Photosynthetic Light Response of Tanzania Grass under Four Levels of Leaf Temperature

The purpose of this paper is to establish photosynthetic light response curves for Tanzania grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.) under four leaf temperature levels. Photosynthetic rate was measured as a response to levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) on the youngest fully expanded leaves of 12 representative tillers with an infra red gas analyzer. The effect of PPFD was tested for each leaf temperature level in a randomized complete block design. Photosynthetic light response curves were adjusted for each leaf temperature using a non-linear hyperbolic model. The maximum photosynthetic response was 25,59; 31,43; 34,57 and 27,53 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1 for 25, 30, 35 and 40 oC of leaf temperature, respectively. Although light saturation was not attained, response to light increments declined with light levels higher than 1000 – 2000 µmol photon m-2 s-1, and the response curve approximated saturation slowly. Photosynthetic rates of Tanzania grass depend on light and temperature level and these must be considered when modelling crop yield potential

Dynamic blockage of drippers as a function of the application of super simple phosphate and nítric acid in localized irrigation

O superfosfato simples (SS) é uma alternativa aos adubos fosfatados que são utilizados via fertirrigação, como o ácido fosfórico, que provoca acidificação do bulbo úmido no solo, e o monofosfato de amônio purificado, que apresenta maior preço. No entanto, não se conhece o efeito de tal adubo no funcionamento de emissores, principalmente nos gotejadores, nem se é possível controlar o entupimento por SS por meio de aplicações de ácido. Assim, desenvolveu-se este trabalho com o objetivo de avaliar a possibilidade da utilização do superfosfato simples via gotejamento, como alternativa ao uso de outros adubos fosfatados, e a tentativa de controle do entupimento utilizando ácido nítrico. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em bancada de ensaios de gotejadores, localizada no Laboratório de Hidráulica da ESALQ/USP. Foram aplicadas doses de 50; 75 e 100% da solubilidade do superfosfato simples (SS), em 26 tubogotejadores de diferentes marcas comerciais, e ao fim de 360 horas de irrigação, foi aplicado ácido nítrico com pH 2, na tentativa de desentupir os gotejadores mais sensíveis. Diante dos resultados, foi possível inferir que o uso do superfosfato simples pode ser feito via fertirrigação, e o ácido nítrico, aplicado segundo esta metodologia, não proporcionou a desobstrução dos emissores.The super simple phosphate (SS) is an alternative to the phosphorous fertilizers which are used through fertigation, as the phosphoric acid, which triggers acidification of the wetted volume in the soil, and the monophosfato of purified ammonium, that has a higher price. However, the effect of such fertilizer in the emitters function, mainly in the drippers, is not known neither if it is possible to control the blockage for SS through acid applications. Thus, this study was developed in order to evaluate the possibility of the use of super simple phosphate trough drip irrigation, as an alternative to the use of other phosphorous fertilizers, and the attempt of controlling the blockage with nitric acid. The work was carried out in bench of drippers rehearsals, located at the Hydraulic laboratory in ESALQ-USP. Doses of 50; 75 and 100% of the super simple phosphate (SS) were applied in 26 emitter tubes with different commercial marks, and after 360 hours the nitric acid with a pH of 2 was applied, in the attempt of clearing the most sensitive drippers to the blockage. With the results it was possible to infer that: the use of super simple phosphate can be done by fertigation without causing damages to the system and the nitric acid, applied according to this methodology, did not provide the clearance of the emitters

Production and quality of mini watermelon cv. Smile irrigated with saline water

A B S T R A C T The purpose of this study was to evaluate the salt tolerance of mini watermelon (cv. Smile). ). Aos 85 dias após o início do experimento avaliaram-se as plantas e as variáveis físico-químicas dos frutos. A salinidade afetou negativamente as variáveis comprimento do ramo principal, diâmetro do caule, número de folhas, número de ramos secundários, área foliar, massa fresca e massa seca. Para as variáveis físico-químicas dos frutos a salinidade reduziu a massa fresca, o diâmetro e o pH do fruto e elevou o teor de vitamina C. Com os resultados obtidos infere-se que a minimelancia cv. Smile é moderadamente sensível à salinidade

Search for direct production of charginos and neutralinos in events with three leptons and missing transverse momentum in √s = 7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for the direct production of charginos and neutralinos in final states with three electrons or muons and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in three signal regions that are either depleted or enriched in Z-boson decays. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set in R-parity conserving phenomenological minimal supersymmetric models and in simplified models, significantly extending previous results

Phosphorus Is Associated with Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Preserved Renal Function

High serum phosphorus levels have been associated with mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease and in the general population. In addition, high phosphorus levels have been shown to induce vascular calcification and endothelial dysfunction in vitro. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation of phosphorus and coronary calcification and atherosclerosis in the setting of normal renal function. This was a cross-sectional study involving 290 patients with suspected coronary artery disease and undergoing elective coronary angiography, with a creatinine clearance >60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Coronary artery obstruction was assessed by the Friesinger score and coronary artery calcification by multislice computed tomography. Serum phosphorus was higher in patients with an Agatston score >10 than in those with an Agatston score ≤10 (3.63±0.55 versus 3.49±0.52 mg/dl; p = 0.02). In the patients with Friesinger scores >4, serum phosphorus was higher (3.6±0.5 versus 3.5±0.6 mg/dl, p = 0.04) and median intact fibroblast growth factor 23 was lower (40.3 pg/ml versus 45.7 pg/ml, p = 0.01). Each 0.1-mg/dl higher serum phosphate was associated with a 7.4% higher odds of having a Friesinger score >4 (p = 0.03) and a 6.1% greater risk of having an Agatston score >10 (p = 0.01). Fibroblast growth factor 23 was a negative predictor of Friesinger score (p = 0.002). In conclusion, phosphorus is positively associated with coronary artery calcification and obstruction in patients with suspected coronary artery disease and preserved renal function

Search for direct top-squark pair production in final states with two leptons in pp collisions at √s = 8TeV with the ATLAS detector

A search is presented for direct top-squark pair production in final states with two leptons (electrons or muons) of opposite charge using 20.3 fb−1 of pp collision data at √s = 8 TeV, collected by the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in 2012. No excess over the Standard Model expectation is found. The results are interpreted under the separate assumptions (i) that the top squark decays to a b-quark in addition to an on-shell chargino whose decay occurs via a real or virtual W boson, or (ii) that the top squark decays to a t-quark and the lightest neutralino. A top squark with a mass between 150 GeV and 445 GeV decaying to a b-quark and an on-shell chargino is excluded at 95% confidence level for a top squark mass equal to the chargino mass plus 10 GeV, in the case of a 1 GeV lightest neutralino. Top squarks with masses between 215 (90) GeV and 530 (170) GeV decaying to an on-shell (off-shell) t-quark and a neutralino are excluded at 95% confidence level for a 1 GeV neutralino