Effect of harvest date and stalk section on selected strength characteristics of Turkish oregano (Origanum onites L)

Background: The time required to harvest plant crops is important to the plant  properties. It is affected by design of the harvest equipment and the desire for high-quality products with low energy usage.Materials and Methods: Strength characteristics of Origanum onites L., an important medicinal aromatic plant, harvested on 2, 9, 16 and 23 July, 2012–2014 (H1, H2, H3 and H4, respectively) were measured at the bottom and top sections of the stalk. Measurements included maximum force, bio-yield force, shearing force, bending stress, shearing stress, shearing energy, and shearing deformation.Results: The highest maximum force (35.17 N) was at H4 on the bottom section, and the lowest was at H1 on the top. Maximum values for bioyield force, shearing force, and bending stress were at H4 on the bottom section, and corresponding minimum values were at H1 on the top section. Shearing stress decreased at successive harvest dates for both stalk sections. The minimum shearing energy was at H4, (0.13 J and 0.06 J for bottom and top, respectively). Strength measurements for bottom sections of the stalk were greater than those for top sections.Conclusion: When reduced harvesting force is needed because of harvester design or harvest procedures, harvesting near the top of the stalk is recommended.Key words: harvest date, Origanum onites, mechanization means, shearing stress, stalks strength

Embryonic regulation of histone ubiquitination the sea urchin

We have used quantitative 2-D protein electrophoresis and immunoprecipitation to study the patterns of histone ubiquitination at 10 h and 36 h of embryonic development in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Variants csH2A, ΑH2A, ΒH2A, ΓH2A, ΔHA, H2AF./Z, ΑH2B, ΒH2B, and ΓH2B showed up to sevenfold differences in level of monoubiquitination between variants, and individual variants showed up to sixfold changes during development. At 36 h of embryogenesis, the late variants were less ubiquitinated than the early variants, althoug h the overall level of ubiquitination was appreciably greater than at 10 h. Antiubiquitin antibodies were used to precipitate formaldehyde-fixed chromatin fragments in order to estimate the degree of ubiquitination of the early histone genes. The 5′ regulatory region of the active H3 gene appeared to be at least twice as ubiquitinated as the adjacent upstream spacer. However, the absolute level of ubiquitination of the early histone gene repeat seemed to be independent of transcriptional activity. These results show that variant-specific ubiquitination of histones is a part of the developmental program in sea urchin embryos, but is not clearly correlated with transcriptional activity of the early histone genes, except perhaps in the regulatory regions. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/50179/1/1020160308_ftp.pd

Weed Control by Chemical and Mechanical Means

Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Grass silage thickening technology using centrifugal undirected action vibrator

A vibratory device to thicken silage was designed and tested, experimental research was carried out using the device for thickening chopped mass of red clover and maize. Dependences of grass mass density variation on duration of thickening by the device and dependences of relative grass pressure on vibration frequency have been examined and assessed. The research has showed that during vibratory thickening grass layer thickens intensively for 5-10 min and this vibrator is advisable for thickening grass layers of 0.5-0.6 m thickness. After investigation of dependence of grass thickening and grass comparative pressure on vibration frequency it was established that most effectively vibrator works at 43.96 s-1 frequency. Consequently, it is reasonable to thicken grass using undirected action vibrator at the mentioned frequency or close to it. Experimental research has established that red clover density of 350 kg/m3 can be achieved by centrifugal-undirected action vibrator. That is insufficient density for grass silage. This vibrator is much more efficient for maize thickening when nearly double mass density is achieved. Therefore, this type of vibrator is advisable for thickening of big stems plants such as maize and its mixture with red clover. It was established, that thickening of maize – Caucasian goat’s rue (Galega orientalis Lam.) mix (2:1 ratio) by undirected action vibrator – after 20 min of thickening (2×60 kg) gave 425 kg/m3 and 124 kg/m3 of dry matter density respectively. It is not sufficient density for grass thickening. Such vibrator is much more efficient in thickening maize, it reaches bigger mass density – 730 kg/m3 and 223 kg/m3 of dry matter. On the grounds of the research results it can be stated that the vibratory thickener of investigated design (undirected action vibrator) is reasonable to use in thickening maize and maize-red clover mixture. This vibrator is not suitable for thickening of red clover, Caucasian goat’s rue and maize-Caucasian goat’s rue mixtur

Determination of internal service quality in a sport organization: the case of "Kaunas Žalgiris" football club

The internal service quality in an organization is a particularly important factor that determines not only the internal users (employee) satisfaction, but also their loyalty to the organization and their performance. The aim of the study is to determine the internal service quality in "Kaunas Žalgiris" football club. Methods: A qualitative methodological approach, semi-structured indepth interviews (non-probabilistic targeting). The study showed that different recipients of internal services receive services of different quality. Coaches, men's football team players, administration and service staff receive the highest quality internal services. The lowest quality internal services are received by those who do not generate income for the club - women's and youth football teams. The club should ensure that all resources are available to all football teams belonging to the club. Although "Kaunas Žalgiris" football club has created an entire pyramid for the education of young footballers, it faces a lack of loyalty from them due to quality problems of internal services provided. It is recommended that "Kaunas Žalgiris" football club solve the problems of internal service quality and develop a strategy aimed at promoting the loyalty and pride of youth teams in belonging to "Kaunas Žalgiris" organization

EFFECT OF HARVEST DATE AND STALK SECTION ON SELECTED STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS OF TURKISH OREGANO (ORIGANUM ONITES L)

Background: The time required to harvest plant crops is important to the plant properties. It is affected by design of the harvest equipment and the desire for high-quality products with low energy usage. Materials and Methods: Strength characteristics of Origanum onites L., an important medicinal aromatic plant, harvested on 2, 9, 16 and 23 July, 2012–2014 (H1, H2, H3 and H4, respectively) were measured at the bottom and top sections of the stalk. Measurements included maximum force, bio-yield force, shearing force, bending stress, shearing stress, shearing energy, and shearing deformation. Results: The highest maximum force (35.17 N) was at H4 on the bottom section, and the lowest was at H1 on the top. Maximum values for bio-yield force, shearing force, and bending stress were at H4 on the bottom section, and corresponding minimum values were at H1 on the top section. Shearing stress decreased at successive harvest dates for both stalk sections. The minimum shearing energy was at H4, (0.13 J and 0.06 J for bottom and top, respectively). Strength measurements for bottom sections of the stalk were greater than those for top sections. Conclusion: When reduced harvesting force is needed because of harvester design or harvest procedures, harvesting near the top of the stalk is recommended

Research on herbaceous plants compaction in container stores using vibrating compactors

Direct-action and indirect-action vibrators for compaction of silage in container stores were built for experimental trials. Experimental results indicated that during vibrating compaction the grass layer was compacted intensely for 5-10 min. Therefore, vibrators of this type are suggested for compacting grass layers with thicknesses of 0.5-0.6 m. The determination of comparative pressure as a function of vibration frequency showed that the most effective frequency was 43.96 Hz during the direct-action vibrator compaction of grass. This relationship was determined experimentally by measuring the pressure caused by the vibrator and the effective power while compacting the grass mass in a container. The pressure increase coefficient varied over a wide range of 1.5-6.8. It was established that a centrifugal indirect-action vibrator works well to compact chopped maize (a bulk density of up to 730 kg m-3 was achieved) and works to some extent for mixtures of Caucasian goat’s rue (Galegaorientalis Lam.) and red clover (Trifoliumpratense L.). This vibrator is not suitable for compacting either pure red clover or pure Caucasian goat’s rue because the compacted densities were only 260-350 and 225-280 kg/m3, respectively. Similar studies were performed using a direct-action vibrator, and similar fodder compaction results were obtained. These vibratory silage compaction methods can be recommended for small farms. Vibrating devices are useful on herbaceous plants with large stems (e.g., maize) and are somewhat useful for mixtures including such herbaceous plants when compacting in stores

Vibration and noise measurements during silage thickening with inertia directional vibrator

Literature review and performed theoretical investigation indicates that it is environmentally and economically feasible for small and average size farms to use vibrational thickening method for silage preparation. However, the results need to be verified with experiments. This research work provides analysis and evaluation of flat surface inertia type vibrator, in which the excitation force is induced by turning the unbalanced mass. Directed action vibrator was manufactured and tested. Results indicate that application of inertia directional vibrator for thickening of finely chopped corn and Jerusalem artichoke stalk mixture, after 40 minutes thickening, allows to obtain a 114.6 kg m-3 density for both layers, while thickening the first 65 kg mass mixture layer after 10 minutes - a 197.9 kg m-3 density. Dry material densities correspond to 61.5 and 106.3 kg m-3 respectively. After examination of fodder quality it was determined that corn mixture silage, thickened by the inertia directional vibrator, satisfies highgrade silage requirements. Performed tests demonstrated that the effect of vibrations on whole body and the measured noise levels do not have detrimental effect on human health and the established acceptable limits are not exceeded while operating the inertia directional vibrator. The vibrator is suitable for silage preparation since it does not contaminate the fodder with dirt and gasoline products during operation. The proposed silage preparation method provides opportunities to use ecologically safe containers as well as sectional and other types of enclosure

Krūtinės angos sindromas

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a symptom complex caused by compression of the brachial plexus, subclavian artery and/or vein at the level where these neurovascular structures pass from neck and thorax to upper extremity. Although it is not an uncommon disorder, unlike other peripheral compressive neuropathies in the upper extremity (median and ulnar nerve), thoracic outlet syndrome is usually undiagnosed. The pathology is caused by neck trauma, anatomical fibromuscular abnormalities in the thoracic outlet, repetitive stress injuries. Due to the anatomical peculiarities, the clinical presentation is distinguished by a huge variety of symptoms. Based on prevailing symptoms, thoracic outlet syndrome can be classified into 3 types: neurogenic, arterial and venous. Compression of the vessels alone occurs in only about 5% of cases. The main subjects of discussion are diagnosis and treatment. A reliable and objective diagnostic method is being searched for, according to which it would be possible to simply differentiate from other disorders with similar symptoms. In most of the cases the disorder cannot be seen using the visualisation methods or measured electrophysiologically, therefore some medical specialists do not acknowledge its presence. There is also a lot of controversy surrounding the treatment strategy. Although in literature the first rib resection is widely recommended as a way of operative decompression, other technically less complex surgical interventions are also of high efficiency.In this review, the literature data are summarised and supplemented with broad personal experience (reaching almost up to 600 cases). The attention is drawn to clinical peculiarities, which are not highlighted or not mentioned at all by other authors.The history of the term “thoracic outlet syndrome” is provided, relevant anatomical features, etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation and commonly used diagnostic and treatment methods are discussed.Krūtinės angos sindromas (KAS) (angl. thoracic outlet syndrome, TOS) – tai visuma simptomų, kuriuos sukelia petinio nervų rezginio, poraktinės arterijos ir (ar) venos suspaudimas pereinant iš kaklo ir krūtinės į viršutinę galūnę. Nors yra gana paplitęs, palyginti su kitomis periferinėmis viršutinės galūnės neuropatijomis (vidurinio ar alkūninio nervo), krūtinės angos sindromas yra dažnai nediagnozuojamas. Patologiją sukelia kaklo trauma, anatominės fibromuskulinių struktūrų anomalijos krūtinės angos srityje, fizinio krūvio nulemti minkštųjų audinių pokyčiai. Dėl anatomijos ypatumų ši kompresija pasireiškia itin įvairiai. Pagal vyraujančius simptomus išskiriami trys krūtinės angos sindromo tipai: neurogeninis, arterinis ir veninis. Izoliuota kraujagyslių kompresija pasitaiko retai – apie 5 % atvejų. Pagrindiniai diskusijų objektai – diagnostika ir gydymas. Ieškoma patikimo ir objektyvaus diagnostinio metodo, kuriuo remiantis būtų galima nesudėtingai atskirti nuo panašia simptomatika pasireiškiančių patologinių būklių. Daugeliu atvejų patologijos neįmanoma nustatyti vaizdiniais ar išmatuoti elektrofiziologiniais tyrimais, taigi kai kurie specialistai nenori pripažinti jos egzistavimo. Dėl gydymo strategijos – taip pat daug prieštaravimų. Nors dažniausiai literatūros šaltiniuose rekomenduojamas chirurginis metodas yra pirmojo šonkaulio rezekcija, kitos techniškai paprastesnės intervencijos taip pat veiksmingos.Šioje apžvalgoje apibendrinami literatūros duomenys, kurie papildomi gausia (šių operacijų skaičius 2015 metais pasiekė beveik 600) asmenine patirtimi. Atkreipiamas dėmesys į klinikinius ypatumus, kurių neakcentuoja ar išvis nemini užsienio autoriai. Pateikiama krūtinės angos sindromo termino atsiradimo istorija, reikšmingi anatomijos ypatumai, aptariama etiopatogenezė, klinikinė išraiška bei dažniausiai praktikoje naudojami diagnostikos ir gydymo metodai

Impact of sustainable tillage on biophysical properties of Planosol and on faba bean yield

Decreased tillage intensity can contribute to a reduced agro-technological footprint and stabilise the negative impact of climate change, especially in leguminous crop cultivation. For this reason, a long-term (since 1988) stationary field experiment has been performed on silty loam Planosol (in Lithuania). The main objective of this study was to establish the influence of sustainable tillage and no-tillage systems on soil aggregate stability to water, penetration resistance, enzymatic activity, abundance of earthworm and faba bean grain yield. Five different tillage systems were investigated: conventional deep and shallow mouldboard ploughing, deep chiselling, shallow disking and no-tillage. No-tillage in faba bean cultivation significantly increased soil structural stability by 40–97%, saccharase content by 0.7–2.0 times, urease activity by 3–4 times, the average quantity of earthworm by 55% and the biomass by 3.6 times. The impact of other ploughless tillage systems on soil properties was positive but not as significant. Faba bean grain yield was more influenced by growing seasons than by different tillage methods