CHARACTERIZATION OF SALT AND DROUGHT TOLERANCE IN SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus L.)

Consequent to the increasing world population, food sources are needed to be increased to meet the nutritional needs. However, due to natural processes and agricultural activities, the most destructive environmental factors that limit crop production, soil salinity, and drought-exposed areas are growing. As one of the major oilseed crops, sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), is considered to be moderately tolerant to salt and drought. Although it can grow in arid to semi-arid regions, increasing salinity and drought might adversely affect sunflower production. This study aimed to investigate several sunflower germplasms\u27 morphological responses to salt and drought stresses. For this purpose, greenhouse and field trials were conducted at University of Nebraska-Lincoln facilities during 2020-2021. For the greenhouse salinity experiment, germplasms PI 539899, PI 539900, PI 539901, PI 539902, PI 539903, and PI 599984 were used and exposed to three different salt concentrations (0, 150, and 250 mM). In addition, PI 632338/HA 429 and PI 632339/HA 430 were tested for drought response under three different irrigation levels for drought experiments in both greenhouse and field. For the greenhouse, treatments consisted of full irrigation (2L/pot), limited irrigation of 50% (1L/pot), 25% irrigation (.5L/pot), and while for the field, full irrigation treatment (FIT), limited irrigation treatment (LIT), and rain-fed (RF) treatments were applied. In the greenhouse experiments, while the plant height was observed as the highest under the 150 mM salinity treatment, it was seen in the 50% irrigation treatment for the drought experiment. The salt treatment effect was significant with the Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD), and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) with a downward trend over time, and canopy temperature showed an upward trend for salinity and drought trials. In the field experiment, irrigation treatments were not found significant for over time data, however, the effect of time was significant in all data sets, while the germplasm effect and its interaction on canopy temperature, and NDVI was significant. In the salinity experiment, the treatment effect was found to be significant for dry root and shoot weight, while only the germplasm effect was found statistically significant for dry head weight. Different irrigation treatments for the greenhouse drought experiment were only significant for dry shoot weight and head weight. In the field trial, the highest values for head diameter, head weight, whole seed weight g/head, and hundred seed weight were observed in full-irrigated plants. Post-harvest data for the field experiment, different irrigation applications significantly affected the oil amount, and not the crude protein and fatty acids composition. This study indicated that there are differences in genotypes\u27 response to both drought and salinity that could be used for sunflower improvement. Advisor: Ismail Dweika

Stress relaxation and mechanical properties of RL-1973 and PD-200-16 silicone resin sponge materials

Stress relaxation tests were conducted by loading specimens in double-lap shear to a preselected strain level and monitoring the decay of stress with time. The stress relaxation response characteristics were measured over a temperature range of 100 to 300 K and four strain levels. It is concluded that only a slight amount of stress relaxation was observed, and the stiffness increased approximately two orders of magnitude over the range of temperatures

Retrospective ınvestigation of ınpatients with urinary ınfection in an university medical center

Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Arastırma ve Uygulama Hastanesi Infeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Klinigi'nde yatırılarak tedavi edilen üriner sistem infeksiyonlu hastalar geriye dönük olarak incelenerek tanı ve tedavi yaklasımlarınındegerlendirilmesi amaçlandı. Adnan Menderes Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Arastırma ve Uygulama Hastanesi Infeksiyon Hastalıkları ve Klinik Mikrobiyoloji Klinigi'nde 01.01.200101.01.2009 tarihleri arasında yatırılarak tedavi edilen 73'ü kadın (%68,2), 34'ü erkek (%31,8) toplam 107 hasta geriye dönük olarak degerlendirildi. Hastalarda en sık rastlanılan belirtiler ates, dizüri ve kostavertebral açı hassasiyeti olarak saptandı. Alınan idrar kültürlerinde %68.2, kan kültürlerinde ise % 35.7 oranında üreme saptandı. Idrar ve kan kültürlerinde en sık üreyen mikroorganizma . Hastaların 79'unda (%74,7) tedaviye empirik olarak, diger hastalara ise (n=27 %25,3) kültür-antibiyogram sonucu ile baslanmıstı. Empirik tedavide birinci seçenek olarak seftriaksonun (n=65, %83) kullanıldıgı tespit edildi. Çalısmamızda tedaviye empirik olarak baslama oranının yüksek oldugu dikkatimizi çekmistir. Bu durumun düzeltilebilmesi için empirik tedavi baslama ölçütlerinin belirlenmesi önemlidir.It was aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to urinary infections by retrospectively investigating the data belonged to inpatients with urinary infection treated in the clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology ofAdnan Menderes University Medical Center. 107 patients (73 female and 34 male) treated in the Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology of Adnan Menderes University Medical Center between 01.01.2001 and 01.01.2009 were retrospectively investigated. The most commonly observed symptoms in the patients were fever, dysuria and costovertebral angle tenderness. Germinal reproduction was detected in the urinary and blood cultures in a ratio of 68.2% and 35.7%, respectively. was the most commonly detected microorganism in the blood and urine cultures. While 74.7 % of the patients (n=79) were treated by empiric antibiotics due to urgency, 25,3 % of the patients were treated based on culture and antibiogram results. Ceftriaxone was the first choice in the empiric treatment (n=65; 83%). We observed that the rate of starting to therapy empirically was higher. That's why it is important to determine the starting criteria of empiric treatment

Laboratory Development of Third/Fourth Generation Sulphlex Binders

Study No. 7208This report presents the findings of a 2-year, multitask study to provide a new generation of Sulphlex binders with enhanced low-temperature fracture resistance. The initial phases of the program dealt with the preparation and base-line characterization of Sulphlex 233 and 198, First and Second Generation Sulphlex, respectively, considered the more promising of a broad series of formulations developed under earlier Federal Highway Administration programs. These binders were prepared individually and blended at ratios of 50/50 and 75/25 (198/233) and designated as Third Generation Sulphlex. The former was prepared by directly blending the two binders as well as by a one-pot synthesis. These binders were subjected to a series of screening tests including (a) Penetration @ 25 deg C, (b) Viscosity @ 135 deg C, (c) Specific Gravity, (d) Solubility in CHCl3, (e) Storage Stability, and (f) Glass Transition temperature. A "new and improved" Sulphlex binder designated as Fourth Generation was formulated utilizing the rationale derived from the earlier systems. Sulphlex mixtures along with a control using an AC-20 asphalt were prepared using a crushed limestone aggregate and tested in accordance with Asphalt Aggregate Mixture Analysis System (AAMAS), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP or Superpave), and Viscoelastic Systems (VESYS) procedures including (a) Indirect Tension, (b) Diametral Resilient Modulus, (c) IDT Creep, (d) Compressive Creep, (e) Unconfined Compression, (f) Repeated Load Permanent Deformation, and (g) Aging using Resilient Modulus. A set of generic manufacturing plans and procedures were generated for the production of Sulphlex in sufficient quantity to satisfy the requirements of an hypothetical test road section

Environmental and Safety Aspects of the Use of Sulfur in Highway Pavements - Volume I - Evaluation of Environmental and Safety Hazards

DOT-FH-11-9457The use of sulfur in highway paving mixtures has introduced questions regarding the pollutants generated, their environmental impact and the safety aspects associated with mix preparation and placement. This report presents the results of an investigation in which these factors are assessed. The study considered the safety and environmental aspects of storage and handling, formulation, construction, operation and maintenance of highway pavements containing sulfur. These considerations included possible evolution of toxic and obnoxious fumes, dust and runoffs. Results of tests simulating in-service conditions such as traffic wear, skidding, freeze thaw, spills and fires are also discussed. The effects of these pollutants on humans, soils, highway structural materials, ground waters and vegetation is presented. Along with the laboratory study a detailed work plan which discusses methods and equipment for monitoring potential emissions and pollutants and recommended safety practices was generated. An annotated bibliography dealing with the safety and environmental effects on sulfur-modified paving materials was also prepared. The final report was prepared in three volumes: Volume I - Evaluation of Environmental and Safety Hazards; Volume II - Field Evaluation Plan and Volume III - Annotated Bibliography

Extension and Replacement of Asphalt Cement with Sulfur - Executive Summary

DOT-FH-11-8799The potential shortage of asphalt cement and oversupply of sulfur make it advantageous to reduce to dependence of the paving industry upon asphalt cement while utilizing readily available sulfur. This report presents the results of an investigation of the use of elemental sulfur as a partial replacement and/or extender of asphalt cement in highway paving mixtures. Physical properties of numerous combinations of sulfur-asphalt emulsions were determined. Various aggregates, asphalt cements, and sulfur were tested in a series of laboratory screening tests utilizing nine independent design variables. Characterization tests were performed on selected combinations of aggregate, asphalt and sulfur utilizing three different mixing methods. The resulting relationships between response characteristics, mixture compositions, and design variables were programmed into the Texas FPS-BISTRO and VESYS IIM design programs. Texas FPS-BISTRO screened a number of design combinations to find the optimum combinations. VESYS IIM was used to evaluate performance of selected optimum pavements. The studies indicate that the addition of sulfur to asphaltic concrete can produce pavements which are more economical with performance characteristics equal or superior to conventional asphaltic concrete pavements

Ecology and genomics of an important crop wild relative as a prelude to agricultural innovation

Domesticated species are impacted in unintended ways during domestication and breeding. Changes in the nature and intensity of selection impart genetic drift, reduce diversity, and increase the frequency of deleterious alleles. Such outcomes constrain our ability to expand the cultivation of crops into environments that differ from those under which domestication occurred. We address this need in chickpea, an important pulse legume, by harnessing the diversity of wild crop relatives. We document an extreme domestication-related genetic bottleneck and decipher the genetic history of wild populations. We provide evidence of ancestral adaptations for seed coat color crypsis, estimate the impact of environment on genetic structure and trait values, and demonstrate variation between wild and cultivated accessions for agronomic properties. A resource of genotyped, association mapping progeny functionally links the wild and cultivated gene pools and is an essential resource chickpea for improvement, while our methods inform collection of other wild crop progenitor species

Sulfur-coated asphalt pellets

A new composition is disclosed which comprises pellets of asphalt coated with a solid layer of sulfur. The sulfur shell provides a meltable container for the asphalt core while protecting it from contact with the atmosphere. The relative quantities of sulfur and asphalt in the pellets of the invention may be varied over a wide range to provide sulfur-to-asphalt ratios commonly used in both sulfur-asphalt-sand mixes and sulfur-extended asphalt binders. The advantages of pelletizing are virtual elimination of the danger of dealing with hot materials and significant reduction in energy costs associated with keeping asphalt and sulfur hot and pumpable. To produce an asphalt paving mix, the sulfur-coated asphalt pellets may simply be mixed with heated aggregate.U