This thesis presents research associated to phenotyping of plants by applying informatics techniques which includes databases, web technologies, image processing and feature measurements of 2D and 3D images. The thesis presents two enabling bioinformatics tools related by a shared set of research objectives and distinct by the nature of their applications. The first project called ClearedLeavesDB, is a common platform for plant biologists to share data and metadata about cleared leaf images. This project resulted in an online interactive database of cleared leaf images. The second project called Digital Imaging of Root Traits (DIRT), is an application to store, manage, share and process root images as well as analyze root image traits with respect to different experiments. This application is deployed on iPlant's cyber-infrastructure and currently supports management of 2D root images and high-throughput processing and structural descriptor/trait estimation from root images. The application enables storage, management and sharing heterogeneous image data and metadata including dynamic environmental and descriptor data. In the final part of the thesis, I describe ongoing challenges in developing new methods to measure global and local descriptors from reconstructed 3D root images.

The seasonal feeding behavior, forage preferences and body weight responses of goats were studied under three densities of woodland (called caatinga), and under three stocking rates. The experiment was located in the semi-arid tropics of northeastern Brazil at 3 42' South latitude, and 40 21' West longitude at an elevation of 75 meters. Mean annual precipitation of the area is 832 mm. Removing the shrubs and trees increased yields of herbaceous only on partially-cleared sites. Goats gained body weight (kg BW/ha) during the wet season, with the cleared treatment showing the best body weight response per unit of land. However during the dry season, animals lost weight probably due the low quality and quantity of available forage. The botanical composition of goats' diets showed them to be mixed feeders, consuming grasses, forbs and browse in various combinations depending on the season and the array of forage species available. During the dry season standing hay from herbaceous species and regrowth of some woody evergreen species were the principal forages. Animals maintained body weight on this forage. However, leaf litter was an important component of goats' diets during the dry season, but was inadequate for weight maintenance. Goats i n all treatments spent the least time grazing during the wet season and the most time during the beginning of the dry season. They spent the most time lying ruminating during the dry season and the least time during the wet season. Forage quality was probably a limiting factor to effective animal response during the dry season. Goats exhibited dislike for rain and wet conditions. They grazed freely when the temperatures were high (35 to 39 C). However, periods of high temperature corresponded to periods of low relative humidity, perhaps moderating the discomfort factor of combined high temperatures and high humidity.

The theme of this study is Rural Crime of Lithuania. This is historically changing mass social phenomenon of legal – criminal nature, which consists of the entirety of criminal acts, committed in rural areas of Lithuania during certain period. In the study there are analyzed the concept of rural crime and it‘s content, factors that determine rural crime in Lithuania, historical aspects of rural crime, also the level, structure and dynamics of rural crime in Lithuania in 2000 – 2004, personality of rural criminal and registered crime and persons committed crime in the municipality of Kazlų Rūda in 2001 – 2004.