Improvement of infrared single-photon detectors absorptance by integrated plasmonic structures

Plasmonic structures open novel avenues in photodetector development. Optimized illumination configurations are reported to improve p-polarized light absorptance in superconducting-nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) comprising short- and long-periodic niobium-nitride (NbN) stripe-patterns. In OC-SNSPDs consisting of ~quarter-wavelength dielectric layer closed by a gold reflector the highest absorptance is attainable at perpendicular incidence onto NbN patterns in P-orientation due to E-field concentration at the bottom of nano-cavities. In NCAI-SNSPDs integrated with nano-cavity-arrays consisting of vertical and horizontal gold segments off-axis illumination in S-orientation results in polar-angle-independent perfect absorptance via collective resonances in short-periodic design, while in long-periodic NCAI-SNSPDs grating-coupled surface waves promote EM-field transportation to the NbN stripes and result in local absorptance maxima. In NCDAI-SNSPDs integrated with nano-cavity-deflector-array consisting of longer vertical gold segments large absorptance maxima appear in 3p-periodic designs due to E-field enhancement via grating-coupled surface waves synchronized with the NbN stripes in S-orientation, which enable to compensate fill-factor-related retrogression.United States. Dept. of Energy (Frontier Research Centers

Root morphology and seed and leaf ionomic traits in a Brassica napus L. diversity panel show wide phenotypic variation and are characteristic of crop habit

Background: Mineral nutrient uptake and utilisation by plants are controlled by many traits relating to root morphology, ion transport, sequestration and translocation. The aims of this study were to determine the phenotypic diversity in root morphology and leaf and seed mineral composition of a polyploid crop species, Brassica napus L., and how these traits relate to crop habit. Traits were quantified in a diversity panel of up to 387 genotypes: 163 winter, 127 spring, and seven semiwinter oilseed rape (OSR) habits, 35 swede, 15 winter fodder, and 40 exotic/unspecified habits. Root traits of 14 d old seedlings were measured in a ‘pouch and wick’ system (n = ~24 replicates per genotype). The mineral composition of 3–6 rosette-stage leaves, and mature seeds, was determined on compost-grown plants from a designed experiment (n = 5) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: Seed size explained a large proportion of the variation in root length. Winter OSR and fodder habits had longer primary and lateral roots than spring OSR habits, with generally lower mineral concentrations. A comparison of the ratios of elements in leaf and seed parts revealed differences in translocation processes between crop habits, including those likely to be associated with crop-selection for OSR seeds with lower sulphur-containing glucosinolates. Combining root, leaf and seed traits in a discriminant analysis provided the most accurate characterisation of crop habit, illustrating the interdependence of plant tissues. Conclusions: High-throughput morphological and composition phenotyping reveals complex interrelationships between mineral acquisition and accumulation linked to genetic control within and between crop types (habits) in B. napus. Despite its recent genetic ancestry (<10 ky), root morphology, and leaf and seed composition traits could potentially be used in crop improvement, if suitable markers can be identified and if these correspond with suitable agronomy and quality traits

Valores de energia metabolizável de alimentos para pintos de corte na fase pré-inicial Metabolizable energy values of feedstuffs for young chickens from pre-initial phase

Um experimento foi realizado no Setor de Avicultura da Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), com duração de 6 dias, para determinar os valores energéticos de fontes protéicas para pintos de corte na fase pré-inicial. Utilizaram-se 480 pintos machos, Cobb, com 1 dia de idade que foram submetidos à metodologia de coleta total de excretas e distribuídos em 9 tratamentos com 6 repetições. Os tratamentos foram compostos por 4 alimentos protéicos de origem vegetal (farelo de soja, soja integral tostada, soja micronizada e farelo de glúten de milho) que substituíram a ração referência (RR) em 30% e 4 alimentos protéicos de origem animal (farinha de carne e ossos 40% e 45% de PB, farinha de peixe e farinha de vísceras), que substituíram a RR em 20%. Simultaneamente, 6 repetições de 8 aves foram colocadas em jejum para a determinação das perdas endógenas. As variáveis estudadas foram energia metabolizável aparente (EMA), verdadeira (EMV) e as EMA e EMV corrigidas para balanço de nitrogênio (EMAn, EMVn). Os alimentos de origem vegetal obtiveram valores de energia inferiores aos obtidos nas tabelas usuais de composição dos alimentos e os alimentos de origem animal, valores superiores.<br>An experiment was conducted in the Poultry Farm Sector of the Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) with 6 days period duration to determine the energy values in protein sources for broiler chickens in the pre-initial phase. A total of 480 male chickens from Cobb line with one day old were submitted to the method of total excreta collection, allotted to nine treatments with six replicates each. The experimental unit consisted of eight chickens. The treatments were: 1- reference diet (RD); 2- RD with the addition of soybean meal; 3- RD with the addition of toasted soybean meal; 4- RD with the addition of micronized soybean meal; 5- RD with corn gluten meal; 6- RD with meat and bone meal 40; 7 - RD meat and bone meal 45; 8 - RD with fish meat; 9- RD with viscera meal. The protein feeds from vegetal by-products replaced RD by 30% and the protein feeds from animal by-product replaced by 20%. Simultaneously, six replicates of 8 chickens were placed in fasting to determine endogenous losses. The analyzed variables were the values of apparent metabolizable energy (AME), true metabolizable energy (TME) and the nitrogen balance corrected AME and TME (AMEn and TMEn, respectively). The protein feeds from vegetal by-products shown ME decresead in relation to usually table of the feed composition table and the protein feeds from animal by-products shown higher values than those cited in the current literature or feed tables