Flow Analysis of Shale Oil and Gas

Imperial Users onl

Biology of Tiger Moth (Atteva Sciodoxa Meyrick) Infesting Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia Jack) and its Control by Beauveria Bassiana

Eurycoma longifolia is a widely used medicinal plant in South East Asia. Atteva sciodoxa, the small golden brown moth, became serious pest with the onset of E. longifolia plantations. The widespread medicinal use of E. longifolia and deleterious effects of chemical insecticides led to search non-chemical control of A. sciodoxa. The research was undertaken to study some biological aspects of A. sciodoxa and to assess potential of entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana to control A. sciodoxa. A. sciodoxa feeds gregariously by building communal webs on the terminal shoots. The infestation ranged between 65.0±2.03% and 92.6±1.13%. A. sciodoxa completed its five larval instars in 20.7±0.2 days while lifecycle duration in 46.3±0.49 days. The population rate of increase ranged between 0.33 and 1.39 female off springs per female. The net reproductive rate, mean generation time and population doubling time were 42.03 female offsprings per female, 11.41 days and 2.12 days respectively. The highest apparent, real and indispensable mortality were in first instar larvae. The lower threshold temperature was between 9.2°C and 14.7°C while the thermal constant ranged from 126.4 to 79.3 degree-days for different metamorphic stages. The mean food ingestibility, efficiency of conversion of ingested food, efficiency of conversion of digested food and approximate digestibility were 75.2±0.32%, 67.8±0.74%, 37.0±1.21% and 63.10.73%, respectively. The mean food consumption index was 0.23 mg dry leaf per mg larval body weight per day while relative growth rate was 0.08 mg body larval weight gain per mg larval body weight per day. Seven B. bassiana isolates obtained from different sources were screened for pathogenicity. All the isolates were found to be pathogenic. The degree of pathogenicity varied significantly among the isolates. The earliest mortality was recorded on day three after inoculation in five isolates. The most virulent isolate was Bba-Pp with 100% mortality and median effective time of 3.6 days. The least infective isolate was Bba-Sl3 with 24.9±2.10% mortality and the median effective time of 15.3 days. The median effective concentration was 9.89x105 and 3.85x106 conidia ml-1 for Bba-Pp and FS-11, respectively. Mycosis time differed significantly among isolates. Isolate Bba-Pp appeared earliest on cadavers in 24 h. The conidial production ranged between 1.2±0.84x106 and 1.5±3.30x107 conidia per mg cadaver in the seven tested isolates. Isolate Bba-Pp decreased food consumption by 72.5% at concentration of 1x107 conidia ml-1 as compared to the control. The age specific dose mortality response revealed high infectivity of B. bassiana Bba-Pp in all metamorphic stages of A. sciodoxa. The highest egg infectivity was 22.6±1.60% when 24 h-old eggs were inoculated at 1x108 conidia ml-1 while the highest delayed first instar larval mortality was 85.6±2.30% when eggs were inoculated at 24 h before hatching at 1x108 conidia ml-1. The third instar larva was most susceptible while the fifth instar larva was the least. The median effective concentration ranged between 9.87x105 and 21.3x105 conidia ml-1 for third to fifth instar larvae while the median effective time ranged from 3.3 to 8.2 days for three tested larval instars at different concentrations. There was a significant temperature effect on B. bassiana Bba-Pp infectivity with optimum range between 27°C and 30°C. Infectivity, mycosis and sporulation were strongly affected when larva, leaf, or both, were inoculated by B. bassiana Bba-Pp. Larval mortality ranged between 38.1±3.21% and 94.6±2.40% in three exposure methods. Larval mortality of 54.1±1.74% was recorded due to secondary acquisition of conidia from spray residues on the foliage of E. longifolia. The shortest mean mycosis time was 20.2±0.37 h when both larvae and leaves were inoculated and cadavers incubated at 30°C while the longest was 28.0±0.45 h when only leaves were inoculated and cadavers incubated at 21°C. The highest conidial production was 150.9±0.01x105 conidia per mg cadaver when both larvae and leaves were inoculated at a concentration of 1x108 conidia ml-1 and cadavers incubated at 27ºC. The lowest conidial production was 46.6±0.02x105 conidia per mg cadaver when only leaves were inoculated at a concentration of 1x107 conidia ml-1 and cadavers incubated at 33°C. The highest conidial germination and the longest germ tube length was 99.2±0.37% and 45.6±0.84 μm at 27ºC, respectively. The optimum temperature for mycosis, sporulation, conidial germination and germ tube growth rate was between 27ºC and 30ºC. B. bassiana Bba-Pp was transmitted horizontally from exposed to unexposed larvae, via infective cadavers and contaminated faeces. The highest net transmitted mortality was 87.5±1.17% when exposed larvae were inoculated at 1x108 conidia ml-1 and mixed with same number of unexposed larvae. There was significant effect of concentration and ratio on net transmitted mortality. The highest transmitted mortality via infective cadaver was 92.1±1.31% at a density of 0.12 cadaver cm-2. Viable B. bassiana Bba-Pp was isolated from faeces when larvae were inoculated by different exposure methods and at different concentrations. The highest number of B. bassiana Bba-Pp colonies isolated was 15.5±0.12x103 per mg faeces isolated on day one following inoculation of both larvae and leaves at concentration of 1x108 conidia ml-1. The number of B. bassiana colonies was influenced by exposure method, concentration and the time following inoculation. Larval mortality of 42.2±1.36% was caused when larvae exposed to faeces with 15.5±0.12x103 B. bassiana colonies per mg. The findings biological studies indicated that A. sciodoxa has characteristics of a serious pest. The results also showed high infectivity, residual effect, horizontal transmission and recycling capacity of B. bassiana in A. sciodoxa. Based on these findings it is concluded that B. bassiana Bba-Pp has potential to control A. sciodoxa

Diversity in phosphorylation of thylakoid membrane proteins in chloroplasts

Photosynthesis is the most fundamental process for life on Earth. Sunlight is highly variable and fluctuates both in intensity and duration, which induces short and longterm responses in photosynthetic organisms. Photosynthetic organisms have evolved several processes to cope with environmental stresses, including light fluctuations. Many thylakoid properties and functions are regulated by diverse protein phosphorylations, ranging from thylakoid ultrastructural changes and the optimization of excitation energy between the two photosystems via Lightharvesting complexes (LHCs) to signaling mechanisms for long-term regulation, maintaining proteostasis, and thereby ultimately regulating photosynthesis via photoprotection mechanisms. My PhD research is divided into three major projects. The first one gives evolutionary insights into the two main thylakoid kinases, STN7 and STN8 in Physcomitrium patens (previously Physcomitrella patens), and their target proteins. Physcomitrium patens differs from angiosperms in their photoprotection strategy via LHCII phosphorylations (LHCB6 and LHCBM) and in formation of a Photosystem (PS)I-supercomplex, PSI-large, depending on LHCBM phosphorylation. The second project focuses on angiosperm model species Arabidopsis thaliana and deals with protein phosphorylation-related changes in thylakoid architecture. The study reveals that the phosphorylation dynamics of LHCII and CURT1B respond co-operatively to fluctuating light intensities. The findings also suggest that CURT1B phosphorylation contributes to the fine-tuning of thylakoid membrane structure and function in response to light conditions. The third project delves into the potential association between calcium signaling and induction of photoprotective mechanisms, by providing a novel screening tool to identify calcium-dependent chloroplast proteins. Calcium-transient dependent phosphorylation of essential proteins involved in the repair of PSII, including THF1, HCF136, and FTSH protease were disclosed. Additionally, the study proposes a potential link of calcium in PSI-Fd-FNR interaction. Moreover, this study not only identifies the new phosphorylation targets but also presents opportunities for exploring the intricate interplay between calcium signaling and protein phosphorylation processes. Taken together, my PhD research helps in understanding the regulation of photosynthesis, provides new tools for photosynthesis research and will thereby contribute to engineering photosynthetically resilient organisms to cope with changing environmental conditions for improving the production of food, feed and renewable energy.---- Fotosynteesi ylläpitää elämää maapallolla muuttamalla auringon valoenergiaa kemialliseksi energiaksi. Auringonvalo vaihtelee sekä voimakkuudeltaan että kestoltaan, mikä saa aikaan lyhyt- ja pitkäaikaisia vasteita fotosynteettisissä organismeissa. Fotosynteettiset organismit ovat kehittäneet useita prosesseja selviytyäkseen ympäristönstresseistä, mukaan lukien voimakkaat valon vaihtelut. Kasvien fotosynteesi tapahtuu viherhiukkasten sisäisessä kalvosysteemissä, tylakoideissa, joiden ominaisuuksia ja toimintoja säätelevät erilaiset proteiinien fosforylaatiot. Valohaaviproteiinien (LHCII) fosforylaatio muuttaa tylakoidin hienorakennetta ja optimoi viritysenergian jakautumista kahden valoreaktion (PSII ja PSI) välillä, mutta vaikuttaa myös signaalimekanismien kautta proteostaasin ylläpitämiseen ja siten viime kädessä fotosynteesin pitkänajan säätelyyn. Tohtoritutkimukseni on jaettu kolmeen osaprojektiin. Ensimmäinen pureutuu kahdessa tärkeimmässä tylakoidikinaasissa (STN7 ja STN8) ja niiden kohdeproteiineissa evoluution aikana tapahtuneisiin muutoksiin. Tutkimus osoitti sammalen, evolutiivisesti vanhimman maakasvin, eroavan valosuojausstrategiassaan siemenkasveista, ja muokkaavan LHCB6 ja LHCBM proteiinien fosforylaatioiden ja PSI-superkompleksien muodostumisen kautta viritysenergian jakautumista PSII:n ja PSI:n välillä. Toinen osaprojekti käsittelee siemenkasvien malliorganismin, lituruohon (Arabidopsis thaliana), tylakoidiproteiinien fosforylaation aiheuttamia muutoksia tylakoidiverkoston hienorakenteessa, ja paljastaa LHCII:n ja CURT1B:n fosforylaatiodynamiikan yhteistyön vaikuttavan rakenteen ja toiminnan väliseen hienosäätöön, toimien vasteena valo-olosuhteiden muutoksille. Kolmannessa osaprojektissa tarkastellaan mahdollista kalsium-signaloinnin ja kasvin proteiinifosforylaatioon perustuvan valosuojausmekanismin välistä yhteyttä, käyttämällä hyväksi seulontaan kehitettyä uutta työkalua. Tutkimuksessa kuvattiin PSII:n korjaamiseen välttämättä tarvittavien proteiinien (THF1, HCF136 ja FTSHproteaasi) kalsiumista riippuvainen fosforylaatio. Lisäksi tutkimustulokset viittaavat kalsiumin toimintaan PSI-Fd-FNR vuorovaikutuksessa sekä erittäin monimutkaiseen vuorovaikutukseen kalsium-signaloinnin ja proteiinien fosforylaatioprosessien välillä. Yhteenvetona totean, että väitöskirjatutkimukseni auttaa ymmärtämään fotosynteesin säätelyä, tarjoaa uusia työkaluja fotosynteesin tutkimukseen ja myötävaikuttaa siten uusien, fotosynteettisesti kestävien ja tehokkaiden organismien suunnitteluun ja tuottamiseen. Tämä puolestaan edesauttaa selviytymistämme muuttuvissa ympäristöolosuhteissa ruoan, rehun ja uusiutuvan energian tuotannon parantamiseksi

Smart Textiles Based Wireless ECG System

Advances in polymers, soft-electronics, biosensors and mobile communication, have led to a growing interest in wireless Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors. A wide variety of textile-based wireless ECG sensors and systems have been developed. Typically, such wireless ECG systems rely on miniature ECG sensor/electrode that can be worn as badges, patches, or jewelry to measure and show advance reactions. Smart textile and non-contact electrodes have also been reported recently. The earlier stage of smart clothing usually tether conventional electrode sensors or devices attached to the textile. Such approaches have their limitations such as discomfort and integration with the fabric. The focus of our research is design and the development of non-contact textiles ECG electrode for remote health monitoring applications

Effect of Curvature of the Conformal Microstrip Antenna

A comprehensive study of the conformal microstrip printed antenna is presented. The main advantages and drawbacks of a microstrip conformal antenna are discussed. The paper discusses both conformal microstrip arrays. The effect of curvature on the conformal microstrip antenna patch on conical and spherical surfaces is studied. New flexible antenna designs are given for different frequencies . Finally, simulation studies are carried out to study the effect of the curvature on the input impedance, return loss, voltage standing wave ratio, and resonance frequency

A New Analytical Performance Model for a Microstrip Printed Antenna

© ASEE 2012Curvature has a great effect on fringing field of a microstrip antenna and consequently fringing field affects effective dielectric constant and then all antenna parameters. A new mathematical model for input impedance, return loss, voltage standing wave ratio and electric and magnetic fields is introduced in this paper. These parameters are given for TM10 mode and TM01 mode Epsilam-10 ceramic-filled Teflon substrate material

Effect of Curvature on the Performance of Cylindrical Microstrip Printed Antenna for TM01 mode

Curvature has a great effect on fringing field of a microstrip antenna and consequently fringing field affects effective dielectric constant and then all antenna parameters. A new mathematical model for input impedance, return loss, voltage standing wave ratio and electric and magnetic fields is introduced in this paper. These parameters are given for TM01mode and using two different substrate materials RT/duroid-5880 PTFE. Experimental results are also introduced to validate the new model

Input Impedance, VSWR and Return Loss of a Conformal Microstrip Printed Antenna for TM01 Mode Using Two Different Substrates

Curvature has a great effect on fringing field of a microstrip antenna and consequently fringing field affects effective dielectric constant and then all antenna parameters. A new mathematical model for input impedance, return loss and voltage standing wave ratio is introduced in this paper. These parameters are given for TM01 mode and using two dif-ferent substrate materials K-6098 Teflon/Glass and Epsilam-10 Ceramic-Filled Teflon materials.https://doi.org/10.5923/j.ijnc.20120202.0

Effect of Temperature on the Performance of a Cylindrical Microstrip Printed Antenna for TM01 Mode Using Different Substrates

A temperature is one of the parameters that have a great effect on the performance of microstrip antennas for TM01 mode. The effect of temperature on a resonance frequency, input impedance, voltage standing wave ratio, and return loss on the performance of a cylindrical microstrip printed antenna is studied in this paper. The effect of temperature on electric and magnetic fields are also studied. Three different substrate materials RT/duroid-5880 PTFE, K-6098 Teflon/Glass, and Epsilam-10 ceramic-filled Teflon are used for verifying the new model for a microstrip antenna for its flexibility on cylindrical bodies

The Performance of a Cylindrical Microstrip Printed Antenna for TM10 Mode as a Function of Temperature for Different Substrates

A temperature is one of the parameters that have a great effect on the performance of microstrip antennas for TM10 mode at 2.4 GHz frequency range. The effect of temperature on a resonance frequency, input impedance, voltage standing wave ratio, and return loss on the performance of a cylindrical microstrip printed antenna is studied in this paper. The effect of temperature on electric and magnetic fields are also studied. Three different substrate materials RT/duroid-5880 PTFE, K-6098 Teflon/Glass, and Epsilam-10 ceramic-filled Teflon are used for verifying the new model