Forage production stability of Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) genotypes in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.

The elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) is a tropical perennial forage plant with high biomass production that adapts to various soil and climatic conditions in Brazil. Stability is defined as the consistency in performance of genotypes in different environments. The aim of the present study was to estimate stability parameters by the Eberhart and Russel method, and to select elephant grass genotypes with forage production stability and high-yield in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil. Five harvests were made for evaluation in two years. The experimental design was arranged as randomized blocks design, with 80 treatments and two replicates. After the individual analysis of variance for dry matter yield, a combined split-plot analysis was performed. Mean values from each harvest as well as overall means of the genotypes in the five harvests were grouped using the Scott-Knott test (p£0.05). To obtain the estimates of stability over time, the method of Eberhart and Russell was used, considering the genotypes and successive harvests as environments. Genotypes Pasto Panamá, IJ 7136 cv. EMPASC 307, CAC-262, 02 AD IRI, 08 AD IRI, and Gigante de Pinda showed high forage production and phenotypic stability over the five harvests

Long-term Earth-Moon evolution with high-level orbit and ocean tide models

Tides and Earth‐Moon system evolution are coupled over geological time. Tidal energy dissipation on Earth slows [Formula: see text] rotation rate, increases obliquity, lunar orbit semi‐major axis and eccentricity, and decreases lunar inclination. Tidal and core‐mantle boundary dissipation within the Moon decrease inclination, eccentricity and semi‐major axis. Here we integrate the Earth‐Moon system backwards for 4.5 Ga with orbital dynamics and explicit ocean tide models that are “high‐level” (i.e., not idealized). To account for uncertain plate tectonic histories, we employ Monte Carlo simulations, with tidal energy dissipation rates (normalized relative to astronomical forcing parameters) randomly selected from ocean tide simulations with modern ocean basin geometry and with 55, 116, and 252 Ma reconstructed basin paleogeometries. The normalized dissipation rates depend upon basin geometry and [Formula: see text] rotation rate. Faster Earth rotation generally yields lower normalized dissipation rates. The Monte Carlo results provide a spread of possible early values for the Earth‐Moon system parameters. Of consequence for ocean circulation and climate, absolute (un‐normalized) ocean tidal energy dissipation rates on the early Earth may have exceeded [Formula: see text] rate due to a closer Moon. Prior to [Formula: see text] , evolution of inclination and eccentricity is dominated by tidal and core‐mantle boundary dissipation within the Moon, which yield high lunar orbit inclinations in the early Earth‐Moon system. A drawback for our results is that the semi‐major axis does not collapse to near‐zero values at 4.5 Ga, as indicated by most lunar formation models. Additional processes, missing from our current efforts, are discussed as topics for future investigation

On the Practical Limitations for the Generation of Gunn Oscillations in Highly Doped GaN Diodes

Planar Gunn diodes based on doped GaN active layers with different geometries have been fabricated and characterized. Gunn oscillations have not been observed due to the catastrophic breakdown of the diodes for applied voltages around 20-25 V, much below the bias theoretically needed for the onset of Gunn oscillations. The breakdown of the diodes has been analyzed by pulsed I-V measurements at low temperature, and it has been observed to be almost independent of the geometry of the channels, thus allowing to discard self-heating effects as the origin of the device burning. The other possible mechanism for the device failure is impact-ionization avalanche due to the high electric fields present at the anode corner of the isolating trenches. However, Monte Carlo simulations using the typical value of the intervalley energy separation of GaN, ε_(1-2)=2.2 eV, show that impact ionization mechanisms are not significant for the voltages for which the experimental failure is observed. But recent experiments showed that ε_(1-2) is lower, around 0.9 eV. This lower intervalley separation leads to a much lower threshold voltage for the Gunn oscillations, not far from the experimental breakdown. Therefore, we attribute the devices failure to an avalanche process just when Gunn domains start to form, since they increase the population of electrons at the high electric field region, thus strongly enhancing impact ionization mechanisms which lead to the diode failure

Determinants of environmental management in the red sea hotels: Personal and organizational values and contextual variables

What motivates firms to adopt environmental management practices is one of the most significant aspects in the contemporary academic debate in which the review of the existing literature yields, with an obvious contextual bias toward developed world, contested theories and inconclusive findings. Providing a unique model that brings together the individual and organizational levels of analysis on firms' adoption of environmental management practices, this study aims to provide a new insight from the context of developing world. Data from 158 Red Sea hotels reveal two identifiable dimensions of environmental management-planning and organization, and operations-that can be explained as originating from different values. Whereas organizational altruism is a powerful predictor of both dimensions, managers' personal values and organizational competitive orientation are only relevant to environmental operations. The evidence also indicates that contextual variables such as chain affiliation, hotel star rating, and size are important to explain hotels' environmental management behaviors. © 2012 ICHRIE

Social presence and dishonesty in retail

Self-service checkouts (SCOs) in retail can benefit consumers and retailers, providing control and autonomy to shoppers independent from staff, together with reduced queuing times. Recent research indicates that the absence of staff may provide the opportunity for consumers to behave dishonestly, consistent with a perceived lack of social presence. This study examined whether a social presence in the form of various instantiations of embodied, visual, humanlike SCO interface agents had an effect on opportunistic behaviour. Using a simulated SCO scenario, participants experienced various dilemmas in which they could financially benefit themselves undeservedly. We hypothesised that a humanlike social presence integrated within the checkout screen would receive more attention and result in fewer instances of dishonesty compared to a less humanlike agent. This was partially supported by the results. The findings contribute to the theoretical framework in social presence research. We concluded that companies adopting self-service technology may consider the implementation of social presence in technology applications to support ethical consumer behaviour, but that more research is required to explore the mixed findings in the current study.<br/

LRRK2 secretion in exosomes is regulated by 14-3-3

Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene cause late-onset Parkinson's disease (PD). Emerging evidence suggests a role for LRRK2 in the endocytic pathway. Here, we show that LRRK2 is released in extracellular microvesicles (i.e. exosomes) from cells that natively express LRRK2. LRRK2 localizes to collecting duct epithelial cells in the kidney that actively secrete exosomes into urine. Purified urinary exosomes contain LRRK2 protein that is both dimerized and phosphorylated. We provide a quantitative proteomic profile of 1673 proteins in urinary exosomes and find that known LRRK2 interactors including 14-3-3 are some of the most abundant exosome proteins. Disruption of the 14-3-3 LRRK2 interaction with a 14-3-3 inhibitor or through acute LRRK2 kinase inhibition potently blocks LRRK2 release in exosomes, but familial mutations in LRRK2 had no effect on secretion. LRRK2 levels were overall comparable but highly variable in urinary exosomes derived from PD cases and age-matched controls, although very high LRRK2 levels were detected in some PD affected cases. We further characterized LRRK2 exosome release in neurons and macrophages in culture, and found that LRRK2-positive exosomes circulate in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Together, these results define a pathway for LRRK2 extracellular release, clarify one function of the LRRK2 14-3-3 interaction and provide a foundation for utilization of LRRK2 as a biomarker in clinical trial

Biomass energy production in elephant-grass hybrids.

Elephant grass is a forage plant widely spread in Brazil that was initially employed exclusively in the livestock sector as feed for cattle. This grass is characterized by its high productivity and high photosynthetic capacity. In addition to being used as forage, it has shown to be an alternative source of renewable energy. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the morpho-agronomic traits of elephant grass hybrids and their parents for biomass energy production. The experiment was conducted in a randomized-block design with three replicates. The partial diallel was composed of 16 hybrids and two groups (males and females). Data were subjected to analysis of variance and the Tukey?s mean comparison test (P < 0.05). Interaction was detected by the F test for the traits dry matter yield, plant height, and leaf width. Based on the mean values, hybrids H11 and H14 seem to be promising for dry matter production for energy purposes. Parent Porto Rico 534-B can be indicated in breeding programs

Proteomic analysis of the Plasmodium male gamete reveals the key role for glycolysis in flagellar motility.

BACKGROUND: Gametogenesis and fertilization play crucial roles in malaria transmission. While male gametes are thought to be amongst the simplest eukaryotic cells and are proven targets of transmission blocking immunity, little is known about their molecular organization. For example, the pathway of energy metabolism that power motility, a feature that facilitates gamete encounter and fertilization, is unknown. METHODS: Plasmodium berghei microgametes were purified and analysed by whole-cell proteomic analysis for the first time. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001163. RESULTS: 615 proteins were recovered, they included all male gamete proteins described thus far. Amongst them were the 11 enzymes of the glycolytic pathway. The hexose transporter was localized to the gamete plasma membrane and it was shown that microgamete motility can be suppressed effectively by inhibitors of this transporter and of the glycolytic pathway. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the first whole-cell proteomic analysis of the malaria male gamete. It identifies glycolysis as the likely exclusive source of energy for flagellar beat, and provides new insights in original features of Plasmodium flagellar organization