Effects of plant hormones and 20-hydroxyecdysone on tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum) seed germination and seedlings growth

20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) is the major phytoecdysteroid of about 6% of plants. Its role in plant physiology has not been fully elucidated. In this work we studied the effects of 20E application on somemorphological and biochemical parameters of tomato, Lycopersicum esculentum, seed during germination and seedling development (5 d). We compared the 20E effects with the action of phytohormones: gibberellic acid (GA3), naftalen acetic acid (NAA), benzyl amino purine (BAP). NAA treatment resulted in marked reduction in shoot length. GA3 treatment promoted maximal shoot elongation. BAP affected negatively shoot length only at late stages, while 20E application stimulated shoot elongation at early stages and reduced it on the fifth day; NAA inhibited root elongation all along the test period. GA3 treatment had no effect on root length, whereas BAP showed strong inhibition on root elongation. On the other hand, 20E showed a weak inhibition of root elongation on the fifth day. As compared to control and to other treatments, NAA and 20E provoked a drastic decrease in protein contents during seedling growth, whereas a high increase was observed under BAP treatment. Electrophoresis revealed that protein bands were not degraded and mobilized after NAA treatmentwhile in control or after 20E and others phytohormones applications, protein patters displayed weak band intensities and some of them were not detected. NAA, GA3 and BAP provoked a decrease inproline content during seedlings, while the effect of 20E on proline levels varied during germination and plantlet development. This work showed that 20E like phytohormones fulfil some bioactive actionsduring germination and seedlings growth in tomato

Mineralization process of spring in carbonate coastal aquifer in the massif Bokkoya (Central Rif, Morocco)

The study focuses on the monitoring of physico-chemical parameters and major chemistry elements in water from six springs and sinks during two seasons, rainy and dry. Samples taken in the coastal karst aquifer massif Bokkoya Al-Hoceima, were analyzed for their chemical quality and to quantify their state of anthropogenic and / or natural contamination, scientific and practical interest, because local population used to supply drinking water. The waters of the internal Rif region are highly mineralized and marked by a chloride-sodium or sodium-sulfated facies to connect mainly to a process of marine intrusion and dissolution of evaporitic minerals included in the on-site rocks. This mineralization of marine origin is partly due to the intensive exploitation of groundwater but also to landslides, that are known in the area, and which accelerate the phenomenon of saltwater intrusion in the coastal karstic aquifer. The salinity of this water presente levels of salinization C3 and C4 as classified by Wilcox log and water of the Bokkoya massif were qualified as very hard. The comparison of hydrochemical results to the quality standards for drinking water set by the World Health Organization shows that the majority of the water withdrawal is not suitable for consumption, especially because of the high levels of EC, TDS and Cl- related to marine intrusion, together with the urban pollution factor which increases the content of NO-3 in waters

Measurement of double beta decay of ¹⁰⁰Mo to excited states in the NEMO 3 experiment

The double beta decay of ¹⁰⁰Mo to the 0_{1}^{+} and 2_{1}^{+} excited states of ¹⁰⁰Ru is studied using the NEMO 3 data. After the analysis of 8024 h of data the half-life for the two-neutrino double beta decay of ¹⁰⁰Mo to the excited 0_{1}^{+} state is measured to be T_{1/2}^{2v} = [5.7_{-0.9}^{+1.3} (stat.) ± 0.8 (syst.)] x 10²⁰ y. The signal-to-background ratio is equal to 3. Information about energy and angular distributions of emitted electrons is also obtained. No evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay to the excited 0_{1}^{+} state has been found. The corresponding half-life limit is T_{1/2}^{0v} (0⁺→0_{1}^{+}) > 8.9 x 10²² y (at 90% C.L.). The search for the double beta decay to the 2_{1}^{+} excited state has allowed the determination of limits on the half-life for the two neutrino mode T_{1/2}^{0v} (0⁺→2_{1}^{+}) > 1.1 x 10²¹ y (at 90% C.L.) and for the neutrinoless mode T_{1/2}^{0v} (0⁺→2_{1}^{+}) > 1.6 x 10²³ y (at 90% C.L.)

Results of the BiPo-1 prototype for radiopurity measurements for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils

The development of BiPo detectors is dedicated to the measurement of extremely high radiopurity in $^{208}$Tl and $^{214}$Bi for the SuperNEMO double beta decay source foils. A modular prototype, called BiPo-1, with 0.8 $m^2$ of sensitive surface area, has been running in the Modane Underground Laboratory since February, 2008. The goal of BiPo-1 is to measure the different components of the background and in particular the surface radiopurity of the plastic scintillators that make up the detector. The first phase of data collection has been dedicated to the measurement of the radiopurity in $^{208}$Tl. After more than one year of background measurement, a surface activity of the scintillators of $\mathcal{A}$($^{208}$Tl) $=$ 1.5 $\mu$Bq/m$^2$ is reported here. Given this level of background, a larger BiPo detector having 12 m$^2$ of active surface area, is able to qualify the radiopurity of the SuperNEMO selenium double beta decay foils with the required sensitivity of $\mathcal{A}$($^{208}$Tl) $<$ 2 $\mu$Bq/kg (90% C.L.) with a six month measurement.Comment: 24 pages, submitted to N.I.M.

Probing New Physics Models of Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay with SuperNEMO

The possibility to probe new physics scenarios of light Majorana neutrino exchange and right-handed currents at the planned next generation neutrinoless double beta decay experiment SuperNEMO is discussed. Its ability to study different isotopes and track the outgoing electrons provides the means to discriminate different underlying mechanisms for the neutrinoless double beta decay by measuring the decay half-life and the electron angular and energy distributions.Comment: 17 pages, 14 figures, to be published in E.P.J.

Measurement of double beta decay of 100Mo to excited states in the NEMO 3 experiment

The double beta decay of 100Mo to the 0^+_1 and 2^+_1 excited states of 100Ru is studied using the NEMO 3 data. After the analysis of 8024 h of data the half-life for the two-neutrino double beta decay of 100Mo to the excited 0^+_1 state is measured to be T^(2nu)_1/2 = [5.7^{+1.3}_{-0.9}(stat)+/-0.8(syst)]x 10^20 y. The signal-to-background ratio is equal to 3. Information about energy and angular distributions of emitted electrons is also obtained. No evidence for neutrinoless double beta decay to the excited 0^+_1 state has been found. The corresponding half-life limit is T^(0nu)_1/2(0^+ --> 0^+_1) > 8.9 x 10^22 y (at 90% C.L.). The search for the double beta decay to the 2^+_1 excited state has allowed the determination of limits on the half-life for the two neutrino mode T^(2nu)_1/2(0^+ --> 2^+_1) > 1.1 x 10^21 y (at 90% C.L.) and for the neutrinoless mode T^(0nu)_1/2(0^+ --> 2^+_1) > 1.6 x 10^23 y (at 90% C.L.).Comment: 23 pages, 7 figures, 4 tables, submitted to Nucl. Phy

Measurement of the beta beta Decay Half-Life of Te-130 with the NEMO-3 Detector

We report results from the NEMO-3 experiment based on an exposure of 1275 days with 661 g of Te-130 in the form of enriched and natural tellurium foils. The beta beta decay rate of Te-130 is found to be greater than zero with a significance of 7.7 standard deviations and the half-life is measured to be T-1/2(2v)=[7.0 +/- 0.9(stat) +/- 1: 1(syst)] x 10(20) yr. This represents the most precise measurement of this half- life yet published and the first real-time observation of this decay

Effect of saltwater intrusion due to over-exploitation and earthquakes on mineralization processes of spring waters over the Massif Bokkoya (central Rif, Morocco)

International audienceThe study focuses on the monitoring of physicochemical parameters and major chemical elements of six springs and wells during two seasons. Waters from the coastal karst aquifer Massif Bokkoya Al-Hoceima were analyzed for their chemical quality, and their state of anthropogenic and/or natural contamination was quantified. The waters are highly mineralized and marked by a chloride-sodium or sodium-sulfate facies mainly linked to a process of marine intrusion and dissolution of evaporitic minerals included in the on-site rocks. This mineralization of marine origin is partly due to the intensive exploitation of groundwater but also to landslides in relationship with earthquakes, that are known in the area, and which accelerate the phenomenon of saltwater intrusion. The salinity shows levels C3 and C4 in a Wilcox diagram and waters were qualified as very hard. The comparison with quality standards shows that most of the water is not suitable for consumption, especially because of high levels of electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and Cl- related to marine intrusion, together with the urban pollution factor which increases the content of NO3-