594 research outputs found
Response of Three Dry Season Varieties of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) from Northern Nigeria to Different Watering Regimes
The production of commercial tomato is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors such as soil, climate and water. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to ascertain the effects of different watering regimes on the physiology of three varieties of dry season tomatoes cultivated in northern Nigeria: The Gboko variety cultivated in Benue state, the Pankshin variety cultivated in Plateau state and the Zaria variety cultivated in Kaduna state. The varieties were planted on the same day in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three varieties and five watering treatments in intervals of: one, two, four, six and eight days respectively. Analysis of variance of the physiological parameters used - leaf area and plant height of the different watering regimes indicate that they varied significantly (p>0.05) for Zaria, but not for Gboko and Pankshin. Zaria was the poorest with every eight day watering regime, whereas Gboko and Pankshin tolerated better a wide range of watering régime. Keywords: Watering regime, Tomato, variety, climate DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/84-0
Performance Modelling of Consolidated Virtual Machines
With rapid and flexible resource provisioning of virtualization in data centers, problems of determining optimal virtual machine (VM) placements and dealing with virtualization overheads have emerged due to workload fluctuations and changing needs. These challenges have impacts on system performance.In this work, a performance model based on queuing theory, statistical methods and basic theories on system performance is proposed in which the researcher models the response time distribution of an application performance metric conditioned on variables that can be measured or controlled, such as system resource utilization and allocation metrics. The research also examined the relationships between virtualized CPU allocation, CPU contention, and application response time to identify the influence of CPU allocation and how it affects system performance.Comparing estimated values with measured values, empirical result shows that the proposed model validated for all the CPU allocations in the experiments conducted. The response time increases as workload increases; it is also observed from the analysis that the response time increases with low CPU. Thus by varying the CPU allocation base on business needs, am optimal point can be reached such that the CPU can be efficiently managed
Business Planning Strategies to Sustain Hair Salons
Small businesses employ most Americans in the workforce; however, more than half of small businesses fail within the first 5 years of operation. Small business owners who lack business planning strategies are at a higher risk of failure. Grounded in the sustainable activity model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies hair salon owners used to sustain their business beyond 5 years. The participants comprised seven hair salon owners in the Southern region of the United States who successfully sustained their business beyond 5 years. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and reviews of organization documents and websites and then evaluated using Yin’s five-step data analysis process. Three themes emerged: (a) marketing, (b) cash management, and (c) creation of a good business plan. The key recommendation is for hair salon owners to establish and implement business plans to obtain funding sources to prevent business failure and sustain future growth. The implications for positive social change include the potential for hair salon owners to increase employment opportunities and increase tax revenue to enrich the community
Tidal effects and the Proximity decay of nuclei
We examine the decay of the 3.03 MeV state of Be evaporated from an
excited projectile-like fragment following a peripheral heavy-ion collision.
The relative energy of the daughter particles exhibits a dependence on
the decay angle of the Be, indicative of a tidal effect. Comparison of
the measured tidal effect with a purely Coulomb model suggests the influence of
a measurable nuclear proximity interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Vasopressin Regulates the Phosphorylation State of AMP-activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) in MDCK-C7 Cells
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a regulatory kinase coupling cellular metabolism with ion transport. Madin-Darby Canine Kidney-Clone 7 (MDCK-C7) cells possess characteristics of the renal principal cell type, express the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator and the epithelial Na(+) channel, and display NPPB and amiloride-sensitive transepithelial transport when stimulated with [Arg(8)]-vasopressin. [Arg(8)]-vasopressin binding to its receptor on the basolateral membrane of MDCK-C7 results in cAMP production, activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA), and increases in Cl(-) and Na(+) transport. Ussing-style electrophysiology showed that the PKA inhibitor, H89, blocked Cl(-) and Na(+) transport. Unexpectedly, [Arg(8)]-vasopressin stimulation resulted in the dephosphorylation of pAMPK(thr172). H89 did not prevent this, suggesting that the dephosphorylation is independent of PKA. 24 hour, but not 15 minute, incubation with the AMPK activator, AICAR, also blocked [Arg(8)]-vasopressin-stimulated currents. Contrary to previous studies, immunoblotting revealed that AICAR did not increase abundance of the active, phosphorylated form of AMPK (pAMPK(thr172)); although, AICAR treatment significantly blocked [Arg(8)]-vasopressin -stimulated cAMP production. [Arg(8)]-vasopressin still caused pAMPK(thr172) dephosphorylation in the presence of AICAR, suggesting that this effect is also independent of cAMP. In summary, these data suggest [Arg(8)]-vasopressin regulates AMPK phosphorylation and that AICAR inhibits ion transport independently of AMPK in MDCK-C7 cells
Neutron and Proton Transverse Emission Ratio Measurements and the Density Dependence of the Asymmetry Term of the Nuclear Equation of State
Recent measurements of pre-equilibrium neutron and proton transverse emission
from (112,124)Sn+(112,124)Sn reactions at 50 MeV/A have been completed at the
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. Free nucleon transverse emission
ratios are compared to those of A=3 mirror nuclei. Comparisons are made to BUU
transport calculations and conclusions concerning the density dependence of the
asymmetry term of the nuclear equation-of-state at sub-nuclear densities are
made. The double-ratio of neutron-proton ratios between two reactions is
employed as a means of reducing first-order Coulomb effects and detector
efficiency effects. Comparison to BUU model predictions indicate a density
dependence of the asymmetry energy that is closer to a form in which the
asymmety energy increases as the square root of the density for the density
region studied. A coalescent-invariant analysis is introduced as a means of
reducing suggested difficulties with cluster emission in total nucleon
emission. Future experimentation is presented
Angular momentum sharing in dissipative collisions
Light charged particles emitted by the projectile-like fragment were measured
in the direct and reverse collision of Nb and Sn at 25 AMeV. The
experimental multiplicities of Hydrogen and Helium particles as a function of
the primary mass of the emitting fragment show evidence for a correlation with
net mass transfer. The ratio of Hydrogen and Helium multiplicities points to a
dependence of the angular momentum sharing on the net mass transfer.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure
Three-body decay of Be
Three-body correlations for the ground-state decay of the lightest two-proton
emitter Be are studied both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical
studies are performed in a three-body hyperspherical-harmonics cluster model.
In the experimental studies, the ground state of Be was formed following
the decay of a C beam inelastically excited through
interactions with Be and C targets. Excellent agreement between theory and
experiment is obtained demonstrating the existence of complicated correlation
patterns which can elucidate the structure of Be and, possibly, of the
A=6 isobar.Comment: 17 pages, 21 figures, 5 table
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