1,473 research outputs found
Availability of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) as leguminous green manure crops for organic rice in reclaimed saline land
Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) is playing an important role to improve soil physical properties and soil fertility for the supply of crop nutrients and this crop is also used as a representative legumes green manure for the production of organic agricultural food. In this study we evaluated the availability of hairy vetch in reclaimed organic rice cultivation. The response to increasing salinity was analyzed by means of the germination rate and seedling growth of hairy vetch. Results showed that seed germination of hairy vetch decreased insignificantly up to concentration of 0.6% NaCl. However, shoot and root growth of hairy vetch showed significant reduction at salinity concentrations higher than 0.1% NaCl level. In these results we were considered that hairy vetch can be use under concentration of 0.1% salinity as green manure for reclaimed saline agriculture
Effectiveness of a Virtual Reality Head-Mounted Display System-based Developmental Eye Movement Test
By transplanting the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test chart to a virtual reality head-mounted display (VR HMD) system, this study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the DEM test for measuring dynamic visual acuity.Thirty-nine adults aged 20–39 years of both genders were the subjects of the study. After undergoing measurement of their visual function, through medical questionnaire, interpupillary distance, near point of convergence (NPC), near point of accommodation (NPA), and far and near phoria, the correlation between the tests was analyzed performing DEM vertical, horizontal test and VR HMD DEM (VHD) vertical, horizontal test.NPC and NPA decreased significantly after the VHD test, while phoria did not. The horizontal was quicker than the vertical in the DEM test, and vice versa in the VHD test. DEM was quicker than VHD in both the vertical and horizontal directions. There was no notable difference in error frequency between DEM and VHD. In terms of DEM and VHD test, there was no notable difference in the short-range IPD and subjective symptoms of the top 10 and bottom 10 subjects. There was also no notable difference between the exercise and non-exercise groups and the game and non-game groups.The performance time for VHD, in which the chart must be read while moving the body, was longer than that of DEM. Therefore, based on the consistency of the results of both tests and the lack of a difference in error frequency and subjective symptoms, the VHD equipment proposed in this thesis is as effective as dynamic visual acuity measurement equipment. In addition, the lack of a difference between the exercise and non-exercise groups and the game and non-game groups demonstrated that the amount of exercise and game by an ordinary person does not influence their dynamic visual function
The Origin of Star Formation in Early-type Galaxies Inferred from Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy
We investigate the origin of star formation activity in early-type galaxies
with current star formation using spatially resolved spectroscopic data from
the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at APO (MaNGA) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey
(SDSS). We first identify star-forming early-type galaxies from the SDSS
sample, which are morphologically early-type but show current star formation
activity in their optical spectra. We then construct comparison samples with
different combinations of star formation activity and morphology, which include
star-forming late-type galaxies, quiescent early-type galaxies and quiescent
late-type galaxies. Our analysis of the optical spectra reveals that the
star-forming early-type galaxies have two distinctive episodes of star
formation, which is similar to late-type galaxies but different from quiescent
early-type galaxies with a single star formation episode. Star-forming
early-type galaxies have properties in common with star-forming late-type
galaxies, which include stellar population, gas and dust content, mass and
environment. However, the physical properties of star-forming early-type
galaxies derived from spatially resolved spectroscopy differ from those of
star-forming late-type galaxies in the sense that the gas in star-forming
early-type galaxies is more concentrated than their stars, and is often
kinematically misaligned with stars. The age gradient of star-forming
early-type galaxies also differs from those of star-forming late-type galaxies.
Our findings suggest that the current star formation in star-forming early-type
galaxies has an external origin including galaxy mergers or accretion gas from
the cosmic web.Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
Quantitative agreement of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions for domain-wall motion and spin-wave propagation
The magnetic exchange interaction is the one of the key factors governing the
basic characteristics of magnetic systems. Unlike the symmetric nature of the
Heisenberg exchange interaction, the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya
interaction (DMI) generates an antisymmetric exchange interaction which offers
challenging opportunities in spintronics with intriguing antisymmetric
phenomena. The role of the DMI, however, is still being debated, largely
because distinct strengths of DMI have been measured for different magnetic
objects, particularly chiral magnetic domain walls (DWs) and non-reciprocal
spin waves (SWs). In this paper, we show that, after careful data analysis,
both the DWs and SWs experience the same strength of DMI. This was confirmed by
spin-torque efficiency measurement for the DWs, and Brillouin light scattering
measurement for the SWs. This observation, therefore, indicates the unique role
of the DMI on the magnetic DW and SW dynamics and also guarantees the
compatibility of several DMI-measurement schemes recently proposed.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure
Exposures to Particulate Matter and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Oxidative Stress in Schoolchildren
BACKGROUND: Air pollution is known to contribute to respiratory and cardiovascular mortality, and morbidity. Oxidative stress has been suggested as one of the main mechanisms for these effects on health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of exposure to particulate matter (PM) with aerodynamic diameters <= 10 mu m (PM(10)) and <= 2.5 mu M (PM(2.5)) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on urinary malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in schoolchildren. METHODS: The study population consisted of 120 schoolchildren. The survey and measurements were conducted in four cities two in China (Ala Shan and Beijing) and two in Korea (Jeju and Seoul) between 4 and 9 June 2007. We measured daily ambient levels of PM and their metal components at the selected schools during the study period. We also measured urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) and 2-naphthol, to assess PAH exposure, and MDA, to assess oxidative stress. Measurements were conducted once a day for 5 consecutive days. We constructed a linear mixed model after adjusting for individual variables to estimate the effects of PM and PAH on oxidative stress. RESULTS: We found statistically significant increases in urinary MDA levels with ambient PM concentrations from the current day to the 2 previous days (p < 0.0001). Urinary 1-OHP level also showed a positive association with urinary MDA level, which was statistically significant with or without PM in the model (p < 0.05). Outdoor PM and urinary 1-OHP were synergistically associated with urinary MDA levels. Some metals bound to PM(10) (aluminum, iron, strontium, magnesium, silicon, arsenic, barium, zinc, copper, and cadmium) and PM(2.5) (magnesium, iron, strontium, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, aluminum, mercury, barium, and copper) also had significant associations with urinary MDA level. CONCLUSION: Exposure to PM air pollution and PAHs was associated with oxidative stress in schoolchildren.Environmental SciencesPublic, Environmental & Occupational HealthToxicologySCI(E)40ARTICLE4579-58311
Dose Weight loss and Core Exercise improve Oswestry disability index, Trunk Extensor and Flexor Muscle Strength in Obese Middle-Aged Women with Chronic Low Back Pain?
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to investigate the weight loss and isotonic core exercise on oswestry disability index (ODI), trunk extensor and flexor muscle strength in obese middle-aged women with chronic low back pain. METHODS Eighteen obese middle-aged woman with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned into weight loss + core exercise group (WL+CE, n=6), core exercise group (CE, n=6), and control group (CON, n=6). The weight loss goal was set at approximately 0.5-1 kg per week, and core exercises were conducted for 60 minutes, three times a week, for 8 weeks. Body composition (weight, % body fat, muscle mass, WHR), ODI, trunk extensor and flexor muscle strength were measured before, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after core exercise. RESULTS WHR and ODI significantly decreased at 4 and 8 weeks of exercise in both the WL+CE and CE groups compared to before exercise (p<.05, respectively). Trunk extensor muscle strength significant increased at 8 weeks after exercise compared to before exercise at 146°, 158°, 170°, and 182° in the WL+CE (p<.05, respectively), and significant increased at 8 weeks after exercise compared to before exercise at 146° and 158° in the CE (p<.05, respectively). Trunk flexor muscle strength was a significant increase at 8 weeks after exercise compared to before exercise at 146°, 158°, and 182° in the WL+CE (p<.05, respectively), and significant increase at 8 weeks after exercise compared to before exercise at 110°, 134°, 146°, and 170° in the CE (p<.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that weight loss and core exercise improve WHR, ODI, and trunk extensor and flexor muscle strength in obese middle-aged women with chronic low back pain
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