Microwave energy supplied by a prototype oven prevents the spread of Fusarium wilt during the propagation of melon plantlets by seed

The re-use of propagation trays in nursery greenhouses is one of the main ways in which fusarium wilt is spread in melon crops (Cucumis melo). The causal agent of the disease is the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis. This paper reports that exposing these seed trays to the energy produced by a prototype microwave oven during the commercial production of melon plantlets can prevent the spread of this pathogen with only a very small increase in production costs

Controlled nucleation of topological defects in the stripe domain patterns of Lateral multilayers with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy: competition between magnetostatic, exchange and misfit interactions

Magnetic lateral multilayers have been fabricated on weak perpendicular magnetic anisotropy amorphous Nd-Co films in order to perform a systematic study on the conditions for controlled nucleation of topological defects within their magnetic stripe domain pattern. A lateral thickness modulation of period $w$ is defined on the nanostructured samples that, in turn, induces a lateral modulation of both magnetic stripe domain periods $\lambda$ and average in-plane magnetization component $M_{inplane}$. Depending on lateral multilayer period and in-plane applied field, thin and thick regions switch independently during in-plane magnetization reversal and domain walls are created within the in-plane magnetization configuration coupled to variable angle grain boundaries and disclinations within the magnetic stripe domain patterns. This process is mainly driven by the competition between rotatable anisotropy (that couples the magnetic stripe pattern to in-plane magnetization) and in-plane shape anisotropy induced by the periodic thickness modulation. However, as the structural period $w$ becomes comparable to magnetic stripe period $\lambda$, the nucleation of topological defects at the interfaces between thin and thick regions is hindered by a size effect and stripe domains in the different thickness regions become strongly coupled.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Anomalous Roughening in Experiments of Interfaces in Hele-Shaw Flows with Strong Quenched Disorder

We report experimental evidences of anomalous kinetic roughening in the stable displacement of an oil-air interface in a Hele-Shaw cell with strong quenched disorder. The disorder consists on a random modulation of the gap spacing transverse to the growth direction (tracks). We have performed experiments varying average interface velocity and gap spacing, and measured the scaling exponents. We have obtained beta=0.50, beta*=0.25, alpha=1.0, alpha_l=0.5, and z=2. When there is no fluid injection, the interface is driven solely by capillary forces, and a higher value of beta around beta=0.65 is measured. The presence of multiscaling and the particular morphology of the interfaces, characterized by high slopes that follow a L\'evy distribution, confirms the existence of anomalous scaling. From a detailed study of the motion of the oil--air interface we show that the anomaly is a consequence of different local velocities over tracks plus the coupling in the motion between neighboring tracks. The anomaly disappears at high interface velocities, weak capillary forces, or when the disorder is not sufficiently persistent in the growth direction. We have also observed the absence of scaling when the disorder is very strong or when a regular modulation of the gap spacing is introduced.Comment: 14 pages, 17 figure

Anthropogenic food subsidies reshape the migratory behaviour of a long-distance migrant

Bird migratory journeys are often long and hostile, requiring high energetic expenditure, and thus forcing birds to pause between migratory flights. Stopover sites allow migrants to replenish fuel reserves and rest, being crucial for the success of migration. Worldwide, the increasing accumulation of waste on landfills and rubbish dumps has been described to provide superabundant food resources for many bird species not only during the breeding and wintering seasons but also during migration, being used as stopover sites. Using GPS-tracking data of juvenile white storks (Ciconia ciconia) during their first migration from the Iberia Peninsula to the sub-Saharan wintering grounds, we uncover the effects of stopping en route on individual migratory perfor-mance. Particularly, we examine the benefits of stopping at artificial sites (landfills and rubbish dumps) when com-pared to natural stopover sites (wetlands, agricultural or desert areas) and explore the influence of anthropogenic food resources on storks' migratory strategies. Overall, white storks spent up to one-third of the migration in stopovers. We found that birds that stopped for longer periods made more detours, increasing migration duration by half a day for each stopover day. Stopping more often did not reflect on increasing in-flight energetic efficiency nor the likelihood of completing the migration. Juvenile storks used artificial sites in 80 % of the stopover days, spending 45 % less time and 10 % less energy foraging than when using natural stopovers. While stopping in landfills did not translate into differences in migratory performance, individuals in poor body condition possibly rely on these sites to improve body weight before proceed-ing, enabling them to successfully complete migration. Artificial stopover sites are attractive and likely increase the number and duration of stops for white storks. Even though the consequences of arriving late at the wintering grounds are unknown, it can lead to cascading consequences, influencing individual fitness and population dynamics.Peer reviewe

Impact of texture TDS and flavour TDS tasks and of chocolate-chip biscuit characteristics on oral processing features

[EN] The objective of the present study was to investigate differences in oral activity when biscuits of the same type but with subtle composition differences are consumed and how performing a Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) task modifies the way one eats. In addition, comparisons were made between performing a texture TDS (T-TDS) and a flavour TDS (F-TDS). Oral activity while eating biscuits with and without conducting a TDS task was recorded using a 3.dimensional motion capture system to monitor the evolution of jaw movements. The results showed that oral activity evolved over the consumption time, differed depending on the texture of the sample and was affected to a small but significant extent when a TDS task was performed simultaneously (the differences averaged < 4 cycles, 1 s in duration, 0.1 cycles/s in frequency, and 1 mm in lateral displacement). The biscuit samples were affected equally. Almost no differences were found on comparing oral activity during the execution of the T-TDS and the F-TDS tasks. Overall, the present results show differences in oral activity even for food products of the same category with subtle differences in composition. Performing TDS tasks (regardless of their modality) during sample consumption affected the total number, frequency and lateral amplitude of the chewing movements which should be taken into account for future research. However, these differences were small and affected both samples equally.The authors are grateful to the Spanish Ministry of the Economy and Competitiveness (AGL-2016-75403-R, Spain) and to the Regional Government of Valencia (Project Prometeo 2017/189, Spain) for financial support.Rizo, A.; Jimenez-Pérez, I.; Camacho-García, A.; Fiszman, S.; Pérez-Soriano, P.; Tarrega, A. (2019). Impact of texture TDS and flavour TDS tasks and of chocolate-chip biscuit characteristics on oral processing features. Food Quality and Preference. 76:109-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2019.04.005S1091177

Current density maps, magnetizability, and nuclear magnetic shielding tensors of bis-heteropentalenes. II. Furo-furan Isomers

Magnetic susceptibility and nuclear magnetic shielding at the nuclei of bis-heteropentalenes formed by two furan units ([2,3-b], [3,2-b], [3,4-b], and [3,4-c] isomers) have been computed by several approximated techniques and a large Gaussian basis set to achieve near Hartree–Fock estimates. Ab initio models of the ring currents induced by a magnetic field normal to the molecular plane were obtained for the three isomeric systems of higher symmetry, showing that the π electrons give rise to intense diamagnetic circulation. The π currents are responsible for enhanced magnetic anisotropy and strong out-of-plane proton deshielding. The theoretical findings are used to build up a “diatropicity matrix” for two fused five-membered heterocyclic [email protected] ; [email protected]

Experiments of Interfacial Roughening in Hele-Shaw Flows with Weak Quenched Disorder

We have studied the kinetic roughening of an oil--air interface in a forced imbibition experiment in a horizontal Hele--Shaw cell with quenched disorder. Different disorder configurations, characterized by their persistence length in the direction of growth, have been explored by varying the average interface velocity v and the gap spacing b. Through the analysis of the rms width as a function of time, we have measured a growth exponent beta ~= 0.5 that is almost independent of the experimental parameters. The analysis of the roughness exponent alpha through the power spectrum have shown different behaviors at short (alpha_1) and long (alpha_2) length scales, separated by a crossover wavenumber q_c. The values of the measured roughness exponents depend on experimental parameters, but at large velocities we obtain alpha_1 ~= 1.3 independently of the disorder configuration. The dependence of the crossover wavenumber with the experimental parameters has also been investigated, measuring q_c ~ v^{0.47} for the shortest persistence length, in agreement with theoretical predictions.Comment: 20 pages, 22 figure

Identification of tomato accessions as source of new genes for improving heat tolerance: from controlled experiments to field

Background: Due to global warming, the search for new sources for heat tolerance and the identification of genes involved in this process has become an important challenge as of today. The main objective of the current research was to verify whether the heat tolerance determined in controlled greenhouse experiments could be a good predictor of the agronomic performance in field cultivation under climatic high temperature stress. Results: Tomato accessions were grown in greenhouse under three temperature regimes: control (T1), moderate (T2) and extreme heat stress (T3). Reproductive traits (flower and fruit number and fruit set) were used to define heat tolerance. In a first screening, heat tolerance was evaluated in 219 tomato accessions. A total of 51 accessions were identified as being potentially heat tolerant. Among those, 28 accessions, together with 10 accessions from Italy (7) and Bulgaria (3), selected for their heat tolerance in the field in parallel experiments, were re-evaluated at three temperature treatments. Sixteen tomato accessions showed a significant heat tolerance at T3, including five wild species, two traditional cultivars and four commercial varieties, one accession from Bulgaria and four from Italy. The 15 most promising accessions for heat tolerance were assayed in field trials in Italy and Bulgaria, confirming the good performance of most of them at high temperatures. Finally, a differential gene expression analysis in pre-anthesis (ovary) and post-anthesis (developing fruit) under heat stress among pairs of contrasting genotypes (tolerant and sensitive from traditional and modern groups) showed that the major differential responses were produced in post-anthesis fruit. The response of the sensitive genotypes included the induction of HSP genes, whereas the tolerant genotype response included the induction of genes involved in the regulation of hormones or enzymes such as abscisic acid and transferases. Conclusions: The high temperature tolerance of fifteen tomato accessions observed in controlled greenhouse experiments were confirmed in agronomic field experiments providing new sources of heat tolerance that could be incorporated into breeding programs. A DEG analysis showed the complex response of tomato to heat and deciphered the different mechanisms activated in sensitive and tolerant tomato accessions under heat stress