Thesis (MSc.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The detrimental effect of soil salinity on crop production is a growmg problem worldwide (Tanji, 1990b). The degree to which plants can tolerate high concentrations of salt in their rooting medium is under genetic control with different genetic and physiological mechanisms contributing to salt tolerance at different developmental stages (Epstein & Rains, 1987). Only limited variation exists for salt tolerance in the cultivated cereals. This has prompted attempts to select tolerant progeny following hybridisation of cultivated species and wild, salt-tolerant species. Thinopyrum distichum, an indigenous wheatgrass that is naturally adapted to saline environments (McGuire & Dvorak, 1981), was crossed with triticale (x Triticosecale) in an attempt to transfer its salt tolerance and other hardiness characteristics (Marais & Marais, 1998). The aims of this study were to (i) identify Thinopyrum chromosomes carrying genes for salt tolerance and to identify molecular markers for these chromosomes, (ii) identify a number of diverse monosomic and disomie addition plants. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA), in combination with AFLP, RAPD and DAF marker analysis was implemented to screen for polymorphisms associated with salt tolerance. Five putative AFLP markers and two RAPD markers were detected using bulks composed of salt tolerant plants and bulks composed of salt sensitive plants. The distribution of the markers in these bulks suggests that more than one Thinopyrum chromosome carry genes for salt tolerance. Salt tolerant monosomic and disomie addition plants were characterised for AFLP, RAPD and DAF polymorphisms in an attempt to find markers associated with the chromosome(s) conditioning salt tolerance. One salt tolerant monosomic and one disomie addition plant was identified. One AFLP and two RAPD markers were identified for the Thinopyrum chromosome( s) present in the monosomic addition plant, while three AFLP and three RAPD markers were identified for the disomie addition plant. An attempt was also made to identify diverse chromosome addition plants having complete or near complete triticale genomes plus an additional random Thinopyrum chromosome. Plants with 2n = 43 /44 were identified and characterised for molecular markers (AFLP and RAPD). Cluster analysis was used to group the putative monosomic or disomie addition plants according to the specific Thinopyrum chromosomes they retained. Seventeen AFLP and RAPD markers could be used to group the 24 putative addition plants into six broadly similar groups with different additional Thinopyrum chromosomes. While the members of each group are likely to carry the same additional Thinopyrum chromosomes, this may not necessarily be the case as the interpretation of the marker results is complicated by heterogeneity among plants with regard to the triticale background chromosomes they possess. It is also likely that chromosome translocations occurred during backerossing which may further complicate data. Nonetheless, it is now possible to select disomie addition plants from each group that are likely to represent different Thinopyrum chromosomes. The data will also be useful in future attempts to find further addition plants carrying the remaining Thinopyrum chromosomes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die skadelike effek van grond versouting op gewasproduksie neem wêreldwyd toe (Tanji, 1990b). Die mate waartoe plante hoë konsentrasies sout in die wortelstelsel kan hanteer is onder genetiese beheer en verskillende genetiese en fisiologiese meganismes dra by tot die soutverdraagsaamheid tydens verskillende ontwikkelingstadia (Epstein & Rains, 1987). Slegs beperkte variasie bestaan vir soutverdraagsaamheid in verboude grane. Dit het aanleiding gegee tot pogings om soutverdraagsame nageslag te selekteer na hibridisasie van verboude spesies en wilde, soutverdraagsame spesies. Thinopyrum distichum, 'n inheemse koringgras, wat aangepas is by brak omgewings (McGuire & Dvorak, 1981), is met korog (x Triticosecale) gekruis in 'n poging om die gene vir soutverdraagsaamheid en ander gehardheidseienskappe oor te dra (Marais & Marais, 1998). Die oogmerke van hierdie studie was om (i) Thinopyrum chromosome te identifiseer wat gene bevat vir soutverdraagsaamheid en molekulêre merkers te vind vir hierdie chromosome, (ii) 'n aantal diverse monosomiese en disomiese addisieplante te identifiseer. Bulksegregaatanalise (BSA), gekombineer met AFLP-, RAPD- en DAF-merkeranalise, is gebruik om polimorfismes geassosieerd met soutverdraagsaamheid op te spoor. Vyf moontlike AFLPmerkers en twee RAPD-merkers is geïdentifiseer met gebruik van bulks bestaande uit soutverdraagsame plante en bulks bestaande uit soutgevoelige plante. Die verspreiding van die merkers in soutverdraagsame bulks dui daarop dat meer as een Thinopyrum chromosoom bydra tot soutverdraagsaamheid. Soutverdraagsame, monosomiese en disomiese addisieplante is gekarakteriseer vir AFLP- en RAPD-polimorfismes in 'n verdere poging om merkers te vind vir chromosome betrokke by soutverdraagsaamheid. Een soutverdraagsame monosomiese en een disomiese addisieplant is geïdentifiseer. Een AFLP- en twee RAPD-merkers is geïdentifiseer vir die Thinopyrum chromosoom(e) teenwoordig in die monosomiese addisieplant, terwyl drie AFLP- en drie RAPDmerkers geïdentifiseer is vir die disomiese addisieplant. 'n Poging is ook gemaak om diverse addisieplante te identifiseer met 'n volledige koroggenoom plus 'n addisionele Thinopyrum chromosoom. Plante met 2n = 43 / 44 is geïdentifiseer en gekarakteriseer met molekulêre merkers (AFLP en RAPD). Tros-analise is gebruik om die vermoedelik monosomiese of disomiese addisieplante te groepeer volgens die spesifieke Thinopyrum chromosome wat hulle behou het. Sewentien AFLP- en RAPD-merkers is gebruik om die 24 vermoedelike addisieplante in 6 groepe met verskillende Thinopyrum chromosome te groepeer. Alhoewel dit voorkom of die verskillende plante in 'n groep dieselfde addisionele Thinopyrum chromosoom het, is dit nie noodwendig die geval nie aangesien die interpretasie van die merkers bemoeilik word deur die heterogeniteit tussen die plante wat betref die agtergrond korogchromosome wat hulle besit. Dit is ook moontlik dat chromosoom herrangskikkings plaasgevind het gedurende die terugkruisings, wat die data verder kan bemoeilik. Nietemin, dit is nou moontlik om disomiese addisies te selekteer uit elke groep wat moontlik verskillende Thinopyrum chromosome bevat. Die data kan ook gebruik word om in die toekoms verdere addisieplante te identifiseer wat die oorblywende Thinopyrum chromosome bevat.

Thesis (PhD (Genetics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Please refer to full text to view abstract.

Herbivores and pathogens pose a consistent threat to plant productivity. In response, plants invest in structural and/or chemical defenses that minimize damage caused by these biotic stressors. In salt marshes along the Atlantic coast of the United States, a facultative mutualism between snails (Littoraria irrorata) and multiple species of fungi exert intense top-down control of the foundation grass species Spartina alterniflora. Since exposure to herbivores and pathogens are tightly coupled in this system, I investigated whether S. alterniflora utilizes chemical and/or structural defenses to deter both snails and fungi, and examined how plant defenses varied among S. alterniflora individuals and populations. I also assessed how other marsh plants prevent snails from establishing farms, and considered whether interspecific variation in plant chemical defenses influences marsh community structure. Initial experiments revealed that S. alterniflora chemical defenses inhibited L. irrorata and two fungi that snails commonly farm. A caging experiment determined that production of chemical defenses could not be induced in the presence of snails and fungi, nor relaxed in their absence. Through separations chemistry guided by ecological assays, I isolated two distinct classes of chemical defenses from short form S. alterniflora, one of which inhibited fungal growth and the other decreased plant palatability. In a community context, the chemical defenses produced by S. alterniflora were relatively weak compared to those of four other salt marsh plant species, which produced compounds that completely inhibited L. irrorata grazing and strongly hindered fungal growth in lab assays. Nutritional and structural differences among marsh plants did not influence feeding preferences, suggesting that plant secondary chemistry was the primary driver for food selection by snails. It appears that S. alterniflora produces weak chemical defenses that slow down or limit fungal growth and snail herbivory, and may compensate for tissue losses by producing new growth. In contrast, less abundant marsh plants express chemical defenses that completely inhibit fungal farming and deter snail grazing, but doing so may come at a cost to growth or competitive ability. As marsh dieback continues with rising herbivore densities and compounding abiotic stressors, the ecosystem services that salt marshes provide may be lost. Therefore, understanding how and under what conditions salt marsh plants resist losses to herbivores and pathogens will help predict which marsh communities are most likely to be threatened in the future. Initial experiments revealed that S. alterniflora chemical defenses inhibited L. irrorata and two fungi that snails commonly farm. A caging experiment determined that production of chemical defenses could not be induced in the presence of snails and fungi, nor relaxed in their absence. Through separations chemistry guided by ecological assays, I isolated two distinct classes of chemical defenses from short form S. alterniflora, one of which inhibited fungal growth and the other decreased plant palatability. In a community context, the chemical defenses produced by S. alterniflora were relatively weak compared to those of four other salt marsh plant species, which produced compounds that completely inhibited L. irrorata grazing and strongly hindered fungal growth in lab assays. Nutritional and structural differences among marsh plants did not influence feeding preferences, suggesting that differences in plant chemistry were the primary driver for food selection by snails. It appears that S. alterniflora produces weak chemical defenses that slow down or limit fungal growth and snail herbivory, and may compensate for tissue losses by producing new growth. In contrast, less abundant marsh plants express chemical defenses that completely inhibit fungal farming and deter snail grazing, but doing so may come at a cost to growth or competitive ability against S. alterniflora. As marsh dieback continues with rising herbivore densities and compounding abiotic stressors, the ecosystem services that salt marshes provide may be lost. Therefore, understanding how and under what conditions salt marsh plants resist losses to herbivores and pathogens will help predict which marsh communities are most likely to be threatened in the future.

I Sverige äter vi ca 11 g salt per dag, vilket är dubbelt så mycket som rekommenderat. Eftersom ett för högt saltintag innebär risker för hälsan, har livsmedelsföretag i ett Vinnovafinansierat projekt, på uppdrag av Regeringskansliet, gått ihop för att ta fram metoder för saltreduktion, bland annat en så kallat multisensorisk verktygslåda. Syftet med studien var att i ett sensoriskt hemtest undersöka om gillandet och upplevelsen av sälta skiljde sig mellan saltreducerade tomatsoppor med tillsatta kryddor eller aromer och en referenssoppa med ursprunglig salthalt. Ett andra syfte var att undersöka konsumenters upplevelse av sälta i livsmedelsprodukter som är vanligt förekommande i svensk matkultur, genom en enkätundersökning. I det sensoriska hemtestet visade det sig att två av de saltreducerade sopporna, en med chili och en med kryddblandning av basilika, vitlök och chili, upplevdes som mer salta än referenssoppan. Det fanns ingen statistisk signifikant skillnad i gillandet mellan sopporna, vilket betydde att de saltreducerade sopporna gillades lika mycket som referensen. I enkätundersökningen visade resultatet att de livsmedel som upplevdes saltast var bordssalt, sojasås, örtsalt samt rostade och saltade jordnötter. Flertalet livsmedel som innehöll en låg mängd eller inget salt alls, upplevdes ändå som salta. Studien visade att saltreduktion genom multisensorisk påverkan av en tomatsoppa var möjlig. I framtiden kan aromer eller toppings från livsmedel som associeras med salt användas i saltreducerade produkter. / In Sweden we eat about 11 g of salt per day, which is twice as much as recommended. Since too high salt intake poses risks to health, food companies in a project funded by Vinnova, on behalf of the Government Offices, have joined forces to develop methods for salt reduction, including a so-called multisensory toolbox. The aim of the study was to investigate in a sensory home use test, whether the acceptance and perception of salt differed between a salt reduced tomato soup compared to a reference soup. A second aim was to investigate consumers' perception of saltiness in food products that are commonly found in Swedish food culture, through a survey. In the sensory home use test, it turned out that two of the salt reduced soups, one with chili and one with spice blend, were perceived as most salty even though the reference soup had a higher salinity. There was no significant difference in the liking between the soups, which meant that the salt reduced soups were liked as much as the reference soup. In the survey, the results showed that the foods that were most salty were table salt, soy sauce, herb salt and roasted and salted peanuts. Most foods that contain a low or no salinity at all, were still perceived as salty. The study showed that salt reduction of a tomato soup, by multisensory influence, was possible. In the future, aromas or toppings from foods that are associated with salt can be used in salt reduced products.

No description available.

Master of Science / Civil Engineering / Kyle Riding / The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) currently practices a six-month procedure for determining freeze-thaw durability of coarse aggregate intended for use in concrete pavement. In addition to the excessive amount of time required to conduct this procedure, the testing conditions fail to replicate the accelerated rate of concrete deterioration commonly caused by deicer salt exposure in freeze-thaw environments. An experimental study was conducted in an attempt to reduce the duration of this aggregate qualification procedure. Limestone course aggregates from different quarries were used to batch concrete specimens. These specimens were subjected to curing regimes of different durations before being exposed to repeated cycles of freezing and thawing. The effects of the curing methods on freeze-thaw durability were then investigated. Another segment of this study entailed the immersion of coarse aggregate in salt brine solution prior to concrete batching. Salt-treated and non-salt-treated specimens were subjected to two different methods of freeze-thaw cycling to determine if the presence of salt could differentiate between aggregates with high and low performance. This study found that shorter curing methods, along with adjusted performance requirements, could be used to develop a shorter aggregate qualification procedure. It also found that shorter periods of time in more severe freeze-thaw conditions produced comparable concrete durability results to those of the current test method. Salt treatment of aggregates could indicate a difference in performance of aggregates when exposed to salts in freeze-thaw conditions. It could also be useful in determining frost resistance of hardened cement paste.

Människan har i alla tider varit beroende av salt för kroppens funktioner, men i dagens samhälle äter många alldeles för mycket salt som också är en bidragande faktor i vanliga livsstilssjukdomar som hjärt-­ och kärlproblematik. Många företag i livsmedelsindustrin jobbar idag aktivt med att reducera salt i sina produkter och detta arbete är en utmaning då sensoriska attribut som smak, doft och konsistens inte bör försämras. Den aktuella studien syftar därför till att reformulera en industriell rotfruktssoppa med reducerat saltinnehåll samt undersöka om reducering av salt och ett utbyte av salt mot en saltersättningsprodukt i denna rotfruktsoppa bidrar till skillnad i sensorisk upplevelse jämfört med ursprungsprodukten. Det är också av intresse att studera bedömarnas inställning till soppor med minskad halt natriumklorid. Genom att reformulera befintlig rotfruktssoppa i två olika saltreducerade utföranden har triangeltester gjorts för att se om det finns någon skillnad mellan dessa och soppan i sitt ursprung-­utförande. Triangeltesterna visade att sopporna visade signifikant skillnad jämfört med ursprungsprodukten. Bedömarna ombads även att skriva kvalitativa kommentarer för smak, doft och konsistens vilket främst visade att bedömarna ansåg de saltreducerade sopporna som något mer milda i smaken. Resultaten visade att bedömarna hade en relativt positiv inställning till sopporna, oavsett utförande. / Man has always been dependent of salt in order to live, but in today's society we are overconsuming salt, which is also a contributing factor in common lifestyle diseases such as cardiovascular problems. Many companies in the food industry today works actively to reduce salt in their products, and this work is a challenge in which the sensory attributes such as taste, aroma and texture should not be changed. The present study therefore aims to find out whether the reduced salt content as well as an exchange for a salt substitute product industrial Root vegetable soup contributes to the difference in the sensory experience to the reference product. It is also of interest to study the assessors' attitude of lower sodium. By making root vegetable soup in two salt-­reduced versions where triangle tests used to see if there where any difference between these and the soup in its original version. Triangle tests showed that the soups had a difference of significance compared to the original product. The evaluators were also asked to write qualitative comments for flavor, aroma and texture which mainly showed that the assessors considered the reduced soups as something more mild in flavor. However, it turned out that the assessors had a relatively positive attitude for the soups, regardless performance of the soups.

<p>Abstract to“Interfacial colloidal particle films andtheir structure formation”; a licentiate thesis, whichwill be presented by Sandra Rödner in Q2, 29 November 2002at 13.00.</p><p>Colloidal particles can be made to organise themselves intoordered arrays. These colloidal structures acquire interestingand useful properties, not only from their constituentmaterials but also from the spontaneous emergence of mesoscopicorder that characterises their internal structure. Orderedarrays of colloidal particles, with lattice constants rangingfrom a few nanometers to a few microns, have potentialapplications as optical computing elements and chemicalsensors, and also has an important influence on the mechanicalproperties and optical appearance of paint films and papercoatings.</p><p>The control of colloidal structure formation starts with theparticle interactions (attractive or repulsive) and colloidaldynamics, which is the topic of this thesis. To enable adetailed understanding of the different factors that controlthe formation of dense 2D colloidal films, a method forstructural characterisation was developed. The degree of orderin the hexagonal close-packed structure, displayed by thecolloidal films, was characterised by the size of ordereddomains and by the distribution of pore sizes. The size ofordered domains was obtained from the pair distributionfunction, and the distribution of pores from a Delaunaytriangulation procedure. These methods are based on theparticle positions in the film, which were determined by lightmicroscopy and processed digital images.</p><p>The two methods were used to study the effect of particleinteractions on the structure of colloidal monoparticulatefilms, formed at the air-liquid interface. The size of theordered domains decreased exponentially with increasing bondstrength, while the pore density increased. The transfer andsubsequent drying of the formed film on a solid substrateinduced structural changes; the capillary forces transformedsmall pores into triangular order while some of the largervoids and cracks increased in size.</p><p>The structural features of colloidal monolayers, formed bydrying a dilute silica suspension on a substrate, wereinvestigated. Addition of small amounts of salt resulted indrastic changes of the particle film structure. The size of theordered domains decreased exponentially with increasing amountsof added salt (0-2.9% NaCl/Silica ratio), with a simultaneousincrease of the concentration of large defects. This suggeststhat loss of colloidal stability and onset of particle adhesionto the substrate inhibit rearrangement and ordering. Theevaporation rate was controlled by varying the relativehumidity during drying. Colloidal monolayers with the largestordered domains and the lowest concentration of stacking faultswere formed at an intermediate humidity (55% RH).</p><p>The rearrangement process during drying of dilute silicasuspensions was followed in detail by studying the changes inthe structural features during growth of colloidal monolayers.Low crystal growth rate promoted the transition of squarelattice domains to a hexagonal close-packed structure. Additionof salt to the electrostatically stabilised dispersionincreased the formation of square structured regions at thecrystal-suspension interface, due to increasing adhesion to thesubstrate. The loss of colloidal stability inhibited therearrangement process, resulting in higher concentrations ofsquare lattice domains at large distances from the crystal edgecompared to systems without added salt.</p>

No description available.

No description available.