The development and application of a technique for continuous measurements of plant elongation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Botany at Massey University

The development of an auxanometer capable of detecting 0.67 um increments in plant elongation and its application to the study of hypocotyl elongation in intact Lupinus angustifolius seedlings is described. A displacement transducer, in conjunction with a carrier wave oscillator-demodulator and a digital voltmeter, was utilised to detect changes in length of the elongating hypocotyls of four day old lupin seedlings. The design of a root bathing solution chamber and environmental control chamber is outlined. With the aid of these two chambers the following environmental parameters could be varied independently:- temperature, water potential and aeration of the root bathing solution; temperature, relative humidity, and gaseous composition of the environment; composition and intensity of light within the environmental chamber. Problems encountered in effecting rapid changes of these parameters are discussed. The viability of the auxanometer as an effective tool for plant growth research was tested by its application to the study of growth rates under a variety of environmental changes. Short term growth responses of lupin hypocotyls to changes in relative humidity, root temperature, and osmotic potential of the root bathing solution, plus exposure to anaerobic nitrogen and carbon dioxide atmospheres, have yielded the following results:- 1. Variations in saturation deficits of between 2.9 and 16.2 mbar altered growth rates only marginally. 2. Fluctuations in root temperatures between 23 and 43°C scarcely effect hypocotyl growth rates. 3. Growth responses to changes in osmotic potential of the root bathing solution are similar to those described by Acevedo et al (1971) with intact maize leaves. 4. Periods of anaerobic nitrogen conditions yielded results comparative with those of Gillbank et al (1972), Who studied the effects of cyanide on growth of wheat coleoptile segments, except for nitrogen treatments of more than 30 minutes in duration. 5. Exposure of seedlings to an anaerobic carbon dioxide atmosphere stimulates hypocotyl growth rates by up to eight times, the results indicating that CO2 stimulates the utilisation of a growth precursor within the cell whilst simultaneously inhibiting its synthesis. The results illustrate both the versatility and the potential of the described auxanometer in the description of plant growth responses to environmental changes, consequently aiding in the identification of the causal mechanisms of plant growth processes

A Comparison of Hyper-Reactivity and Activity in Rats with Lesions of the Septal Area and the Olfactory Lobes

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate School at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Roger Clark Marshall on April 1,1971

Biological Control Methods for Damping-off of Tomato Seedlings Caused by \u3cem\u3ePythium myriotylum\u3c/em\u3e

Pythium damping-off has the potential to cause severe loss in greenhouse and field grown tomatoes. Species of Pythium are found in soils from all climates, and capable of surviving for long periods without a host. Infectious structures of Pythium species are motile, and therefore able to travel through irrigation water and runoff. Pythium myriotylum thrives in warm, humid environments such as that of the Southeastern United States, and was thus chosen for this study. Currently, no tomato varieties with resistance to damping-off are available. In addition, the agriculture industry is striving for sustainable and biological methods of control of plant pests and pathogens. Therefore, biological controls that are capable of simultaneously protecting plants from pathogens and pests are needed. To that end, the first part of this investigation for biological control of tomato damping-off involves the seed application of an entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin, along with a commercial plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria formulation (BioYield) that is known to induce systemic resistance in plants to herbivores and pathogens, and a soil amendment with Monarda sp. containing essential oils that are fungicidal to many soilborne pathogens. The objectives of the first study were to determine the following: (i) if herbage of Monarda didyma used as a soil amendment is capable of suppressing damping-off of tomato seedlings; (ii) if conidia of Beauveria bassiana isolates used as seed coatings are capable of suppressing damping-off of tomato seedlings; (iii) if a commercial form of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria used as a seed drench is capable of suppressing damping-off of tomato seedlings; and (iv) if combinations of the herbage and the seed treatments are synergistic or antagonistic. Results from the first study indicated cultivar specificity with Beauveria bassiana and herbage treatments. Survival was increased in ‘Mountain Spring’ tomato seedlings treated with either B. bassiana 11-98 or BotaniGard when challenged with the pathogen, but no similar effects were observed in ‘Celebrity’ seedlings. There was also an increase in stem diameter in Beauveria-treated ‘Mountain Spring’ that was not seen in ‘Celebrity.’ When ‘Celebrity’ seedlings were grown in media amended with ‘Puerto Purification,’ there was a significant decrease in disease index when challenged with the pathogen. This effect was not observed in ‘Mountain Spring.’ ‘Violet Queen’ had negative effects on ‘Celebrity’ seedling growth, seen as a decrease of survival and increase in disease index. Treatment with PGPR had no significant effects in either cultivar. The second part of this research investigated dried, ground leaves (herbage) from 16 Monarda varieties as amendments for biological control against Pythium damping-off in tomato. The objectives of this study were to determine the following: (i) if Monarda essential oil constituents could inhibit growth of P. myriotylum in vitro; (ii) if herbage amendments could suppress Pythium damping-off; (iii) if herbage amendments had any adverse or beneficial effects on tomato seedling growth. When essential oil constituents of Monarda were tested for toxicity against P. myriotylum, thymol and carvacrol inhibited mycelial growth at low and high concentrations (5 and 50 µl, respectively). GC-MS analysis of the herbage used in this study showed concentration of thymol and carvacrol to be variable among varieties. ‘Croftway Pink’ was high in thymol; ‘Sioux’ was approximately equal in thymol, carvacrol, and the sesquiterpene thymoquinone. ‘Mohawk’ had a high concentration of thymoquinone and Rose Geranium had no detectible amounts of thymol, carvacrol, or thymoquinone. Treatments with four of sixteen Monarda varieties were successful in decreasing disease index and increasing survival of ‘Mountain Spring’ seedlings when challenged with the pathogen. ‘Croftway Pink’ dominated the varieties with significantly increased shoot height, stem diameter, and survival, as well as decreased disease index in tomato seedlings. Three other amendments, ‘Sioux’, ‘Mohawk’, and Rose Geranium, had no negative effects on seedling growth and increased seedling survival

Governance of a private Japanese university before and after the 1998 University Council reforms

A major crisis facing Japanese higher education is the inability of university leaders to respond to changes, such as enrollment declines and sudden economic downturns. In response, sweeping changes were proposed by the Japanese government-appointed University Council in October 1998 that may result in increased autonomy of universities and reduced control by the Ministry of Education. This case study describes the governance patterns of a single private university in Japan and explores the following question: What are the differences between the patterns of governance at Toshi University (not the real name of the university) before and after the 1998 University Council reforms?;In order to answer this question, the study provides a description and analysis of the bureaucratic, collegial, political and other governance patterns at Toshi University as reflected through past major decisions on the functions of academic programs, faculty affairs, financial affairs and external relations. The study also examines the implications of the new reforms for those patterns. The description of governance is presented through an interweaving of interviews, relevant documents, observations and the survey results.;The researcher collected the descriptive data used for the case study analysis on site. Interviews were conducted with faculty members, administrators, students and alumni. Responses from these interviews were compared to determine who were the primary decision-makers and which decisions were most significant as they related to their impact on the mission, priorities and implications for the future direction of the university. The information from the interviews was then used to complete a survey that was used to collect data from all full-time faculty members.;The conclusion that was reached from the analysis of the research findings was that no one model can be used to describe the governance patterns that existed before and after the 1998 University Council reforms. Indeed, a mixture of models based on Japanese cultural values, such as consensus, harmony and group solidarity, is needed to describe the situation at Toshi University. It was also determined that the 1998 reforms have served to either strengthen or weaken these various patterns of governance with respect to one or more functions of decision-making

The Star Formation History of the WLM Dwarf Irregular Galaxy

https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/fss-2019/1002/thumbnail.jp

Running up Blueberry Hill: Prototyping whole body interaction in harmony space

Musical harmony is considered to be one of the most abstract and technically difficult parts of music. It is generally taught formally via abstract, domain-specific concepts, principles, rules and heuristics. By contrast, when harmony is represented using an existing interactive desktop tool, Harmony Space, a new, parsimonious, but equivalently expressive, unified level of description emerges. This focuses not on abstract concepts, but on concrete locations, objects, areas and trajectories. This paper presents a design study of a prototype version of Harmony Space driven by whole body navigation, and characterizes the new opportunities presented for the principled manipulation of chord sequences and bass lines. These include: deeper engagement and directness; rich physical cues for memory and reflection, embodied engagement with rhythmic time constraints; hands which are free for other simultaneous activities (such as playing a traditional instrument); and qualitatively new possibilities for collaborative use

The experiences of forced migrants in the US and Ireland shows the need for more humane and sustainable refugee and asylum policies

As forced migrants arrive in their destination countries their struggles do not necessarily end. Serena Clark, Kevin Marshall and Katriona O’Sullivan give an account of interviews conducted with migrants in the US and Ireland to uncover the problems they face in trying to integrate in their new society. The continuing difficulties that migrants face in these countries and elsewhere suggest that the current management of refugees and asylum-seekers in the United States and Ireland is in need of reform

Expression of the ???6 integrin promotes migration and invasion in squamous carcinoma cells

The integrin αvβ6 is a fibronectin receptor whose expression is not detectable on normal oral epithelium but is increased significantly in healing and in oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting it may promote changes associated with tumor development. To study whether αvβ6 may drive invasive behavior we have used transfection and retroviral infection to create a panel of epithelial cell lines expressing various levels of αvβ6. We report that increased expression of αvβ6 in malignant keratinocytes promotes invasion and leads to an increased capacity for migration towards fibronectin. αvβ6 expression may have a significant role in contributing to the malignant behavior of epithelial cells