Various additions are used in rubber compounds to accelerate mixing with particulate fillers and to improve behaviour in subsequent processing operations. Cationic surfactants of general structure [RNH2(CH2)3NH3]2+ 2[R'COO] can be used in rubber processing as multifunctional additives (MFA) which act as processing aids, accelerators and mould releasing agents. However, with all these beneficial properties an adverse effect of decreased scorch time was observed when N–tallow–1,3 diaminopropane dioleate (EN444) was used in the filled natural rubber compound.

Aim of the study: To estimate and evaluate the influence of sociodemographic and environmental factors on children burnings in Kaunas region in 2000–2003. Methods: The research is carried out during 2000–2003. The data is taken from Kaunas territorial patient center. During the research the rate of children burning according sex, age and living place is analyzed. The distribution of burnings depending to the city and country as well as the patient age is surveyed, too. MS Excel and SPSS programs are used for the data analysis. Results: During 2000–2003, there were 2233 children(1365 boys and 868 girls) with various burnings in Kaunas region. In 2000 in Kaunas region 367,5 boys and 225 girls suffered from burnings; in 2001 there were 408,5 boys and 322,9 girls with burnings for 100 000 region dwellers. In 2002 there were 360,6 boys and 229,8 girls with burnings, but in 2003 the number increased up to 494,2 boys and 308,1 girls with burnings. The total number of injured boys is 1365(61%) and the total number of injured girls is 868(39%). The largest number of burnt children is stated in the group of 0-6 years(1249–56%). In the group of 7-9 years the number of burnt children is 246(11%). 432(19%) children of 10–14 years old and 306(14%) children of 15–17 years old suffered from burnings. 323(23,7%) boys and 211(24,3%) girls suffered from arm and shoulder burnings. 195(22,5%) girls suffered from leg burnings. The number is 5,6% higher than the number of analogous burnings in boys... [to full text]

New polymer cure chemistry is described, wherein the onset of free radical cross-linking is delayed without compromising cure yields. The addition of an acrylate-functionalized nitroxyl, 4-acryloyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl (AOTEMPO), to a peroxide-cure formulation quenches free radical activity during the initial stages of the cross-linking process, trapping alkyl radicals as alkoxyamines that bear acrylate functionality. Polymer cross-linking by macro-radical combination is suppressed until all nitroxyl is consumed, at which point radical oligomerization of polymer-bound acrylate groups generates the desired covalent network. As a result, cross-link density losses incurred during radical trapping are recovered during the oligomerization phase of the process. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated for a range of polymers, peroxide initiators, reaction temperatures and reagent loadings. Furthermore, AOTEMPO formulations are compared directly to other delayed-onset additives that are used in commercial practice. / Thesis (Master, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-06-11 10:09:20.848

Phytopathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa, causes a number of economically important diseases, including Pierces disease (PD) of grape and bacterial leaf scorch (BLS) of a number of landscape trees. In Kentucky (KY), BLS affects a number of shade trees including many oak and maple species. In 2001, PD was diagnosed in grapevines in western KY. Xylella fastidiosa is also detected in many asymptomatic landscape plants and grasses. It was the goal of this research to identify hosts of X. fastidiosa around KY and use phylogenetic analysis to compare sequences of the 16S rDNA and gyrase B (gyrB) genes between samples. This research tests the hypothesis that sequence comparison can identify asymptomatic hosts and vectors that serve as a source of inoculum for pathogenic strains of X. fastidiosa. Plant collections were done in urban areas of KY between 2002 and 2004 and samples were tested for the presence of X. fastidiosa by ELISA and PCR. A number of symptomatic and asymptomatic plants were found to be hosts. Primer sets specifically developed for X. fastidiosa were used to amplify part of the 16S rDNA and the gyrB gene from DNA extracted directly from plant tissue. Sequence data from these specifically amplified products were assembled using Phrap, aligned with ClustalW, then phylogenetic analysis was done with Paup 4.0b10 beta. Comparisons with strains outside of Kentucky were also done using X. fastidiosa sequence obtained from NCBI. Maximum parsimony (MP) trees from the 16S rDNA showed a clade of sequence from oak and grass samples that is an outgroup to sequence from NCBI and other samples in this study. According to BLAST, sequences in this outgroup clade seem to be more closely related to the genera Xanthomonas or Stenotrophomonas than Xylella. However, the gyrB gene MP tree showed sequence from three of the samples that were part of this outgroup clade as being closely related to those X. fastidiosa sequences that are part of the ingroup of both 16S rDNA and gyrB trees. The topology difference between the 16S rDNA and gyrB trees suggest there may have been recombination in the genomic region containing one of these genes.

Many fire-prone forests in western North America suffer from hazardous fuel conditions. Mechanical mastication is an increasingly common method of fuels treatment, but little is known regarding long-term effectiveness. A randomized block design at two sites (northern Sierras and southern Cascades) compared ladder fuels and overstory growth among treatments including mastication alone and mastication followed with prescribed fire or herbicide 10 or 11 years post-treatment. Subsequent herbicide application reduced ladder fuels in comparison to mastication alone or with prescribed fire. Prescribed fire further reduced ladder fuels at the southern Cascades site, however, in the northern Sierras postire ladder fuels were positively related to overstory absence. Mastication alone effectively released ponderosa pine at the southern Cascades site, whereas neither herbicide nor prescribed fire affected pine radial growth. This study demonstrates the feasibility of prescribed fire and herbicide for increasing treatment longevity of mastication, but also highlights potential limitations and important considerations.

O trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a capacidade de infecção e multiplicação de estirpes de Xylella fastidiosa de citros [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] e de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.) em inoculações cruzadas, para investigar a possibilidade de disseminação deste patógeno de pomares cítricos infectados para cafezais ou vice versa. As inoculações foram realizadas mecanicamente com um isolado (CCT6570) de X. fastidiosa proveniente de árvore cítrica com clorose variegada dos citros (CVC) e um isolado (CCT6756) de planta de café com sintomas de atrofia dos ramos do cafeeiro (ARC). Quatro concentrações de células de cada isolado, variando de 10 3 a 10 9 unidades formadoras de colônias (UFC) por mL, foram inoculadas por agulha em citros e cafeeiro, para determinação de curvas de titulação e doses efetivas para infecção em cada combinação estirpe/hospedeiro. As plantas foram avaliadas por "polymerase chain reaction" (PCR) e isolamento em meio de cultura quanto à infecção por X. fastidiosa e população bacteriana, após 0,5; 2; 4 e 8 meses da inoculação. A estirpe de cafeeiro (ARC) de X. fastidiosa não colonizou citros nas concentrações de inóculo testadas. A inoculação da estirpe de citros (CVC) em cafeeiro resultou em baixas taxas de infecção, exigindo uma concentração de inóculo cerca de 10 vezes mais alta do que a necessária para a mesma taxa de infecção (25%) em citros. A dose efetiva para infecção de 25% das plantas (DE25) foi de 0,29 x 10 6 e 0,35 x 10 7 UFC/mL para as combinações (estirpe/hospedeiro) ARC/cafeeiro e CVC/citros, respectivamente. Já para a combinação heteróloga CVC/cafeeiro, a DE25 foi de 0,85 x 10 8 UFC/mL, evidenciando a dificuldade de colonização de plantas de café pela estirpe de citros. A população bacteriana da estirpe de citros foi mais elevada em citros que em cafeeiro em todas as épocas de avaliação, embora a diferença tenha sido significativa apenas aos 2 meses após a inoculação. Um teste preliminar demonstrou que o método de isolamento primário envolvendo maceração de pecíolo foliar de cafeeiro infectado não inibe o crescimento de X. fastidiosa em meio de cultura, propiciando assim, uma estimativa confiável da população de células cultiváveis da bactéria em cafeeiro. Em caráter complementar, realizou-se um estudo de comparação morfológica de seis isolados de X. fastidiosa de citros com CVC e de seis isolados de cafeeiro com ARC, provenientes de diferentes localidades dos Estados de São Paulo e Minas Gerais. Não houve relação entre período de incubação ou diâmetro médio das colônias e o hospedeiro de origem dos isolados. Entretanto, as colônias dos isolados de cafeeiro apresentaram coloração opalescente e margens lisas, enquanto que as de citros mostraram-se mais convexas e escuras, com o centro áspero e margens onduladas, apresentando numerosos filamentos semelhantes a exopolissacarídeos. / The goal of this research was to evaluate infection efficiency and multiplication of citrus [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] and coffee (Coffea arabica L.) strains of Xylella fastidiosa after cross inoculations, in order to assess the potential for spread of this pathogen from infected citrus groves to coffee plantations and vice versa. Mechanical inoculations were carried out with a X. fastidiosa isolate (CCT6570) from a citrus tree showing citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and an isolate (CCT6756) from a coffee tree with coffee stem atrophy (CSA). Four cell concentrations of each isolate, ranging between 10 3 a 10 9 colony forming units (CFU) per mL, were needle-inoculated in citrus and coffee plants, in order to determine titration curves and effective doses for infection in each strain/host combination. The rate of infected plants and the viable bacterial population were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primary isolation in culture at 0.5, 2, 4 and 8 months after inoculation. The coffee (CSA) strain of X. fastidiosa did not colonize citrus in any of the inoculum concentrations tested. Cross inoculation of the citrus (CVC) strain in coffee resulted in low rates of infection and required an inoculum concentration 10 times higher than that necessary to obtain a similar (25%) rate of infection in citrus. The effective dose for 25% infection (ED25) was 0,29 x 10 6 and 0,35 x 10 7 CFU/mL for the homologous strain/host combinations, CSA/coffee and CVC/citrus, respectively. For the heterologous CVC/coffee combination, ED25 was higher (0,85 x 10 8 CFU/mL), showing the difficulty of colonizatin of coffee plants by the citrus strain. Bacterial population of the citrus strain was higher in citrus than in coffee plants at all evaluation dates, although statistical differences were found only at 2 months after inoculation. A preliminary test showed that the primary isolation method used, which includes maceration of infected coffee leaf petioles, does not inhibit bacterial grow in culture, thus allowing reliable estimates of X. fastidiosa populations in coffee. Another study was carried out to compare colony morphology of six isolates of X. fastidiosa from citrus with CVC and six isolates from coffee with CSA, obtained from different localities in the States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. There was no relationship between incubation period or average colony diameter and the original host of the isolates. However, colonies of the coffee isolates showed opalescent colour and flat margins, whereas the colonies of all citrus isolates were darker and more convex, with rugous center and ondulated margins presenting numerous filaments.

O trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a capacidade de infecção e multiplicação de estirpes de Xylella fastidiosa de citros [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] e de cafeeiro (Coffea arabica L.) em inoculações cruzadas, para investigar a possibilidade de disseminação deste patógeno de pomares cítricos infectados para cafezais ou vice versa. As inoculações foram realizadas mecanicamente com um isolado (CCT6570) de X. fastidiosa proveniente de árvore cítrica com clorose variegada dos citros (CVC) e um isolado (CCT6756) de planta de café com sintomas de atrofia dos ramos do cafeeiro (ARC). Quatro concentrações de células de cada isolado, variando de 10 3 a 10 9 unidades formadoras de colônias (UFC) por mL, foram inoculadas por agulha em citros e cafeeiro, para determinação de curvas de titulação e doses efetivas para infecção em cada combinação estirpe/hospedeiro. As plantas foram avaliadas por “polymerase chain reaction” (PCR) e isolamento em meio de cultura quanto à infecção por X. fastidiosa e população bacteriana, após 0,5; 2; 4 e 8 meses da inoculação. A estirpe de cafeeiro (ARC) de X. fastidiosa não colonizou citros nas concentrações de inóculo testadas. A inoculação da estirpe de citros (CVC) em cafeeiro resultou em baixas taxas de infecção, exigindo uma concentração de inóculo cerca de 10 vezes mais alta do que a necessária para a mesma taxa de infecção (25%) em citros. A dose efetiva para infecção de 25% das plantas (DE25) foi de 0,29 x 10 6 e 0,35 x 10 7 UFC/mL para as combinações (estirpe/hospedeiro) ARC/cafeeiro e CVC/citros, respectivamente. Já para a combinação heteróloga CVC/cafeeiro, a DE25 foi de 0,85 x 10 8 UFC/mL, evidenciando a dificuldade de colonização de plantas de café pela estirpe de citros. A população bacteriana da estirpe de citros foi mais elevada em citros que em cafeeiro em todas as épocas de avaliação, embora a diferença tenha sido significativa apenas aos 2 meses após a inoculação. Um teste preliminar demonstrou que o método de isolamento primário envolvendo maceração de pecíolo foliar de cafeeiro infectado não inibe o crescimento de X. fastidiosa em meio de cultura, propiciando assim, uma estimativa confiável da população de células cultiváveis da bactéria em cafeeiro. Em caráter complementar, realizou-se um estudo de comparação morfológica de seis isolados de X. fastidiosa de citros com CVC e de seis isolados de cafeeiro com ARC, provenientes de diferentes localidades dos Estados de São Paulo e Minas Gerais. Não houve relação entre período de incubação ou diâmetro médio das colônias e o hospedeiro de origem dos isolados. Entretanto, as colônias dos isolados de cafeeiro apresentaram coloração opalescente e margens lisas, enquanto que as de citros mostraram-se mais convexas e escuras, com o centro áspero e margens onduladas, apresentando numerosos filamentos semelhantes a exopolissacarídeos. / The goal of this research was to evaluate infection efficiency and multiplication of citrus [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] and coffee (Coffea arabica L.) strains of Xylella fastidiosa after cross inoculations, in order to assess the potential for spread of this pathogen from infected citrus groves to coffee plantations and vice versa. Mechanical inoculations were carried out with a X. fastidiosa isolate (CCT6570) from a citrus tree showing citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) and an isolate (CCT6756) from a coffee tree with coffee stem atrophy (CSA). Four cell concentrations of each isolate, ranging between 10 3 a 10 9 colony forming units (CFU) per mL, were needle-inoculated in citrus and coffee plants, in order to determine titration curves and effective doses for infection in each strain/host combination. The rate of infected plants and the viable bacterial population were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primary isolation in culture at 0.5, 2, 4 and 8 months after inoculation. The coffee (CSA) strain of X. fastidiosa did not colonize citrus in any of the inoculum concentrations tested. Cross inoculation of the citrus (CVC) strain in coffee resulted in low rates of infection and required an inoculum concentration 10 times higher than that necessary to obtain a similar (25%) rate of infection in citrus. The effective dose for 25% infection (ED25) was 0,29 x 10 6 and 0,35 x 10 7 CFU/mL for the homologous strain/host combinations, CSA/coffee and CVC/citrus, respectively. For the heterologous CVC/coffee combination, ED25 was higher (0,85 x 10 8 CFU/mL), showing the difficulty of colonizatin of coffee plants by the citrus strain. Bacterial population of the citrus strain was higher in citrus than in coffee plants at all evaluation dates, although statistical differences were found only at 2 months after inoculation. A preliminary test showed that the primary isolation method used, which includes maceration of infected coffee leaf petioles, does not inhibit bacterial grow in culture, thus allowing reliable estimates of X. fastidiosa populations in coffee. Another study was carried out to compare colony morphology of six isolates of X. fastidiosa from citrus with CVC and six isolates from coffee with CSA, obtained from different localities in the States of São Paulo and Minas Gerais. There was no relationship between incubation period or average colony diameter and the original host of the isolates. However, colonies of the coffee isolates showed opalescent colour and flat margins, whereas the colonies of all citrus isolates were darker and more convex, with rugous center and ondulated margins presenting numerous filaments.

No description available.

Este trabalho objetivou investigar a existência de polimorfismos de seqüência nucleotídica (SNPs "single nucleotide polymorphisms") em fragmentos genômicos de cana-de-açúcar homólogos a genes de resistência. Para tal, iniciadores sintéticos homólogos às extremidades de uma seqüência expressa identificada (ESTs "expressed sequence tag") como homóloga ao gene Xa1 de arroz (EST SCCCCL3080E03.g) e outra ao gene Rp1-D de milho (EST SCCCCL3080B03.g) foram utilizados para amplificar, em duplicata, fragmentos genômicos de variedades de cana-de-açúcar. Em seguida, os fragmentos foram clonados e seqüenciados. No caso do primeiro EST, foram obtidas seqüências de 119 insertos de uma variedade resistente (SP804966) e 156 de uma variedade suscetível (SP80180) a Xanthomonas albilineans. No segundo caso, foram obtidas seqüências de 167 insertos de uma terceira variedade resistente (R570) e 135 de outra suscetível (SP811763) a Puccinia melanocephala. Para cada EST considerado, as seqüências foram comparadas por meio do programa DNA Sequencher 3.0 (Gene Codes Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI). Nesta análise, somente foram consideradas seqüências reproduzíveis, isto é, que ocorreram nas duas repetições. No caso de ambos ESTs, a comparação de seqüências entre variedades possibilitou a identificação de quatro a seis fragmentos distintos. A comparação entre variedades, por sua vez, revelou a existência de até duas seqüências comuns. Presume-se que estas seqüências reproduzíveis e confirmadas por meio de digestões de clones representativos de cada uma com enzimas de restrição, correspondam a seqüências alélicas. Iniciadores foram sintetizados com base em polimorfismos encontrados entre os diferentes alelos. No entanto, tentativas de amplificar alelos específicos por meio destes iniciadores se revelaram infrutíferas. Tal insucesso deve-se possivelmente à condição polialélica da cana-de-açúcar, que faz com que polimorfismos entre dois alelos sejam compensados por monomorfismos entre estes e os demais alelos. Assim, a utilização de SNPs como marcadores moleculares baseados em PCR em cana-de- açúcar mostra-se mais complexa quando comparada a plantas diplóides. / The objective of this work was to investigate the existence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genomic fragments homologous to resistance genes in sugarcane. For this purpose, primers were designed based on the sequence of the extremities of an identified expressed sequence tag (ESTs) similar to the Xa1 gene of rice (EST SCCCCL3080E03.g) and another to the maize Rp1-D gene (EST SCCCCL3080B03.g). These primers were used to amplify genomic fragments of sugarcane varieties in duplicate. The fragments were then cloned and sequenced. In the case of first EST, sequences of 119 inserts from a resistant variety (SP804966) and 156 from a susceptible variety (SP80180) to Xanthomonas albilineans were analyzed. In the case of the second EST, sequences of 167 inserts from a third variety (R570) and 135 of a fourth one (SP811763), resistant and susceptible respectively to Puccinia melanocephala, were analyzed. Sequences were compared using the program DNA Sequencher 3.0 (Gene Codes Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI). In this analysis, only reproducible sequences were considered, that is, sequences that occurred in both replicates. Four to six different sequences were identified within varieties whereas comparisons among varieties revealed the existence of up to two sequences in common. These reproducible sequences, which were further confirmed through digestion of representative clones with appropriate restriction enzymes, could correspond to allelic sequences. Primers were designed based on the SNPs detected among these so-called alleles. However, attempts to amplify specific alleles using these primers were unsuccessful. This could be due to the polyallelic condition of sugarcane in which polymorphisms between two alleles could be compensated by monomorphisms between these and other alleles. Thus the use of SNPs as PCR-based molecular markers is not as straightforward in sugarcane as in diploid species.

The tongtime deveolpment of 5 different forest stands with different harvest intensities had been monitored over 30 years. The appearance of secondary damages had been noticed. The results of monitoring had been used for a simulation of the future development. / Holzernteschäden unterschiedlicher Holzernteintenistäten wurden untersucht und in einem Zeitraum von bis zu 30 Jahren beobachtet. Dabei wurde besonders dem Auftreten von Sekundärschäden wie Sonnenbrand und Wasserreiser Beachtung geschenkt. Die gewonnenen Informationen wurden genutzt, um die zukünftige Bestandesentwicklung zu simulieren.