755 research outputs found
Dryland maize yields and water use efficiency in response to tillage and nutrient management practices in China
Rainfed crop production in northern China is constrained by low and variable rainfall. This study explored the effects of tillage and nutrient management practices on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and water use efficiency (WUE), at Shouyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in northern China during 2003-2008. The experiment was set-up using a split-plot design with 3 tillage methods as main treatments: conventional, reduced (till with crop residue incoperated in fall but no-till in spring), and no-till. Sub-treatments were 3 NP fertilizer rates: 105-46, 179-78 and 210-92 kg N and P ha. -1 Maize grain yields were greatly influenced by the amount of growing season rainfall, and by soil water contents at sowing. Mean grain yields over the 6-year period in response to tillage treatments were 5604, 5347 and 5185 kg ha, under reduced, no-till and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean WUE was 13.7, 13.6 and 12.6 kg ha mm under reduced, no-till, and conventional tillage, respectively. Mean soil water contents at sowing and at harvest were significantly influenced by tillage treatments. At harvest time, the no-till treatment had ~8-12% more water in the soil than the conventional and reduced tillage treatments. Under conventional tillage, grain yields increased with NP fertilizer application rates. However, under reduced tillage, grain yields were highest with lowest NP fertilizer application rate. In conclusion, grain yields and WUE were highest under reduced tillage at modest NP fertilizer application rates of 105 kg N and 46 kg P per ha. No-till increased soil water storage by 8-12% and improved WUE compared to conventional tillage
Morphology and Orientation Selection of Non-Metallic Inclusions in Electrified Molten Metal
The effect of electric current on morphology and orientation selection of non-metallic inclusions in molten metal has been investigated using theoretical modelling and numerical calculation. Two geometric factors, namely the circularity (fc) and alignment ratio (fe) were introduced to describe the inclusions shape and configuration. Electric current free energy was calculated and the values were used to determine the thermodynamic preference between different microstructures. Electric current promotes the development of inclusion along the current direction by either expatiating directional growth or enhancing directional agglomeration. Reconfiguration of the inclusions to reduce the system electric resistance drives the phenomena. The morphology and orientation selection follows the routine to reduce electric free energy. The numerical results are in agreement with our experimental observations
Structural, Magnetic and Transport Properties of B-Site Substituted Perovskite La0.7Sr0.3MnO3
In this chapter, in order to understand the structural related magnetic and transport properties of B site substituted perovskites La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO), we have systematically investigated the effects of replacing some of the Mn with nonmagnetic elements Ti, Zr, Cu, Al, Zn and magnetic elements Co, Ni, Cr, Fe. The structural, magnetic and electrical phase transitions and transport properties of these compounds were investigated by neutron diffraction, magnetization and electric resistivity measurements
Effect of nanostructuration on compressibility of cubic BN
Compressibility of high-purity nanostructured cBN has been studied under
quasi-hydrostatic conditions at 300 K up to 35 GPa using diamond anvil cell and
angle-dispersive synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. A data fit to the Vinet
equation of state yields the values of the bulk modulus B0 of 375(4) GPa with
its first pressure derivative B0' of 2.3(3). The nanometer grain size (\sim20
nm) results in decrease of the bulk modulus by ~9%
Solitons of two-component Bose-Einstein condensates modulated in space and time
In this paper we present soliton solutions of two coupled nonlinear
Schodinger equations modulated in the bspace and time. The approach allows us
to obatin solitons with large variety of solutions depending on the
nonlinearity and the potential profiles. As examples we show three cases with
soliton solution in such system, one of them with potential varying between
repulsive and attractive behavior and the others with nonlinearity localized
and delocalized, respectively.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figure
Partial teleportation of entangled atomic states
In this paper we propose a scheme for partially teleporting entangled atomic
states. Our scheme can be implemented using only four two-level atoms
interacting either resonantly or off-resonantly with a single cavity-QED. The
estimative of losses occurring during this partial teleportation process is
accomplished through the phenomenological operator approach technique.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
A batch-service queueing model with a discrete batch Markovian arrival process
Queueing systems with batch service have been investigated extensively during the past decades. However, nearly all the studied models share the common feature that an uncorrelated arrival process is considered, which is unrealistic in several real-life situations. In this paper, we study a discrete-time queueing model, with a server that only initiates service when the amount of customers in system (system content) reaches or exceeds a threshold. Correlation is taken into account by assuming a discrete batch Markovian arrival process (D-BMAP), i.e. the distribution of the number of customer arrivals per slot depends on a background state which is determined by a first-order Markov chain. We deduce the probability generating function of the system content at random slot marks and we examine the influence of correlation in the arrival process on the behavior of the system. We show that correlation merely has a small impact on the threshold that minimizes the mean system content. In addition, we demonstrate that correlation might have a significant influence on the system content and therefore has to be included in the model
Prevalent mutator genotype identified in fungal pathogen Candida glabrata promotes multi-drug resistance.
The fungal pathogen Candida glabrata has emerged as a major health threat since it readily acquires resistance to multiple drug classes, including triazoles and/or echinocandins. Thus far, cellular mechanisms promoting the emergence of resistance to multiple drug classes have not been described in this organism. Here we demonstrate that a mutator phenotype caused by a mismatch repair defect is prevalent in C. glabrata clinical isolates. Strains carrying alterations in mismatch repair gene MSH2 exhibit a higher propensity to breakthrough antifungal treatment in vitro and in mouse models of colonization, and are recovered at a high rate (55% of all C. glabrata recovered) from patients. This genetic mechanism promotes the acquisition of resistance to multiple antifungals, at least partially explaining the elevated rates of triazole and multi-drug resistance associated with C. glabrata. We anticipate that identifying MSH2 defects in infecting strains may influence the management of patients on antifungal drug therapy
Engineering a C-Phase quantum gate: optical design and experimental realization
A two qubit quantum gate, namely the C-Phase, has been realized by exploiting
the longitudinal momentum (i.e. the optical path) degree of freedom of a single
photon. The experimental setup used to engineer this quantum gate represents an
advanced version of the high stability closed-loop interferometric setup
adopted to generate and characterize 2-photon 4-qubit Phased Dicke states. Some
experimental results, dealing with the characterization of multipartite
entanglement of the Phased Dicke states are also discussed in detail.Comment: accepted for publication on EPJ
Equation of state and phonon frequency calculations of diamond at high pressures
The pressure-volume relationship and the zone-center optical phonon frequency
of cubic diamond at pressures up to 600 GPa have been calculated based on
Density Functional Theory within the Local Density Approximation and the
Generalized Gradient Approximation. Three different approaches, viz. a
pseudopotential method applied in the basis of plane waves, an all-electron
method relying on Augmented Plane Waves plus Local Orbitals, and an
intermediate approach implemented in the basis of Projector Augmented Waves
have been used. All these methods and approximations yield consistent results
for the pressure derivative of the bulk modulus and the volume dependence of
the mode Grueneisen parameter of diamond. The results are at variance with
recent precise measurements up to 140 GPa. Possible implications for the
experimental pressure determination based on the ruby luminescence method are
discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
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