<div> <p>Chia seed (<i>Salvia hispanica</i>) has shown potential as an alternative source of nutrients with a high content of fiber (36 %), protein (25%), and fat (25%). Unfortunately, the presence of a viscous biopolymer (mucilage), surrounding the chia seed (CS), limits the accessibility of the protein and other nutrients. Nevertheless, this biopolymer’s chemical composition makes it suitable for the development of biodegradable films. Regarding CS protein, disulfide bonding, and nonprotein-protein interactions often frequent in plant protein, have limited its technological application in food matrices. Therefore, scientists have pointed at processing methods involving enzymatic proteolysis to improve the functionality of plant protein ingredients. The objective of this study was to establish processing techniques to exploit the functionality, extraction, and health benefits of chia seed components. First, ultrasonication followed by vacuum-filtration was used to separate mucilage from CS prior to fat extraction by oil press. Mucilage-free and defatted CS were treated using conventional (enzymatic hydrolysis with alcalase) or sequential (enzymatic hydrolysis with alcalase+flavourzyme), and under water bath or microwave-assisted hydrolysis. Chia seed protein hydrolysates (CSPH) derived from the sequential hydrolysis with microwave treatment showed superior (p<0.05) in vitro antioxidant activity. The highest (p<0.05) cellular antioxidant activity was achieved by the sequential (94.76%) and conventional (93.13%) hydrolysis with microwave. Dipeptidyl peptidase-V inhibition was higher (p<0.05) for sequential hydrolysis with water bath, while Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibition activity increased (p<0.05) with hydrolysis for all treatments compared to the control. Regarding functionality, sequential hydrolysis with microwave showed higher (p<0.05) solubility at lower pH (3 and 5), while conventional hydrolysis with microwave was better at pH 7 and 9. Emulsification properties and foaming capacity were also higher in conventional hydrolysis with microwave, but conventional hydrolysis with water bath was more stable for foaming properties only. In terms of mucilage applicability, biodegradable films were developed by casting technique where CS mucilage was plasticized with different polyol mixtures (sorbitol and glycerol). CS mucilage films with higher sorbitol content showed superior tensile strength (3.23 N/mm²), and lower water vapor permeability (1.3*109 g/ m*s*Pa) but had poor flexibility compared to other treatments. Conversely, films with high glycerol content showed high elongation at break (67.55%) and solubility (22.75%), but reduced water vapor permeability and tensile strength. The hydrophobicity, measured as water contact angle, was higher (p<0.05) for mixtures containing equal amounts of polyols. Lastly, Raman Spectroscopy analysis showed shifts from 854 to 872 cm^-1 and 1061 to 1076 cm^-1, which corresponded to β(CCO) modes. These shifts represent an increase in hydrogen bonding, responsible for the high tensile strength and decreased water vapor permeability. This study demonstrated that ultrasonication followed by vacuum filtration can successfully separate mucilage from chia seeds; microwave-assisted and enzymatic hydrolysis generated protein hydrolysates with improved bioactivity and functionality. Finally, chia seed mucilage was able to form films with potential to be used in drug delivery and edible food coating applications.</p> </div> <br>

Heterosis, die Mehrleistung der Hybride über das Mittel ihrer homozygoten Eltern, ist ein viel untersuchtes genetisches Phänomen, das bis heute in seinen Ursachen und Wirkmechanismen noch nicht vollständig verstanden ist. Die klassische Untersuchung der Heterosis wird an Merkmalen der Pflanze, wie dem Biomasse- oder Korn- Ertrag und dem Tausendkorngewicht durchgeführt. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde studiert, ob schon auf der Ebene des Samens als genetischem Individuum Heterosis ausgeprägt wird. Ziel der Untersuchungen war, mögliche Unterschiede im reifen Samengewicht von heterozygoten und homozygoten Samen zu finden. Außerdem sollte der Einfluß von elterlicher Verwandtschaft, elterlicher Samengröße und von verschiedenen Stresssituationen auf diese Samenheterosis analysiert werden und eine mögliche Verbindung zwischen der Samenheterosis und der klassischen Heterosis untersucht werden. Darüber hinaus sollten Effekte des Inzuchtstatus der Samen auf den Samenertrag ihrer Mutterpflanze untersucht werden.In drei Versuchsjahren wurden insgesamt 17 Ackerbohnenlinien (Vicia faba L.) verschiedener Verwandtschaftsbeziehungen und Samengrößen in fünf Experimenten im Freiland, in offener und kontrollierter Bestäubungssituation, getestet. Zusätzlich wurde ein Experiment zur Verbindung zwischen Samenheterosis und klassischer Heterosis im Gewächshaus durchgeführt. Die Differenzierung zwischen fremd- und selbstbefruchteten Samen geschah entweder durch Handkreuzungen in sog. Freiland-Isolierhäusern, oder es wurden in offener Bestäubungssituation morphologische Marker zur Klassifizierung eingesetzt. Ferner wurde erprobt, inwiefern fremd- und selbstbefruchtete Samen aus offener Bestäubungssituation mittels Nah-Infrarot-Reflexions-Spektrometrie (NIRS) zu differenzieren sind. Durch Einsatz eines speziellen Kreuzungsschemas konnte die Samenheterosis beider reziproker Kreuzungsrichtungen in verschiedenen Samengenerationen geschätzt werden und eine biometrische Trennung der maternalen von den sameneigenen genetischen Effekten vorgenommen werden.Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine deutliche Überlegenheit des Samengewichtes von Hybridsamen über entsprechend vergleichbare ingezüchtete Samen; es konnte somit Heterosis für das Merkmal Samengewicht signifikant nachgewiesen werden, sie lag je nach Kreuzung zwischen 0,36% und 18,44% Mehrgewicht des Hybridsamens über dem homozygoten Elternwert. Die Untersuchung beider reziproker Kreuzungsrichtungen hat ergeben, dass das Samengewicht signifikant (P= 0,01) beeinflusst war durch maternal additive und zytoplasmatische Effekte, sowie durch sameneigene Dominanz- und Additiveffekte. Direkte Konkurrenz um mütterliche Ressourcen führte zu keiner Erhöhung der Hybridüberlegenheit, ebenso konnte keine höhere Überlegenheit der Hybridsamengewichte über die der Selbstungssamen nachgewiesen werden, wenn die Pflanze unter abiotischem Stress (Trockenheit) wuchs. Es wurde deutlich höhere Heterosis gefunden, wenn der Vergleich zwischen den Samengenerationen auf einem hohen Niveau der Samengröße stattfand, als wenn es sich um kleine Samen handelte. Die Ergebnisse zeigen tendenziell eine Erhöhung der Samenheterosis, wenn Heterozygotie für die elterliche Samengröße vorliegt, während keinerlei Hinweis auf geringere Heterosis bei Verwandtschaft der Eltern (f = 0,5; Geschwister-Linien bzw. Elter-Nachkomme) nachgewiesen werden konnte. Dieses steht im Widerspruch zu klassischen Befunden der Heterosisforschung. Es konnte eine signifikante Korrelation (r= 0,76, P= 0,01) zwischen der Heterosis der Samen und der Heterosis der Biomasse von (aus diesen Samen erwachsenen) Jungpflanzen nachgewiesen werden, woraus gefolgert wurde, dass die Samenheterosis dennoch, zumindest teilweise, ähnlichen genetischen Grundsätzen folgt wie die klassische Heterosis.Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Arbeit zeigen, dass Heterosis schon im frühen Entwicklungsstadium der Pflanze, am Samen, signifikant, bedeutend und mit großer Variation ausgeprägt ist. Es konnte abgeleitet werden, dass besonders die Heterozygotie für Allele, die die Samengröße der Eltern stark verschieden ausfallen lässt, in einem Samen dessen eigene Heterosis verursacht oder zumindest wesentlich bestimmt.

Resumo: Devido à escassez de informações relacionadas ao efeito da adubação na produção e qualidade de sementes de hortaliças, principalmente nas espécies que possuem aumento no ciclo com o estádio reprodutivo, nota-se a necessidade de determinar a demanda nutricional e a dose dos nutrientes para auxiliar na recomendação de adubação que proporcione a melhor produtividade de sementes de boa qualidade. Este trabalho foi conduzido na Fazenda Experimental São Manuel - UNESP/FCA, São Manuel/SP, localizada à latitude sul de 22o 46’, longitude oeste de 48º 34’ e altitude de 740 m, no período de 25/09/03 a 19/02/04, com o objetivo de determinar as curvas de acúmulo de nutrientes e avaliar a resposta de doses de fósforo adicionados ao solo na produção e qualidade de sementes de alface cultivar Verônica. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi blocos casualizados, com cinco tratamentos (0; 200; 400; 600 e 800 kg ha-1 de P2O5) e cinco repetições. Foram avaliadas características vegetativas das plantas, acúmulo e teor dos nutrientes no caule + folhas + hastes florais e nas sementes, a produção de sementes (massa e número) por planta e a sua qualidade (germinação e vigor). Os dados foram submetidos às análises de variância e de regressão. Observaram-se aumento linear na massa verde e massa seca das plantas no final do ciclo, com o aumento das doses de P2O5. A ordem decrescente dos nutrientes acumulados pela parte aérea total das plantas de alface para a produção de sementes foi: potássio > nitrogênio > cálcio > magnésio > fósforo > enxofre > ferro > manganês > zinco > boro > cobre e nas sementes essa ordem foi: nitrogênio > fósforo > potássio > magnésio > cálcio > enxofre > ferro > zinco > 2 manganês > cobre > boro. O período de maior demanda da maioria dos macronutrientes foi entre o início do pendoamento e o início do florescimento... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Due to the lack of information about the fertilization effect in vegetable seed production and quality, mainly in the species that have an increase cycle in the reproductive stage, a need has been identified to evaluate the nutritional demand and nutrient level to aid in recommending fertilization that provides best productivity from high quality seeds. This study was carried out from September/2003 to February/2004 at São Manuel Experimental Farm UNESP/FCA, in São Manuel, São Paulo State, Brazil, at 22o 46’ south latitude, 48º 34’ west longitude and at an altitude of 740 m, with the objective to evaluate the nutrients accumulation curves and response of phosphorus added to the soil on the seed production and seed quality of lettuce cultivar Verônica. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete blocks, with five treatments (0; 200; 400; 600; 800 kg ha-1 of P2O5) and five replications. Plant vegetative characteristics, nutrients (accumulation and content) in stem + leaves + flower stalks and seeds, seed yield (mass and number per plant) and seed quality (germination and vigor) were evaluated. The data were submitted to variance and regression analysis. A linear increase in plant fresh mass and plant dry mass was verified at the end of the cycle along with increased P2O5 rates. Nutrients accumulated in the total aerial part of the lettuce plant for seed production were, in descending order: potassium > nitrogen > calcium > magnesium > phosphorus > sulphur > iron > manganese > zinc > boron > copper, while in the seeds the order was: nitrogen > phosphorus > potassium > magnesium > calcium > sulphur > 4 iron > zinc > manganese > copper > boron. The period with the biggest demand for majority of the macronutrients was from the beginning of the stem elongation stage to the beginning of the flowering stage and for the majority of micronutrients, after the beginning of the flowering stage... (Complete abstract, click electroni address below) / Orientador: Antonio Ismael Inácio Cardoso / Coorientador: Roberto Lyra Villas Bôas / Banca: Antonio Celso Wagner Zanin / Banca: Dirceu Maximino Fernandes / Banca: Arthur Bernardes Cecilio Filho / Banca: Simone da Costa Mello / Doutor

Reynoutria spp. rank among highly invasive taxa in the Czech Republic. Therefore, a considerable effort is focused on its eradication. This is usually done by application of non- selective herbicide based on glyphosate. However, only little is known about the spontaneous recovery of the native vegetation after the eradication, as well as whether the restoration can be facilitated by additional management. In my master thesis I (i) describe the process of restoration after Reynoutria spp. eradication, (ii) evaluate the influence of factors which could potentially inhibit the succession (such as glyphosate, allelopathy, changes in soil conditions due to Reynoutria spp. invasion), and (iii) evaluate the influence of native-species seed addition on establishment of target plant communities. The process of vegetation recovery was followed on 17 sites in a forest and in ruderal forest-free area from 2007 to 2010. Over the three years of the study, the sites in the forest- free area were covered by diverse vegetation, secondary succession on sites in a forest progressed more slowly. Any soil changes were detected. The process of succession was limited probably because a dead biomass was left on the sites after the eradication. The seed addition was also not crucial for the restoration of plant communitites.

The sagebrush steppe is a particularly sensitive ecosystem that is easily disturbed by fires, oil and gas extraction, woody-plant encroachment, and overgrazing. The natural regeneration of native species following a disturbance within this system is typically slow and sporadic, which allows invasive grasses to occupy the landscape. Attempts to assist the recovery of these landscapes through direct seeding is commonly met with poor success rates, particularly in lower elevation, drier sites. Novel seed enhancement technologies and planting techniques that mitigate limiting factors impairing restoration efforts may improve the likelihood of restoring these degraded areas. For chapter 1, we evaluated a solid-matrix priming technique, where bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata) and Lewis flax (Linum lewisii) were primed and then the priming matrix and seed were pelleted together. We evaluated primed seed that had been incorporated into pellets at two field sites against seed that was pelleted but been left unprimed, and untreated seed (control). These three seed treatments were planted in the spring (mid-march) in shallow (2-cm) and deep (15-cm) furrows, in a complete factorial design. We found that primed seeds generally produced higher plant densities than control seed at the beginning of the growing season; however, its influence diminished towards the end of the growing season. We also found that deep furrows increased plant density throughout the growing season and even into the following year. The combination of priming and deep furrows outperformed control seed in shallow furrows in all measured metrics. For chapter 2, we evaluated a seed conglomeration technique for improving Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata ssp. Wyomingensis) emergence and survival under fall and winter plantings. The trial was implemented at five sites across Utah and Nevada in a randomized complete block-split-split plot design, with site, and planting season, comprising the split-plot factors. Each site and season combination was seeded with conglomerated and control seed. We found that in most cases, a fall seeding of Wyoming big sagebrush was either the same or more successful compared to planting on the snow in the winter, which is the current suggested practice. Our results also demonstrated that seed conglomeration produced higher plant densities compared to control seed throughout the growing season. The higher density of plants produced from conglomerates combined with the improved seed delivery provided by the conglomeration technique was estimated to offset the cost in producing conglomerates and reduce overall restoration costs by 41%.

No description available.

Architecture, as a discipline, has the potential to serve as a catalyst for cultivating an awareness of our intrinsic connection to the Earth and the broader universe. However, in the contemporary world, architectural practices frequently tend to alienate us from the natural environment, compelling many of us to inhabit indoor spaces reliant on centralized utility systems. This reliance, in turn, exerts significant stress on the Earth's ecosystems. The essence of architecture should instead lie in its capacity to engage with the surrounding natural elements, including the sun, wind, earth, and rain, thereby prompting individuals to acknowledge their geographical and planetary context. By harnessing these natural forces at the local level, architectural structures could autonomously provide their occupants with essential resources such as energy, water, and sustenance throughout the year. This thesis embarks on an exploration of the feasibility of integrating these principles of passive design into architectural structures, with the overarching goal of imparting experiential learning opportunities to the broader public. Through this endeavor, architecture can transcend its conventional role and emerge as a conduit for disseminating knowledge and awareness about sustainable living practices. Ultimately, this reimagined role for architecture can play a pivotal part in catalyzing the ongoing human evolution towards enhanced health and resilience, both as individuals and as a species. / Master of Architecture / Architecture should make us aware of how we are connected to the earth and by its extension, the universe. In today's world, it often closes us off from nature instead. Many of us are plugged in to an indoor culture that relies on centralized utility infrastructure to sustain, which often puts great strain on the natural environment. By interacting with surrounding natural phenomenon such as the sun, wind, earth, and rain, our buildings should remind us of our geographical and planetary context. By gathering these natural forces local, a building could supply its inhabitants with energy, water, and facilitate food production year round. This thesis aims to explore how a building could demonstrate these principles of passive design to the general public by using architecture as a vessel for experiential learning. This is the role Architecture can play in the process of human evolution towards becoming a healthier and more resilient species.

This thesis explores the seed germination of seven wildflowers native to sub-alpine ecosystems. Wildflowers are an essential functional group in native plant ecosystems. Also known as forbs, these plants offer a myriad of benefits in addition to being aesthetically pleasing. They provide habitats for anthropods and small mammals, support native pollinator populations, and grow well with other plant functional groups (especially perennial grasses and shrubs). Healthy plant communities make use of the limited resources in our native ecosystems, competing with invasive species that can otherwise dominate the landscape. Germination involves the transition from seed to an actively growing plant. Following germination, the seedling relies on stored energy reserves until it becomes as an autotrophic organism. Because germination is irreversible, it is the most vulnerable period of the plant lifecycle. Seeds of sub-alpine plants typically have complex dormancy-breaking requirements before growth begins. Therefore, understanding factors that influence the germination is essential to understanding propagation for horticultural use as well as timing of seedings for ecological restoration. The first chapter investigates the germination behavior of two co-occurring Asteraceae species across an elevation gradient. Mules ear (Wyethia amplexicaulis) and arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) seeds were collected at low, mid, and high elevation locations then subjected to a number of cold stratification treatment lengths (4-20 weeks) Both showed variance in germination behavior between elevation collection locations, with higher locations exhibiting a longer stratification requirement. The second study was developed to determine methods for breaking dormancy in five wildflower species for which existing literature is nonexistent or lacking. Delphinium nuttalianum (low larkspur), Delphinium exaltatum (tall larkspur), Frasera speciosa (green gentian), Polemonium foliosissimum var. alpinum (Jacob's ladder), and Mimulus grandifloras (monkey flower) were selected for this study because they all have the potential for use in horticulture and restoration ecology applications. Three species (low larkspur, tall larkspur, and green gentian) required long-term cold stratification to break dormancy. Jacob's ladder required physical scarification to break dormancy, and monkey flower required the combination of constant temperature with light exposure to germinate. These findings indicate that 1) six of seven species should be autumn-planted, and that propagation for horticulture use for five of the species is a lengthy process involving several months; 2) propagation of monkey flower seeds include strict temperature and light requirements; and 3) while seeds collected from different locations have the same type of dormancy-breaking requirements, variation in the degree of seed dormancy has ecological relevance.

No description available.

Roughly 79-100% of maize in the United States (US) is treated with a neonicotinoid seed treatment (NST), and transgenic (GMO) maize, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), that produces insecticidal toxins by way of genes derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), occupies more than 75% of maize acreage. Among a variety of secondary pests targeted by NSTs, the primary soil-dwelling pest targeted by Bt maize is the western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Transgenic Bt technology has dramatically reduced insecticide use for WCR, and insect resistance poses the greatest threat to its utility. To delay resistance to Bt traits, in 2010 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved a "refuge-in-a-bag" (RIB) insect resistance management (IRM) strategy, where 5% of seeds do not express Bt toxins (i.e., "refuge" maize). The RIB strategy is intended to preserve Bt trait effectiveness if mating between 'resistant' insects from Bt plants and 'susceptible' insects from refuge plants occurs at a high enough frequency. Investigations into the effectiveness of RIB for WCR have shown that beetles emerged from Bt plants tend to vastly outnumber beetles emerged from refuge plants, which contributes to low rates of mixed mating. Large proportions of Bt beetles is one of several factors that contributes to resistance development, and resistance to all currently-available WCR-Bt traits has been documented. I conducted field experiments in two regions (Indiana and Virginia) comparing refuge beetle proportions in NST-treated (NST+) and NST-untreated (NST-) 5% RIB maize, to determine whether NSTs may be limiting refuge beetle emergence. To assess advantages of combining use of Bt and NSTs, I compared stand, root injury rating, and yield between NST+, NST-, Bt and non-Bt maize in both states. I also measured neonicotinoid residues in soil, water, and stream sediment within and surrounding fields of maize, to study the off-site movement and soil residence time of these compounds. I found that 5% seed blends did not produce large populations of refuge beetles in any site-year, and that NSTs showed inconsistent effects on refuge beetle populations. Treatment comparisons showed inconsistent benefits of NSTs when combined with Bt traits. I detected neonicotinoid residues in soil matrices throughout the growing season (range: 0 – 417.42 ppb), including prior to planting, suggesting year-round presence of these compounds. My results suggest that, while the effects of NSTs on Bt IRM may be inconsistent, the benefits of universally applying NSTs to Bt maize for soil pests may not be worth the ecological costs of doing so in all cases. / Doctor of Philosophy / About 75% of maize planted in the United States is encoded with genetic traits allowing them to manufacture insecticidal proteins which are toxic to key pests. These insecticidal proteins, known as "Bt toxins," are highly specific to targeted insects, and are virtually non-toxic all other animals and non-target insects. One target insect is the western corn rootworm (WCR), which feeds on and damages maize roots. In the past, WCR was controlled by applying millions of kilograms of chemical insecticides every year, at ever-increasing rates, to compensate for reduced effectiveness due to pest resistance. "Bt" plants, were released for commercial use in the late 1990s; they reduced the need for growers to apply chemical insecticides for managing key pests. The Environmental Protection Agency established regulations aiming to maintain the effectiveness of Bt technology, which they declared have "provided substantial human health, environmental, and economic benefit." This Insect Resistance Management (IRM) strategy, also known as the "refuge" strategy, is meant to preserve Bt-susceptible insects so they can pass on their Bt-susceptible genes to successive generations. The refuge strategy works by incorporating a certain percentage of non-Bt plants per every field of Bt plants; if enough insects survive on these "refuge" plants to outnumber "resistant" insects, population-wide Bt-susceptibility may be maintained. While this strategy has been effective for other key maize pests, it is failing for WCR, evidenced by WCR populations that have developed Bt-resistance. We know current refuge configurations aren't producing enough refuge-WCR to mix sufficiently with resistant WCR, likely due to insufficient refuge sizes. I wanted to know whether the refuge strategy could be improved, if increasing refuge proportions is not an option. Considering that Bt toxins are only effective against a narrow range of insects, seed manufacturers always coat seeds with an insecticide to protect seedlings against other insects. These coatings, or neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs), are included on nearly all seed, including those reserved for Bt refuges. I conducted two years of field trials to investigate whether removing NSTs from refuge seeds would improve WCR-IRM by providing an insecticide-free "refuge." My results suggest that removing NSTs may increase refuge beetle proportions, however my results also show that refuge plant proportions are simply too small to support large enough refuge-WCR populations to delay resistance, regardless of whether NSTs are present or not. While NSTs may provide extra comfort to growers at little additional cost, questions regarding their necessity at current use patterns have been raised. Several studies have shown inconsistent benefits, and others have shown longer-than-expected persistence in the environment, movement into streams and groundwater, and even alterations to insect and non-insect animal communities associated with their use. I conducted research comparing their relative effectiveness against WCR and non-WCR insect pests in fields of Bt maize. Additionally, I scouted for their residues in soil collected in field margins, forests buffering streams, and in water collected from agricultural ditches and waterways neighboring fields. I found that, while NSTs produced higher plant populations, they rarely resulted in greater yields. I detected neonicotinoid residues in soil matrices throughout the growing season, including prior to planting, suggesting year-round presence of these compounds. My results suggest that, while the effects of NSTs on Bt IRM may be inconsistent, the benefits of universally applying NSTs to Bt maize for soil pests may not be worth the ecological costs of doing so in all cases.