The Effects of Ultraviolet Light on Anthocyanin Accumulation in the Adventitious Roots of Sedum wrightii (Crassulaceae)

Several studies have supported the idea that anthocyanin accumulation may be a possible protection mechanism in plants against DNA damage caused by ultraviolet radiation (UV). This study explored the accumulation of anthocyanins in the adventitious root tips of Sedum wrightii using the following treatments: UVA, UVA+low UVB, and UVA+high UVB. Following exposure to UV radiation, samples were analyzed for anthocyanin accumulation using an ethanol extraction procedure. Using ELISA, additional root samples were analyzed for indicators of DNA damage: cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone dimers (6-4 PPs). The anthocyanin concentrations were significantly higher in the UVA + high UVB treatment than the other groups. The ELISA resultsshowed that a difference occurred between the control and the treatments of UVA, UVA+low UVB and UVA+high UVB for CPDs and between the control and the UVB treatments for 6-4 PPs. Anthocyanins accumulated with increased UV exposure. However, additional research is needed to determine the significance of anthocyanins in the adventitious root tips of S. wrightii

Measuring brand image: Shopping centre case studies

'Branding' is well known for consumer products but power has shifted from manufacturers' brands towards retailers'. The term 'image' is more common than 'brand' in the context of shopping centres, but 'branding' may become more important. In this study, the authors first investigated qualitatively, asking shoppers to describe centres in 'personality' terms and eliciting clear descriptive differences between centres. For example, one in-town centre was 'dull, boring and old-fashioned . . . not exciting, just OK'; a larger regional centre was 'trendy, prestigious . . . strong, vibrant, big and colourful'. Second, the authors evaluated six UK shopping centres quantitatively using a questionnaire survey (n = 287). The 'strong and vibrant' centre scored significantly higher than the 'dull and boring' one. Despite 'branding' being little used by shopping centres, those with the better 'brand images' tended to have larger catchment areas, sales and rental incomes. The authors contend that brand management could pay rewards in terms of customer numbers, sales turnover and rental income

Pulsed pumping of a Bose-Einstein condensate

In this work, we examine a system for coherent transfer of atoms into a Bose-Einstein condensate. We utilize two spatially separate Bose-Einstein condensates in different hyperfine ground states held in the same dc magnetic trap. By means of a pulsed transfer of atoms, we are able to show a clear resonance in the timing of the transfer, both in temperature and number, from which we draw conclusions about the underlying physical process. The results are discussed in the context of the recently demonstrated pumped atom laser.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, published in Physical Review

Quark-antiquark pair production in space-time dependent fields

Fermion-antifermion pair-production in the presence of classical fields is described based on the retarded and advanced fermion propagators. They are obtained by solving the equation of motion for the Dirac Green's functions with the respective boundary conditions to all orders in the field. Subsequently, various approximation schemes fit for different field configurations are explained. This includes longitudinally boost-invariant forms. Those occur frequently in the description of ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions in the semiclassical limit. As a next step, the gauge invariance of the expression for the expectation value of the number of produced fermion-antifermion pairs as a functional of said propagators is investigated in detail. Finally, the calculations are carried out for a longitudinally boost-invariant model-field, taking care of the last issue, especially.Comment: 32 pages, 8 figures, revised versio

A Comprehensive Mapping of Conflict and Conflict Resolution: A Three Pillar Approach

Excerpt As I contemplate the rise worldwide in intrastate (in contrast to interstate) conflicts (see, e.g., van Creveld, 1991 and K. Holsti, 1996), leading to Yugoslavian and Rwandan-type situations, I sense the need to do something about them. As Rousseau has said, wars occur because there is nothing to prevent them (cited in Waltz, 1959, p. 232). And quite frankly, there are few, if any, mechanisms worldwide relevant to staving off a future Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and the like (see Lund, 1996): witness the unfolding of the violent Albanian-Serbian conflict in Kosovo into a possible, wider Balkan war (see, e.g., Nordland and Watson, 1998; Finn, 1999; Dinmore, 1999a, 1999b)

Construction of an instrument for the measurement of educational philosophy

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Boston Universit

Anharmonicity and self-energy effects of the E2g phonon in MgB2

We present a Raman scattering study of the E2g phonon anharmonicity and of superconductivity induced self-energy effects in MgB2 single crystals. We show that anharmonic two phonon decay is mainly responsible for the unusually large linewidth of the E2g mode. We observe ~ 2.5 % hardening of the E2g phonon frequency upon cooling into the superconducting state and estimate the electron-phonon coupling strength associated with this renormalization.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted to PR