Fissure Characterization of Rice Kernels Using Video Microscopy

Fissures are fractures of a rice kernel that can be created during the drying and tempering process. They cause tremendous postharvest losses in milling yield. Understanding why and how rice kernels fissure will lead to optimal drying and tempering operations. This information could also provide input to plant breeders for producing rice cultivars that are more resistant to fissuring. Rice kernels were dried using various air conditions in a controlled environment chamber. The kernels were viewed by video microscopy to observe the occurrence of fissures. A videocassette recorder recorded the images for a 24-hour period after the drying process. The tapes were reviewed to reveal characteristics of the fissures. The rice cultivars used in this experiment were ‘Bengal’, ‘Cypress’, and ‘Drew’. The tests showed that Cypress kernels were more resistant to fissuring than were the other two cultivars. The recorded images from the microscopy chamber showed that fissures begin from the inside of the kernel. Also, fissures were observed to form almost instantaneously

On the Homogenization of Geological Fissured Systems With Curved non-periodic Cracks

We analyze the steady fluid flow in a porous medium containing a network of thin fissures i.e. width $\mathcal{O}(\epsilon)$, where all the cracks are generated by the rigid translation of a continuous piecewise $C^{1}$ functions in a fixed direction. The phenomenon is modeled in mixed variational formulation, using the stationary Darcy's law and setting coefficients of low resistance $\mathcal{O}(\epsilon)$ on the network. The singularities are removed performing asymptotic analysis as $\epsilon \rightarrow 0$ which yields an analogous system hosting only tangential flow in the fissures. Finally the fissures are collapsed into two dimensional manifolds.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figure

Ego and Its Fissures, Narrative and Its Discontents

Zadanie pt. „Digitalizacja i udostępnienie w Cyfrowym Repozytorium Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego kolekcji czasopism naukowych wydawanych przez Uniwersytet Łódzki” nr 885/P-DUN/2014 dofinansowane zostało ze środków MNiSW w ramach działalności upowszechniającej nauk

Ecology of endolithic lichens colonizing granite in continental Antarctica

In this study, the symbiont cells of several endolithic lichens colonizing granite in continental Antarctica and the relationships they have with the abiotic environment were analyzed in situ, in order to characterize the microecosystems integrating these lichens, from a microecological perspective. Mycobiont and photobiont cells, the majority classified as living by fluorescent vitality testing, were observed distributed through the fissures of the granite. The fact that extracellular polymeric substances were commonly observed close to these cells and the features of these compounds, suggest a certain protective role for these substances against the harsh environmental conditions. Different chemical, physical and biological relationships take place within the endolithic biofilms where the lichens are found, possibly affecting the survival and distribution of these organisms. The alteration of bedrock minerals and synthesis of biominerals in the proximity of these lichens give rise to different chemical microenvironments and suggest their participation in mineral nutrient cycling

Effects of dental probing on occlusal surfaces - A scanning electron microscopy evaluation

The aim of this clinical-morphological study was to investigate the effects of dental probing on occlusal surfaces by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Twenty sound occlusal surfaces of third molars and 20 teeth with initial carious lesions of 17- to 26-year-old patients (n = 18) were involved. Ten molars of each group were probed with a sharp dental probe (No. 23) before extraction; the other molars served as negative controls. After extraction of the teeth, the crowns were separated and prepared for the SEM study. Probing-related surface defects, enlargements and break-offs of occlusal pits and fissures were observed on all occlusal surfaces with initial carious lesions and on 2 sound surfaces, respectively. No traumatic defects whatsoever were visible on unprobed occlusal surfaces. This investigation confirms findings of light-microscopic studies that using a sharp dental probe for occlusal caries detection causes enamel defects. Therefore, dental probing should be considered as an inappropriate procedure and should be replaced by a meticulous visual inspection. Critical views of tactile caries detection methods with a sharp dental probe as a diagnostic tool seem to be inevitable in undergraduate and postgraduate dental education programmes. Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

Análisis de los materiales tipo de Pleurosigma formosum y P. decorum (Pleurosigmataceae, Bacillariophyta)

Los materiales tipo de Pleurosigma formosum W. Smith y P. decorum W. Smith fueron examinados. Ambas especies fueron separadas hasta ahora por el rango de tamaño, la forma de la valva y la densidad de las estrías sobre la base de su análisis con microscopio óptico (MO). Sin embargo, los materiales tipo muestran alguna superposición en los rangos de tamaño y densidad de estrías, con sutiles diferencias en el ángulo de intersección de las estrías oblicuas, el cual es algo más pequeño en P. decorum. El análisis con microscopio electrónico de barrido (MEB) muestra que ambas especies comparten algunos caracteres ultraestructurales tales como el engrosamiento en forma de silla de montar del nódulo central del rafe, la amplia superposición de las fisuras centrales del rafe, la forma de las fisuras terminales del rafe, en gancho corto, la morfología general de los poros internos ocluidos por un himen cruzado por una barra hundida y la presencia de algunos pares esparcidos de poros más profundamente excavados, carentes de barra. Sin embargo, los especímenes tipo difieren en la morfología interna de los poros areolares ocluidos por un himen. Estos son circulares, cruzados por una barra hundida y con bordes engrosados en P. formosum y sub-circulares a elípticos, cruzados por una barra menos hundida y sin bordes engrosados en P. decorum. Los resultados del análisis con MEB apoyan el punto de vista de Hendey acerca de que P. decorum y P. formosum son especies separadas pero cercanamente relacionadas.The type materials of Pleurosigma formosum W. Smith and P. decorum W. Smith were examined. Both species were separated hitherto by size range, valve shape and stria density based on light microscopy (LM) analysis. However, the type materials show some overlap in the size and stria density ranges, with subtle differences in the oblique stria intersection angle, which is somewhat smaller for P. decorum. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows that both species share several ultrastructural features such as a thick saddle-shaped central raphe nodule, very long overlapping central raphe fissures, short hook-shaped terminal raphe fissures, general morphology of the internal hymenoccluded pores crossed by a recessed bar and presence of some scattered pairs of more deeply recessed pores lacking a bar. However, the type specimens differ in the internal morphology of the hymen-occluded areolar pores, circular, crossed by a recessed bar and rimmed in P. formosum and subcircular to elliptical, crossed by a less recessed bar, not rimmed in P. decorum. The SEM findings thus support Hendey’s view that P. decorum and P. formosum are separate but closely allied species.Fil: Sterrenburg, Frithjof A. S.. No especifica;Fil: Sar, Eugenia Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Ficología; ArgentinaFil: Sunesen, Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Ficología; Argentin

Variations of Lung Fissures: A Cadaveric Study

Background: The presence of fissures in the normal lungs enhances uniform expansion and hence facilitates more air intake. Accessory and incomplete fissures of varying depth can be seen in unusual locations of the lung, delimiting abnormal lobes which correspond to the normal bronchopulmonary segments. The knowledge of anatomical variations of lung fissures is essential for clinicians, surgeons, and for radiologist for recognizing various images of related abnormalities because an accessory or anomalous fissure can be mistaken for a lung lesion or an atypical appearance of pleural effusion. Aims and Objectives: The aim of the present study is to observe the variations of lung fissures in Indian population. Fifty pairs (right- 50; left- 50) of lungs were used for this study. Each lung was studied carefully for number of fissures whether complete or incomplete or absent. Presences of accessory fissures were noted. Results: We observed complete absence of fissures in two right and left lungs. Accessory fissures were present in 38% right lungs and 32% in left lungs. Conclusion: Incidence of absence of oblique fissure and accessory fissure was greater in our present work when compared our results with other authors. Considering this we feel that more elaborative study should be done on this topic which will throw more light on this