332 research outputs found
Resistance in sorghum to shoot fly Atherigona soccata: Evidence for the source of leaf surface wetness
Leaf surface wetness (LSW) of the central whorl leaf of sorghum seedlings has been associated with susceptibility to shoot fly. Previous physical and physiological evidence suggested that LSW originates from the plant. This was confirmed by radioactive labelling methods using tritium and carbon-14. Tritiated water applied to the soil of potted seedlings was translocated to the surface of the whorl leaf. There were significant differences in the amount of tritiated water collected from susceptible (CSH 5) and resistant (IS 18551) genotypes. Studies with carbon-14 labelling of sorghum seedlings indicated the presence of (small amounts of) solutes in the surface water that may affect larval movement and survival
Justice at Sea: Fishersâ politics and marine conservation in coastal Odisha, India
This is a paper about the politics of fishing rights in and around the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in coastal Odisha, in eastern India. Claims to the resources of this sanctuary are politicised through the creation of a particularly damaging narrative by influential Odiya environmental actors about Bengalis, as illegal immigrants who have hurt the ecosystem through their fishing practices. Anchored within a theoretical framework of justice as recognition, the paper considers the making of a regional Odiya environmentalism that is, potentially, deeply exclusionary. It details how an argument about âillegal Bengalisâ depriving âindigenous Odiyasâ of their legitimate âtraditional fishing rightsâ derives from particular notions of indigeneity and territory. But the paper also shows that such environmentalism is tenuous, and fits uneasily with the everyday social landscape of fishing in coastal Odisha. It concludes that a wider class conflict between small fishers and the state over a sanctuary sets the context in which questions about legitimate resource rights are raised, sometimes with important effects, like when out at sea
Au/TiO2(110) interfacial reconstruction stability from ab initio
We determine the stability and properties of interfaces of low-index Au
surfaces adhered to TiO2(110), using density functional theory energy density
calculations. We consider Au(100) and Au(111) epitaxies on rutile TiO2(110)
surface, as observed in experiments. For each epitaxy, we consider several
different interfaces: Au(111)//TiO2(110) and Au(100)//TiO2(110), with and
without bridging oxygen, Au(111) on 1x2 added-row TiO2(110) reconstruction, and
Au(111) on a proposed 1x2 TiO reconstruction. The density functional theory
energy density method computes the energy changes on each of the atoms while
forming the interface, and evaluates the work of adhesion to determine the
equilibrium interfacial structure.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figure
Alternate cytoplasms and apomixis of sorghum and pearl millet
Cytoplasmic-nuclear male sterility (CAdS) has been an important factor in the
improvement o f sorghum and pearl millet by increasing yield, expanding production,
and stimulatingresearch and breeding. The identification o f alternate sterility-inducing
cytoplasms and their emerging deployment hold promise for further advances. Current
research to determine the cause and control o f CMS in these species could lead to
greater efficiency and effectiveness in using CMS to select parents andproduce hybrids.
Apomixis, although not now used with either sorghum or pearl millet, has the
potential to be as important as male sterility in these species. Potential sources have
been identified and research is in progress on characterization, introgression, and
enhancement. The ability to perpetuate hybrid vigor by self-pollination could be very
important in some o f the major sorghum and millet growing areas
Companions of Stars: From Other Stars to Brown Dwarfs to Planets: The Discovery of the First Methane Brown Dwarf
The discovery of the first methane brown dwarf provides a framework for
describing the important advances in both fundamental physics and astrophysics
that are due to the study of companions of stars. I present a few highlights of
the history of this subject along with details of the discovery of the brown
dwarf Gliese 229B. The nature of companions of stars is discussed with an
attempt to avoid biases induced by anthropocentric nomenclature. With the newer
types of remote reconnaissance of nearby stars and their systems of companions,
an exciting and perhaps even more profound set of contributions to science is
within reach in the near future. This includes an exploration of the diversity
of planets in the universe and perhaps soon the first solid evidence for
biological activity outside our Solar System.Comment: 31 pages, 13 figure
Trick or treat? Muslim Thangals, psychologisation and pragmatic realism in Northern Kerala, India
Thangals are an endogamous community in Kerala, India, of Yemeni heritage who claim direct descent from the Prophet Muhammadâs family. Due to their sacrosanct status, many thangals work as religious healers and thus are part of the informal mental health care system in Northern Kerala. Using the case of one thangal healer as an illustration of the many ritual healers in Kerala who engage the modern discourse of psychology in their practices, I argue that the psychologisation of ritual healing is part of a wider trend: the increasing rationalisation and scientification of traditional medical practices, whereby an increasing number of traditional healers negotiate science, modernity and religion and position their practice within these contested fields. Based on the analysis of this thangalâs healing practice in the local context of Northern Kerala, I further argue that in order to understand âritualâ healing, scholars should emphasise pragmatic realism more than doctrinal purity
Introduction: reconsidering the region in India: mobilities, actors and development politics
In this introduction to a special issue on âReconsidering the Region in Indiaâ, we aim to develop a synthetic and theoretically nuanced account of the multifarious ways in which the idea of region has been imbricated in diverse spatial, political, cultural and socio-economic configurations. We draw from various bodies of anthropological, geographic and historical literature to elaborate on three themes that we believe are central to understanding contemporary processes of region-making in India: trans-regional mobilities and connections; the actors who produce and perform regional imaginaries; and changing regional politics of development.IS
Tuning of strain and surface roughness of porous silicon layers for higher-quality seeds for epitaxial growth
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