a Th source is used to recoil implant a 5 mm diameter region of the surface of the wafers with the -emitter daughter isotope Ra prior to growth. The implanted nuclei decay with a half life of 3.7 days through a sequence of daughters which emit alpha particles at di!erent energies. Deposition on the surface causes the emission lines to be shifted to lower energies due to energy loss in the "lm. For substrates marked with a low activity ( &30 kBq; similar to activity of smoke detectors) we are able to measure "lm thickness with $6 nm uncertainty and growth rate with $0.01 nm/s uncertainty in real time. By measuring the relative growth rates of the di!erent materials, AEL also allows us to infer the composition of a ternary layer "lm as well as the sticking coe$cients rates directly at di!erent growth temperatures.

For the first time, Germanium (Ge) nanowires have been grown on a gold (Au) coated flexible aluminum (Al) foil substrate in high vacuum (1 9 10 -5 mbar) by electron-beam evaporation of germanium using the vaporliquid-solid mechanism at a substrate temperature of 380°C. The grown nanowires have been analyzed for their structural, morphological and chemical properties by employing standard techniques X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed the formation of cubic Ge phase highly oriented in (111) reflection in plane with the Al foil substrate. The morphological observations by SEM have shown the randomly grown nanowires with an average length and diameter of 600 ± 50 and 100 ± 10 nm, respectively, for a deposition time of 30 min. TEM investigation revealed single crystalline nanowires with free of defects. The wettability studies by contact angle measurement have confirmed the hydrophobic nature of the Ge NWs film surface with contact angle for water 110°± 1°. The growth mechanism of Ge nanowires on Al foil substrate has also been discussed.

Al-doped zinc oxide (AZO) films are prepared by RF magnetron sputtering on glass and Si substrates with specifically designed ZnO targets containing different amounts of A1203 powder as a doping source. The physical properties of the AZO films are investigated in terms of the preparation conditions, such as A120 3 content in the target, RF power (PRF), substrate temperature (T~) and working pressure (Pw). The crystal structure of the AZO film is hexagonal wurtzite, and all the films show the typical crystallographic orientation, with the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. The growth rate increases with increasing Pro,, but decreases with increasing T~ and Pw. Films 1500 ,~ thick with the lowest resistivity (p) of 4.7 × 10 .4 ~ cm and the transmittance over 90% at the visible region are prepared by using norminal 3 wt.% A1203 target at T s = 150°C, Pw = 2 mTorr an d Pay = 150 W. Optical transmittance measurements show that AZO films are degenerate semiconductors with direct bandgap. The optical energy bandgap for undoped ZnO film is ~ 3.3 eV and those for AZO films increase as the carrier concentration (n e) in the film increases. The blue shift in the AZO films is proportional to one third power of he. © 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

The White-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon lepturus breeding population of Aride Island, Seychelles, has experienced a strong decline in the recent past. To predict the future trends of the White-tailed Tropicbird population on Aride Island and understand the urgency of applying management procedures, we developed a population matrix model. We estimated White-tailed Tropicbird adult survival rate over a 12-year period and investigated whether oceanographic conditions (El Niño Southern Oscillation, ENSO, and inter-annual climate variability in the Indian Ocean, Indian Ocean Dipole, IOD) or local factors (Pisonia grandis fruiting events) potentially affect adult survival. Annual adult survival could not be linked to inter-annual variability in oceanographic conditions, but may be more influenced by Pisonia fruiting events, which, overall, accounts for 23.2% of the adult mortality. The growth rate of the population, primarily influenced by annual adult survival, was estimated to be 0.946, which indicates an annual population decline of 5.4%. At the current rate, the probability of extinction of this population would be 99% in 170 years. Management scenarios studied through Monte Carlo simulations, assuming small increments in adult survival and/or breeding success, dramatically reduce the risk of extinction of White-tailed Tropicbirds. Habitat management, in order to maintain an open canopy and little understorey vegetation, appears to be crucial for the conservation of White-tailed Tropicbirds on Aride Island, as has already been shown for other groundnesting tropical seabirds nesting on forested islands.

We examine the effect of mulches on the soil volumetric water content (SVWC), pH, carbon (C), total and mineral (NH 4 and NO 3 ) nitrogen (N), total and bicarbonate phosphorus (P), and on the survival and relative growth rate of three species, Ipomea wolcottiana Rose, Lonchocarpus eriocarinalis Micheli and Caesalpinia eriostachys Benth, in a degraded seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) area. Our study year was unusually dry, with only half of the mean annual rainfall. Sixteen plots (5 · 6 m) for each of our four treatments, mulches with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) straw, forest litter (SDTF litter), polyethylene and bare soil (control), were used. In each plot, 20 tree saplings were planted of each species. The SVWC was higher in plots mulched with polyethylene than in bare soil plots. The soil pH did not change with mulching, and there were no differences between treatments in the concentrations of soil organic C, total N, NO 3 and total P. However, soil concentrations of NH 4 were highest in plots with alfalfa straw and of bicarbonate P in plots with polyethylene. Sapling survival was higher in polyethylene mulch plots than in other mulching treatments, in the order I. wolcottiana > C. eriostachys > L. eriocarinalis. Sapling survival under organic mulches, alfalfa straw and forest litter were similar, and lowest in bare soil. The relative growth rate followed the order L. eriocarinalis < C. eriostachys < I. wolcotiana, and the growth rate of all species was greatest under polyethylene mulch. We conclude that a combination of polyethylene mulch with species of high growth rate is best for restoring seasonally dry tropical areas.

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) is routinely chemically or mechanically weeded from Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) plantations to increase conifer productivity, but these practices are controversial because of unknown effects on forest health and diversity. This study examined effects of paper birch density reduction treatments on productivity and disease incidence of Douglas-fir saplings in the southern interior of British Columbia. Five paper birch density treatments (0, 400, 1111, 4444 stems ha À1 and an un-thinned control of >7000 stems ha À1 ), where paper birch was manually cut at the root collar in 1999, were replicated on four sites in a randomized block design. After 2 years, Douglas-fir survival did not differ significantly among treatments, but where Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink was present in untreated stands, mortality due to root disease increased significantly with increasing paper birch thinning intensity. Mean diameter increment and height:diameter ratio of Douglas-fir improved where paper birch was completely removed or partially thinned compared with the control. Mean light transmittance and soil moisture content increased with decreasing paper birch density, but Douglas-fir foliar N status was unaffected. Our results suggest that Douglas-fir growth can be improved and root disease incidence www.elsevier.com/locate/foreco Forest Ecology and Management 208 (2005) 1-13 minimized by thinning paper birch to 4444 stems ha À1 in young mixed stands, but that subsequent release treatments may be necessary to maintain Douglas-fir growth rates. #

A new theory of oscillatory zoning in naturally grown plagioclase crystals is presented. This describes explicitly the coupling between the interface kinetics and the diffusion of chemical species in the melt. The crystal growth rate R responds with a finite delay time to concentration ...

Significant inhibition of proliferative activity in PC3 human prostate cancer cells by estradiol is reported, accompanied by experimental evidence for a specific estrogen receptor (ER). Radioligand-binding assays revealed the presence of high affinity sites of estrogen binding in the nuclear compartment of PC3 cells. In addition, using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction system, we obtained evidence of either normal or a variant ER mRNA; the latter, which lacks the entire exon 4, is coexpressed with normal ER mRNA and has been recently characterized in our laboratories. The likelihood that the inhibitory effect exerted by estradiol could be mediated by an increase of transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) production was also investigated. Use of monoclonal antibodies against TGF beta 1 produced a 3-fold increase of growth rate in PC3 cells; this clearly speaks for high levels of endogenous TGF beta 1. This effect was almost completely abolished after addition of 10...

The selective vapor phase epitaxy (SVPE) kinetics of a Si1−xGex heterostructure is complex. To date, operational kinetics schemes are not available and reactant interactions are not very well understood. This study is a phenomenological investigation of epitaxial film growth rate (GR) and composition. An empirical model is developed specifically to address the kinetics of industrial SVPE processes performed at a pressure above 1Torr. The response function investigated in this study is very similar to the one applied in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. The relevance of a power rate law (PRL) to Si 1−xGex SVPE is assessed with the goodness of fit as well as with a consistency check of the fitting parameters with the chemistry of the process. Despite the lack of a reaction scheme supporting the PRL, trends consistent with the known chemistry of growth kinetics are evidenced, thus confirming the soundness of the method. Partial reaction orders are identified for HCl, SiH2Cl2, GeH4 ...

The influence of nutrient addition on the growth rate of Spirulina platensis in the Mangueira Lagoon water was studied in order to investigate the feasibility of using this water for biomass production. The addition of urea and sodium bicarbonate was studied through surface response methodology, over concentration ranges from 0.0 to 0.01170 M, and 0.0-19.70 g l)1 respectively. The growth of Spirulina platensis in Mangueira Lagoon water with no addition of nutrients was carried out and compared with the biomass growth after nutrient addition. The results indicated that the optimal level of nutrients was 0.00585 M urea and without the addition of sodium bicarbonate. The biomass concentration was 1.4 g l)1 in 780 h of cultivation and the doubling time (t d) was 3.85 days. In 300 h, the biomass concentration in the medium without nutrient addition was 0.9 g l)1 , with a doubling time of 3.80 days.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of single short-duration bathtreatment with hydrogen peroxide (1000, 1250 or 1500 mg/l for 20 min), as currently used in treatment for sea lice, on the growth rate and gill morphology of rainbow trout. All three dose levels significantly reduced the specific growth rate of fish (22-36% reduction) during the first 3 weeks after treatment. A significant effect on growth rate (10-11% reduction) persisted over an additional 3 weeks for the two highest doses. Gill lesions occurred at all three dose levels and also at an additional peroxide concentration of 750 mg/l; these lesions were characterized by large foci of epithelial hyperplasia in which lamellar fusion, pillar cell necrosis, and pillar channel aneurysms had developed. The proportion of damaged filaments showed a significant positive linear relationship with dose during the first 2 weeks after treatment. A significant decline in number of lesions occurred at 1000-1500 mg/l over the 3-week sampling period. During healing, necrotic lamellae were replaced by means of a pillar channel regenerative process.

Growth curves were generated for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in brain±heart infusion broth incubated at 37 or158C in the presence of individual and combinations of competing micro£ora. Broths were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 (log 10 3Á00 cfu ml 71) and competitors (log 10 4Á00 cfu ml 71) and the initial pH of the broth was either neutral (7Á0) or adjusted to 5Á8 and then sequentially reduced to 4Á8 over 10 h to simulate fermentation conditions. Growth curves were also generated for the competitors in these cultures, including Pseudomonas fragi, Hafnia alvei, Pediococcus acidilactici (pepperoni starter culture) and Brochothrix thermosphacta. Gompertz equations were ¢tted to the data and growth kinetics including lag phase duration, exponential growth rates and maximum population densities (MPD) calculated. In pure culture, the growth parameters for E. coli O157:H7 in neutral pH broths were signi¢cantly di¡erent from those recorded in simulated fermentation broths (P50Á05).The presence of competitors in the broth also had a signi¢cant e¡ect on the growth kinetics of the pathogen. H. alvei signi¢cantly inhibited the growth (lag phase, growth rate and MPD) of E. coli O157:H7 at 378C, neutral pH and outgrew the pathogen under these conditions. In neutral pH cultures, two other competitors, B. thermosphacta and P. acidilactici also inhibited the lag phase of the pathogen but had no e¡ect on the other growth parameters. In simulated fermentation broths, the growth rate of E. coli O157:H7 was consistently slower and the MPD lower in the presence of a competitive micro£ora than when grown individually. At158C, only one competitor, P. fragi signi¢cantly inhibited the lag phase of the pathogen. The implications of these ¢ndings for food safety are discussed.

Grazing experiments were performed with the zooplankters Daphnia pulex and Daphnia magna feeding on nitrogen-and phosphorus-limited cells of two green algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Selenastrum cupricornutum). To analyze the role of the cell wall structure in digestibility of the algae by Daphnia, the same experiments were carried out with both wild-type C. reinhardtii and a cell wall-deficient mutant.

The characteristics of agarose and growth for three isomorphic life phases of G. dura with their bio-molecular marker assisted selection have been described in this study. The tetrasporophyte showed superior quality of agarose over gametophytes and recorded growth rate was highest for females. The genetic relatedness studied with ISSR markers showed quadratic line of correlation between these phases (R 2 = 1). Their genetic diversity determinants as percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL), average heterozygosity (He) and Shannon's Weaver index (I) were 55.55%, 0.5 ± 0.07 and 0.33 respectively. The cytological analysis for chromosome count revealed 8 chromosomes in haploid gametophytic thallus (N) and 16 for diploid tetrasporophyte (2N) together with genetic structure analysis confirmed to their sexual mating behaviour. Their marker assisted selection based on ISSR generated characteristic band of 430 bp specific to male, 860 bp for female and two bands of 800 and 1600 bp for tetrasporophytic thallus from primer 'A'. Similarly ISSR primer 'E' also generated bands specific to male, female and tetrasporophytes while others gave bands specific to either of life phase. Interestingly, endogenic ABA content was significantly higher for haploid gametophytes (female more than male) than diploid tetrasporophyte while no significant difference was observed in IBA content. Thus the study described not only the features of three life phases of G. dura but also reliable biomarkers for differentiating such isomorphic life phases which could be beneficial for the selection of cultivar and in breeding programmes.

This note examines bounds for fourth order linear difference equations with coefficients restricted to the unit interval. It is shown that all solutions are of order strictly less than (3/2) n . The bound is shown to be nearly best possible. Applications to zero-one banded matrices are also discussed.

Total mercury (T-Hg) and organic mercury (mainly methylmercury, MeHg) concentrations in the most important compartments (water, sediment, macrophytes, zooplankton, mussels and fish) of the shallow and eutrophic Lake Candia (Turin, Northern Italy) were measured. The decreasing sequence of the T-Hg concentrations is as follows: cat-fish (143 µg kg -1 d.w.), zooplankton (77 µg kg -1 d.w.), Unio pictorum mancus (37.9 µg kg -1 d.w.), macrophytes (28.9 µg kg -1 d.w.). The content of mercury in mussel tissues increased with the size of the animal, but the relationship between Hg concentration and tissue weight was negative, indicating that the rate of mercury accumulation was lower than the tissue growth rate. The amount of mercury accumulated in the mussels living in the lake sediments was estimated to be 0.54 µg m -2 . The importance of mercury biomagnification is also discussed.

We consider surface modulations in epitaxial growth and study the formation of facets. Thereby the dynamics is assumed to be essentially interface-controlled and driven by a strongly anisotropic surface energy together with the incoming flux and modeled by a geometric evolution equation, which leads to facets and corners in the corresponding Wulff-shape. This interface evolution law, which is derived from a curvature dependent interfacial energy, is solved numerically using parametric finite elements. The numerical results indicate two basic stages for the formation of facets and corners. First, a rather periodic structure of hills and valleys is formed, being in agreement with the most unstable wavelength of the linearized dynamics. At the second stage, three distinct morphologies emerge, depending on the growth rate of the surface: faceting and coarsening occurs, periodic patterns emerge, or the surface becomes rough. Moreover, in the first case, the only coarsening event is a kink ternary, i.e. a coalescence of two kinks and one antikink resulting in a kink. r

The effect of synergy between sediment organic enrichment and lack of night oxygen renewal in the water column on growth and survival of Zostera marina, and how it is reflected in the sulfur parameters in the plants (δ 34 S, TS and S 0 ) was studied experimentally. An experiment consisting of Z. marina mesocosms with different levels of organic enrichment and water column aeration was established, and the effects on sediment conditions, sulfide invasion and growth and survival of Z. marina were examined over a 4 week period. Shoots growing in Ambient Organic matter-sediments showed signs of sulfide invasion, as TS increased in all plant compartments and δ 34 S of the plant tissues decreased during the experiment, but neither growth rate nor survival were significantly affected. The lack of night oxygen renewal had no evident effects in non-enriched sediments as porewater sulfide concentrations, AVS-and CRS-pools were not different from the corresponding 24 h aeration treatment. Plant growth rate and survival were neither different from the corresponding 24 h aeration treatment. On the contrary, shoots growing on High Organic matter-sediments suffered a massive sulfide invasion and it was directly correlated to the observed decrease in growth rates. Even though the lack of night oxygen renewal had no evident effects on sediment variables there were, however, strong indications that the different aeration levels affected plant performance, suggesting a lower sulfide oxidation capacity and confirming that low water column oxygen concentrations reduces the defense capacity of the shoots against sulfide invasion. Although δ 34 S, TS and S 0 concentrations together provided a powerful set of indicators to detect the invasion of sulfide in Z. marina shoots, this study enlightens the need for a deeper investigation of sulfide intrusion in seagrasses and the relation between plant sulfur parameters and sediment conditions.

Calcium/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase II (CaMKII) is an important mediator of synaptic function that is regulated by multi-site phosphorylation and targeting through interactions with proteins. A new phosphorylation site at Thr253 has been identified in vivo, that does not alter CaMKII activity, but does alter CaMKII function through interactions with binding proteins. To identify these proteins, as well as to examine the specific effects following Thr253 or Thr286 phosphorylation on these interactions, we developed an in vitro overlay binding assay. We demonstrated that the interaction between CaMKII and its binding proteins was altered by the phosphorylation state of both the CaMKII and the partner, and identified a CaMKII-specific sequence that was responsible for the interaction between CaMKII and two interacting proteins. By comparing CaMKII binding profiles in tissue and cell extracts, we demonstrated that the CaMKII binding profiles varied with cell type, and also showed that overexpression of a CaMKII Thr253 phospho-mimic mutant in human neuroblastoma and breast cancer cells dramatically altered the morphology and growth rates when compared to overexpression of non-phosphorylated CaMKII. This data highlights the importance of the microenvironment in regulating CaMKII function, and describes a potentially new mechanism by which the functions of CaMKII can be regulated.

In juvenile salmon and trout, there seems to be a positive phenotypic correlation between individual aggression level and growth rate. Aggressive fish are dominant, and they obtain and defend territories, giving them access to good feeding sites. Being aggressive may increase predation risk, and may also carry costs such as increased metabolic demand, with effects on growth. To test the hypothesis that there is a trade-off between individual growth rate and aggression, we mated 12 female coho salmon with two unique males each, creating 24 full-sibling families. Growth of individually marked fish from each family was estimated in a situation where food could not be monopolized. Thereafter, individual fish were tested for mirror-elicited agonistic behaviour. We found significant variation between families in early growth rate, with a high heritability (1.04). There was also significant between-family variation in agonistic behaviour, but activity was generally low and heritability was low (0.25) and not significant. Growth rate and agonistic behaviour were negatively correlated. These results imply that aggressive behaviour has an energetic cost.

A three period overlapping generations model is developed to investigate the impact of shorter life expectancy due to disease, on human capital investment decisions and income growth. This research is particularly relevant to Sub-Saharan Africa given the dramatic reduction in life expectancy due to HIV/AIDS and the potential lasting effects on growth. Our results indicate that as life expectancy shortens so does schooling inducing a lower growth rate of income. These relationships are even more pronounced for the African continent than for the rest of the world.

Silicon dioxide films were deposited by means of remote inductively coupled plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (ICPECVD) in Ar-N 2 O-SiH 4 plasma at 150°C and pressures between 1 and 6 Pa. Chemical modeling of our plasma indicated an increased fraction of SiH 3 radicals at 6 Pa (compared to SiH 2 , SiH, and Si species), while at 1 Pa their relative contribution on film growth should be much smaller. Layer growth from SiH 3 radicals would result in better dielectric quality.

Feed efficiency is a trait of enormous importance in any animal production sector including aquaculture. Individuals that are more feed efficient need to use less feed to achieve similar growth rates as compared to less efficient individuals. Considering that feed represents the largest cost of production and one of the main causes for the ecological footprint of a farm, more knowledge on the extent of individual differences in feed efficiency and underlying physiological processes are needed. This study is the first to investigate individual differences in feed efficiency, measured as residual feed intake and its relationship with feeding behaviour and stress response in one of the most important farmed fish, the Nile tilapia. The individual feed intake of twenty-four juvenile of Nile tilapia was followed during 57 days. Fish were fed until apparent satiation with a commercial feed twice per day. Individual feed behavior was registered once per week and consisted on measuring the latency to start feeding (LAT, min), total feeding time (TFT, min) and the number of feeding acts (NFA, min). Blood samples for plasma cortisol was taken at the end of the experiment (control, indicative of undisturbed levels) and after a stress test (netting), 15 days after the previous sampling. Individual growth rates and residual feed intake were determined at the end of the experiment. Results show pronounced individual differences in residual feed intake as well as a significant correlation with both feeding behavior (feeding latency, total feeding time and number of feeding acts) and stress (cortisol) response. Cortisol levels obtained after the stress test and feeding behavior could explain differences in residual feed intake by 4%. These results show that individuals with higher feeding activity and higher cortisol response are less efficient fish. This suggests that individual differences in feeding activity and stress response explain part of the differences in feed efficiency by explaining variance in maintenance energy expenditure.

Polymeric films can be grown by a sequential, self-limiting surface chemistry process known as molecular layer deposition (MLD). The MLD reactants are typically bifunctional monomers for stepwise condensation polymerization and can yield completely organic films. The MLD of organic-inorganic hybrid polymers can also be accomplished using a bifunctional organic monomer and a multifunctional inorganic monomer. In this work, the growth of a poly(aluminum ethylene glycol) polymer is demonstrated using the sequential exposures of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and ethylene glycol (EG). These hybrid polymers, known as alucones, were grown over a wide range of temperatures from 85 to 175°C. In situ quartz crystal microbalance and ex situ X-ray reflectivity experiments confirmed linear growth of the alucone film versus number of TMA/EG reaction cycles at all temperatures. The alucone growth rates decreased at higher temperatures. Growth rates varied from 4.0 Å per cycle at 85°C to 0.4 Å per cycle at 175°C. In situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to monitor the surface reactions during alucone MLD. Ex situ FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray reflectivity measurements were also employed to determine the chemical composition, thickness, and density of the alucone films. These ex situ studies revealed that the alucone films grown on Al 2 O 3 ALD surfaces evolved under ambient conditions before reaching a stable state. Alucone films capped with rapid SiO 2 ALD displayed much more stability than alucone films grown on Al 2 O 3 ALD surfaces. These results indicated that H 2 O may facilitate the chemical transformation of the alucone MLD films. The alucone films represent a new class of organic-inorganic hybrid polymers. Modification of this basic alucone MLD chemistry with use of other diols or other bifunctional monomers can produce different alucone polymers with variable properties.

This paper examines the relationship between human and financial capital and firm performance for women-and men-owned small firms in the service and retail sectors. Results indicate that human capital variables, including education and experience, had a positive impact on the profitability of women-owned firms, whereas measures of financial capital had a greater impact of the profitability of men-owned firms. The ability to secure financial capital also had a positive impact on the growth rate of men-owned firms, but did not appear to affect the growth rate of womenowned firms. These findings suggest that the growth aspirations for women-owned firms may be driven by factors other than human capital or the ability to secure external capital.

Delhi is the most densely populated and urbanized city of India. The annual growth rate in population during the last decade (1991-2001) was 3.85%, almost double the national average. Delhi is also a commercial hub, providing employment opportunities and accelerating the pace of urbanization, resulting in a corresponding increase in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. Presently the inhabitants of Delhi generate about 7000 tonnes/day of MSW, which is projected to rise to 17,000-25,000 tonnes/day by the year 2021. MSW management has remained one of the most neglected areas of the municipal system in Delhi. About 70-80% of generated MSW is collected and the rest remains unattended on streets or in small open dumps. Only 9% of the collected MSW is treated through composting, the only treatment option, and rest is disposed in uncontrolled open landfills at the outskirts of the city. The existing composting plants are unable to operate to their intended treatment capacity due to several operational problems. Therefore, along with residue from the composting process, the majority of MSW is disposed in landfills. In absence of leachate and landfill gas collection systems, these landfills are a major source of groundwater contamination and air pollution (including generation of greenhouse gases). This study describes and evaluates the present state of municipal solid waste management in Delhi. The paper also summarizes the proposed policies and initiatives of the Government of Delhi and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to improve the existing MSW management system.