Influence of water deficit on photosynthetic activity, dry matter partitioning and grain yield of different durum and bread wheat genotypes

We aimed to study the influence of soil water deficit on gas exchange parameters, dry matter partitioning in leaves, stem and spike and grain yield of durum (Triticum durum Desf.) and bread (Triticum aestivum L.) wheat genotypes in the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 growing seasons. Water stress caused reduction of stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, an increase of intercellular CO2 concentration. Photosynthesis rate positively correlated with growth rate of genotypes. Drought stress caused adaptive changes in dry matter partitioning between leaves, stem and spike of wheat genotypes. Stem dry mass increased until kernel ripening. Drought stress accelerated dry mass reduction in leaves and stem. High growth rate of spike dry mass was revealed in genotypes with late heading time. Spike dry mass positively correlated with photosynthesis rate and grain yield. Generally, bread wheat is more productive and tolerant to drought stress than durum wheat

Application of Fuzzy Logic in Job Satisfaction Performance Problem

AbstractJob satisfaction has been a popular topic of research for many decades. The interest in this topic has attracted psychologists, management scholars and, more recently, economists. Most of the studies conducted in the area of job satisfaction have been based on statistical methods. However these methods cannot account for the fact that basic facets of job satisfaction, such as Activity, Independence, Variety, Social status, and Supervision-human relations, to name but a few, are evaluated based on perceptions which do not provide precise numeric information. Information supported by perceptions can be processed more adequately by using fuzzy logic. In this paper we suggest fuzzy if-then rules based expert system to describe relations between job factors and overall job satisfaction

The IPBES Conceptual Framework - connecting nature and people

The first public product of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is its Conceptual Framework. This conceptual and analytical tool, presented here in detail, will underpin all IPBES functions and provide structure and comparability to the syntheses that IPBES will produce at different spatial scales, on different themes, and in different regions. Salient innovative aspects of the IPBES Conceptual Framework are its transparent and participatory construction process and its explicit consideration of diverse scientific disciplines, stakeholders, and knowledge systems, including indigenous and local knowledge. Because the focus on co-construction of integrative knowledge is shared by an increasing number of initiatives worldwide, this framework should be useful beyond IPBES, for the wider research and knowledge-policy communities working on the links between nature and people, such as natural, social and engineering scientists, policy-makers at different levels, and decision-makers in different sectors of society

Production of bacterial cellulose fibers in the presence of effective microorganism

In this study, effective microorganism (EM) was added into fermentation medium in static culture to enhance bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Acetobacter xylinum 23769 strain. According to SEM micrographs, BC pellicles from BC-Baikal EM1 show a smaller diameter and a relatively narrow diameter distribution compared to BC pellicles from Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium. The BC-HS absorbed 90.5 times its dry weight of water. The water holding capacity increased to 132.5 for BC-Baikal EM1 medium compared to BC-HS. From the FT-IR spectra, BC samples exhibited a similar pattern. The crystalline indices of Baikal EM1-altered BC (66\%) were lower than Baikal EM1-free BC (71\%)