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Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004-01-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:48:48Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 souza_fs_me_botfca.pdf: 722599 bytes, checksum: bddbe2539a4c9c196d08d8670e432f38 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o comportamento de plantas de algodão submetidas à aplicação de doses de cloreto de mepiquat e precipitações pluviais ocorrendo em diferentes momentos após a aplicação do produto. Procurou-se ainda desenvolver um método simples de estimativa da dose do produto a ser aplicada. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de três doses do regulador a base de cloreto de mepiquat (PIX®): 7,5, 15,0 e 22,5 g ha-1 e seis intervalos de tempo para aplicação de chuva simulada de 20 mm de intensidade: 0, 1, 3, 6, 12 e 24 horas, mais um tratamento sem a aplicação de chuva. Foram utilizados vasos de 12 litros de capacidade e seis sementes pré-germinadas com posterior desbaste para duas plantas por vaso. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: altura de plantas, número de ramos reprodutivos, massa de matéria seca, retenção de estruturas reprodutivas (coleta de estruturas reprodutivas e estruturas perdidas) e área foliar. Os resultados mostraram que o efeito do regulador foi prejudicado pela ocorrência de chuva nos momentos mais próximos a sua pulverização. As maiores doses mostraram ter efeito mais significativo nos parâmetros de crescimento avaliados, mostrando que chuvas ocorridas em momentos mais próximos após a pulverização causam maior comprometimento da ação do regulador nas plantas de algodão. É possível calcular a dose de regulador a ser aplicada conhecendo-se a altura atual das plantas. / The research had the objective to evaluate the behavior of cotton plants submitted to the application of doses of Mepiquat Chloride and precipitations happening in different times after the application of the product. A tentative for developing a simple method for estimating the dose of the product that would be applied was tried. The treatments were constituted of three doses of the growth regulator, mepiquat chloride (PIX®): 7,5, 15,0 and 22,5 g ha-1 and six time intervals for the application of simulated rain of 20mm of intensity: 0, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours, and one treatment without rain. Plots of 12 liters of capacity and six pre-germinated seeds were used with subsequent rough-hewing for two plants per plot. The experimental design used was the completely randomized with four replications. The parameters analyzed were: height of plants, number of reproductive branches, weight of dry matter, collecting of reproductive structures and lost structures, and leaf area. The results showed that the effect of the growth regulator was harmed by the rain occurrence in the closest moments of the application of the growth regulator. It was possible to calculate the regulator dose to be applied knowing the actual height of the plants.

Posttranslational modification (PTM) of proteins is essential to creating a diverse proteome with the complex functions necessary to regulate key cellular processes. Redox-based PTMs exhibit many desirable characteristics to finely modulate transcriptional regulators; they occur rapidly and can alter protein conformation, localisation and activity. The plant immune system offers an excellent model in which to study redox-based modifications due to the rapid accumulation of oxidising agents that occurs during immune invasion. This so-called “oxidative burst” causes spontaneous oxidation of cysteine residues that are present in many regulatory proteins. These modifications fine-tune the activities of proteins that harbour them, enabling them to act in a concerted effort to reprogram the transcriptome, prioritising the expression of immune-related genes over housekeeping genes. Disulphide bonds (S-S) and S-nitrosothiols (SNO, i.e. the addition of an NO group to a cysteine moiety) have been shown to play particularly important roles in plant immunity. However, what still remains unclear is how these redox-based PTMs are rendered reversible, enabling them to act as molecular signalling switches. The work presented in this thesis explores a class of enzymes that are responsible for controlling the cellular levels of protein oxidation: the Thioredoxins. In addition to their well-established role in reducing disulphide bonds, I demonstrate in Chapter 3 that Thioredoxins are able to reverse protein S-nitrosylation during plant immune signalling. Immune-inducible Thioredoxin-h5 (TRXh5) was shown to be unable to restore immunity in gsnor1 mutants that display excessive accumulation of the NO donor S-nitrosoglutathione, but rescued impaired immunity and defence gene expression in nox1-mutants that exhibit elevated levels of free NO. This data indicates that TRXh5 discriminates between protein-SNO substrates to provide previously unrecognized specificity and reversibility to protein-SNO signalling in plant immunity. Furthermore, data is presented to show that TRXh5 reversed the effects of S.nitrosylation on many immune-related transcriptional regulators in vitro, forming the initial stages of an investigation into which proteins and pathways might be controlled by reversible S-nitrosylation in plant immunity (Chapters 3 & 4). Although the majority of transcriptional regulators are likely modified at their site of action, the nucleus, very little is currently known about nuclear redox signalling in plants. Therefore, in Chapter 5 a subclass of theThioredoxin superfamily was studied, the Nucleoredoxins, which have previously been shown to display disulphide reduction activity and localise in part to the nucleus. Here it is revealed that the activity and nuclear accumulation of Nucleoredoxin 1 (NRX1) is induced by the plant leaf pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, suggesting a key role for this protein in immune signalling. Target-capture experiments and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis identified the first in vitro targets of NRX1 and revealed many proteins with roles in oxidative stress, including the hydrogen peroxide scavenger Catalase 2 (CAT2). Moreover, overexpression of NRX1 was shown to be able to rescue the enhanced cell death phenotype of cat2 knockout mutants in response to the oxidative stressor, methyl viologen. Accordingly, nrx1 knockout mutants also exhibited an enhanced cell death phenotype in response to methyl viologen treatment. Together, these data indicate that NRX1 plays a key role in the control of oxidative stress-mediated cell death, potentially through direct regulation of Catalase proteins. Taken together, the work in this thesis implicates members of the Thioredoxin family as key regulators of transcriptional reprogramming during plant immunity and uncovers a novel role for Thioredoxin superfamily member, NRX1, in the control of oxidative stress.

Orientador: Ciro Antonio Rosolem / Banca: João Domingos Rodrigues / Banca: Ederaldo José Chiavegato / Resumo: O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o comportamento de plantas de algodão submetidas à aplicação de doses de cloreto de mepiquat e precipitações pluviais ocorrendo em diferentes momentos após a aplicação do produto. Procurou-se ainda desenvolver um método simples de estimativa da dose do produto a ser aplicada. Os tratamentos foram constituídos de três doses do regulador a base de cloreto de mepiquat (PIX®): 7,5, 15,0 e 22,5 g ha-1 e seis intervalos de tempo para aplicação de chuva simulada de 20 mm de intensidade: 0, 1, 3, 6, 12 e 24 horas, mais um tratamento sem a aplicação de chuva. Foram utilizados vasos de 12 litros de capacidade e seis sementes pré-germinadas com posterior desbaste para duas plantas por vaso. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com quatro repetições. Os parâmetros avaliados foram: altura de plantas, número de ramos reprodutivos, massa de matéria seca, retenção de estruturas reprodutivas (coleta de estruturas reprodutivas e estruturas perdidas) e área foliar. Os resultados mostraram que o efeito do regulador foi prejudicado pela ocorrência de chuva nos momentos mais próximos a sua pulverização. As maiores doses mostraram ter efeito mais significativo nos parâmetros de crescimento avaliados, mostrando que chuvas ocorridas em momentos mais próximos após a pulverização causam maior comprometimento da ação do regulador nas plantas de algodão. É possível calcular a dose de regulador a ser aplicada conhecendo-se a altura atual das plantas. / Abstract: The research had the objective to evaluate the behavior of cotton plants submitted to the application of doses of Mepiquat Chloride and precipitations happening in different times after the application of the product. A tentative for developing a simple method for estimating the dose of the product that would be applied was tried. The treatments were constituted of three doses of the growth regulator, mepiquat chloride (PIX®): 7,5, 15,0 and 22,5 g ha-1 and six time intervals for the application of simulated rain of 20mm of intensity: 0, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours, and one treatment without rain. Plots of 12 liters of capacity and six pre-germinated seeds were used with subsequent rough-hewing for two plants per plot. The experimental design used was the completely randomized with four replications. The parameters analyzed were: height of plants, number of reproductive branches, weight of dry matter, collecting of reproductive structures and lost structures, and leaf area. The results showed that the effect of the growth regulator was harmed by the rain occurrence in the closest moments of the application of the growth regulator. It was possible to calculate the regulator dose to be applied knowing the actual height of the plants. / Mestre

abstract: The growing demand for high performance and power hungry portable electronic devices has resulted in alarmingly serious thermal concerns in recent times. The power management system of such devices has thus become increasingly more vital. An integral component of this system is a Low-Dropout Regulator (LDO) which inherently generates a low-noise power supply. Such power supplies are crucial for noise sensitive analog blocks like analog-to-digital converters, phase locked loops, radio-frequency circuits, etc. At higher output power however, a single LDO suffers from increased heat dissipation leading to thermal issues. This research presents a novel approach to equally and accurately share a large output load current across multiple parallel LDOs to spread the dissipated heat uniformly. The proposed techniques to achieve a high load sharing accuracy of 1% include an innovative fully-integrated accurate current sensing technique based on Dynamic Element Matching and an integrator based servo loop with a low offset feedback amplifier. A novel compensation scheme based on a switched capacitor resistor is referenced to address the high 2A output current specification per LDO across an output voltage range of 1V to 3V. The presented scheme also reduces stringent requirements on off-chip board traces and number of off-chip components thereby making it suitable for portable hand-held systems. The proposed approach can theoretically be extended to any number of parallel LDOs increasing the output current range extensively. The designed load sharing LDO features fast transient response for a low quiescent current consumption of 300µA with a power-supply rejection of 60.7dB at DC. The proposed load sharing technique is verified through extensive simulations for various sources and ranges of mismatch across process, voltage and temperature. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Electrical Engineering 2017

The apple rootstock ‘Geneva® 41’ (‘G.41’), is desirable for its resistance to fire blight, Erwinia amylovora, while producing high yields. However, ‘G.41’ and other Geneva® selections tend to form weak graft unions in the nursery that are susceptible to breaking in the wind, at harvest, or during shipment. In order to understand and remedy this graft union weakness, six scions (‘Fuji’, ‘Gala’, ‘Honeycrisp’, ‘McIntosh’, ‘Pink Lady’, and ‘Scilate’) by seven rootstocks (‘G.41’, ‘G.935’, ‘G.214’, ‘G.11’, ‘M.9-NIC 29’, ‘B.9’ and ‘EMLA 26’), by two grafting methods (chip bud and saddle graft) in a factorial design were tested for graft union flexural strength and flexibility. Additionally, plant growth regulators (PGR) were applied to trees with ‘G.41’ as rootstock as a solution to overcome graft union weakness. Transpiration rate and hydraulic resistance were measured for comparison of a weak graft forming rootstock (‘G.41’) to a strong graft forming rootstock (‘M.9-NIC 29’). ‘G.41’ consistently formed a weaker graft union regardless of scion or grafting method. Scions such as ‘McIntosh’ and ‘Pink Lady’ formed stronger graft unions, while ‘Scilate’ and ‘Honeycrisp’ form weaker graft unions. Saddle grafting did not improve graft union strength. Nurseries that graft on ‘G.41’ should choose scions that form stronger graft unions. Benzyl adenine (BA) in a latex paint increased the strength and flexibility of the graft union relative to scion cross sectional area (SCSA), but further research is needs to identify more efficient methods of application. Rootstock effect on transpiration rate was different between years. No detectable differences were found for hydraulic resistance through the graft union of different rootstocks, suggesting weaker graft unions did not limit hydraulic conductance or transpiration rate. Thus graft union weakness is not an indicator of poor vascular connection.

The plant hormone, abscisic acid (ABA), has previously been shown to have an impact on the resistance or susceptibility of plants to pathogens. In this thesis, it was shown that ABA had a regulatory effect on an extensive array of plant defence responses in three different plant and pathogen interaction combinations as well as following the application of an abiotic elicitor. In unique studies using ABA deficient mutants of Arabidopsis, exogenous ABA addition or ABA biosynthesis inhibitor application and simulated drought stress, ABA was shown to have a profound effect on the outcome of interactions between plants and pathogens of differing lifestyles and from different kingdoms. The systems used included a model plant and an important agricultural species: Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and Peronospora parasitica (a biotrophic Oomycete pathogen), Arabidopsis and Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato (a biotrophic bacterial pathogen) and an unrelated plant species, soybean (Glycine max) and Phytophthora sojae (a hemibiotrophic Oomycete pathogen), Generally, a higher than basal endogenous ABA concentration within plant tissues at the time of avirulent pathogen inoculation, caused an interaction shift towards what phenotypically resembled susceptibility. Conversely, a lower than basal endogenous ABA concentration in plants inoculated with a virulent pathogen caused a shift towards resistance. An extensive suppressive effect of ABA on defence responses was revealed by a range of techniques that included histochemical, biochemical and molecular approaches. A universal effect of ABA on suppression or induction of the phenylpropanoid pathway via regulation of the key entry point gene, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), when stimulated by biotic or abiotic elicitors was shown. ABA also influenced a wide variety of other defence-related components such as: the development of a hypersensitive response (HR), the accumulation of the reactive oxyden species, hydrogen peroxide and the cell wall strengthening compounds lignin and callose, accumulation of SA and the phytoalexin, glyceollin and the transcription of the SA-dependent pathogenesis- related gene (PR-1). The near genome-wide microarray gene expression analysis of an ABA induced susceptible interaction also revealed an yet unprecedented insight into the great diversity of defence responses that were influenced by ABA that included: disease resistance like proteins, antimicrobial proteins as well as phenylpropanoid and tryptophan pathway enzymes. Subtle differences were found in the number and type of defence responses that were regulated by ABA in each type of plant and pathogen interaction that was studied. This thesis has clearly identified in plant/pathogen interactions previously unknown and important roles for ABA in the regulation of many defence responses.

Legislation to reduce open field burning in grass seed fields within the Willamette valley of western Oregon changed established production practices. In the creeping grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) non-thermal management resulted in reduced yield. Studies were conducted to examine the effects of three stubble height treatments in comparison to open field burning in creeping red fescue seed production. The effects of light quality on characteristics of plant development were investigated in field and controlled environments. Exogenous applications of plant growth regulators (PGR's) were made to elucidate the causes of low seed yields observed without burning. Field plots were prepared in fall of 1994, and 1995 in creeping red fescue commercial production fields as well as at Hyslop research farm in 1995. Three cultivars were included in the trial; Shademaster and Hector, which produce many rhizomes, and Seabreeze which produces few rhizomes. The effects of stubble height, PGRs, and field burning were measured during fall regrowth and flowering. Non-structural carbohydrates available for early regrowth were reduced when stubble was removed below 5.0 cm, particularly in first-year stands. Fall tiller height was increased by stubble remaining and was negatively correlated with flowering. Rhizome development was reduced when stubble was removed mechanically or burned to the crown, whereas yield potential was increased. Fall ethylene application reduced fall tiller height, fall tiller number, and percent fertile tillers the following spring and was similar to control treatment compared with burn. Other PGRs did not produce consistent results in this study. Excess ethylene produced by decaying stubble may impact floral induction and reduce yield potential in creeping red fescue seed crops. Light quality as measured by red:far-red ratio (R:FR) was reduced by canopy closure during regrowth but not by the presence of stubble. In controlled environment studies, red light (R) promoted taller tillers, greater stage of development, and greater tiller number than far-red (FR) light. Sunlight enriched with FR completely inhibited rhizome formation. Results suggest that environments with excess reflected FR may negatively impact early development of creeping red fescue seed crops. / Graduation date: 1998

Philip M. Lewis II. / "June 7, 1956." "This report is based on a thesis submitted to the Department of Electrical Engineering, M.I.T., May 14, 1956, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Science." / Bibliography: p. 105. / Army Signal Corps Contract DA36-039-sc-64637 Dept. of the Army Task No. 3-99-06-108 Project No. 3-99-00-100

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 105 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-105).