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2 pp. / Persistent woody plants can sometimes conflict with gardening and landscape goals. In many cases, plant removal becomes necessary. This may be accomplished through manual stump removal or the use of herbicides. With some knowledge of the life history of the target plant, cut stumps can be safely and effectively treated with herbicides to prevent regrowth. Species lists, safety tips, examples, photos, and non-herbicide alternatives are provided to ensure optimum stump killing success.

Revised; Originally Published: 2006 / 2 pp.

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The Rice Sprout Song, the first novel ever written in English by Zhang Ailing, was finished during the time when she resided in Hong Kong, namely, from 1952 till 1955. Forty-one years after she released the book and secured a firm position in the world of literature, she passed away in the USA in1995. According to Su Weizhen, it was Hu Shi that made the earliest comments on the novel. In his reply letter to its author, Professor Hu stated that ¡§from beginning to end, your novel focuses on famine, which might have been a suitable title if you had opted for it. On the whole, the story is described in an unadorned but natural manner.¡¨ Several decades later, Professor Xia Zhiqing offered the same commentary as Hu¡¦s, adding that the novel boasts considerable literary value. After making a probe into the background and inspiration of the novel, this paper dwells on its creative techniques, such as the multiple interpretations conveyed by the narratives, the skillful mastery of images in original writing, the presentation of colorful, concrete pictures, and the clever employment of irony. After that, this paper analyzes the music, mythology, drama, as well as ethical structure mentioned in the novel, and even investigates the standpoint from which the author shapes the characters successfully. Born at the turn of a new era and strongly influenced by both eastern and western cultures, Zhang Ailing is separate from her contemporaries in that she has stuck to her own writing style throughout her career. Nevertheless, as the masterpiece representative of her middle career, The Rice Sprout Song exhibits plainness and purity by basing its plot on real people and experiences. Being a member of Zhang¡¦s distinctly feminine creations, the novel differs from her early or late counterparts. For instance, one of her early hits, The Legends, is overly ornamental and brightly colored while two woks completed in her late years, The Discontented Woman and The Long-lasting Love, are genuinely refreshing and intriguing. Besides, it should be pointed out that the content of the novel is gradually shifted from the physical aspect to the ideological one. A writer trapped ¡§in the narrow corner of human history,¡¨ Zhang Ailing has only a little freedom to exercise her imagination. Therefore, it deserves deep thought that the uniquely rebellious author shows, out of humanitarian concern, sincere sympathy for the plight of Chinese peasants. Concentrating on the theme of rural poverty, she presents her observations in a direct and simple way and thus renders the novel different from her earlier works, which are characterized by a decorative and intricate style. Though described in easy language, the novel displays mature skills which demand heartfelt awe from its readers. No wonder Professor Wang Dewei recommends the novel as ¡§a vulgar model revolting against the modern trend.¡¨ In addition, what the characters say and do reflects the features of the man on the street rather than those of the upper class. As a result, it is fairly effortless for the readers to get exposed to ¡§true-to-life records of human history.¡¨ Keywords: Zhang Ailing (Eileen Chang), The Rice Sprout Song, symbolism, color image, anti-communism literature

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Sprout control is essential for successful management of stored potatoes. This study examined the effect of dill weed, spearmint and clove essential oils on sprouting of potatoes. Extracts of steam distilled dill weed whole plants containing 41.5-42.7% of S-(+)-carvone and spearmint foliage extracts containing 97.2-97.6% of R-(-)-carvone, were applied to tubers in a series of experiments using either 1-L glass jars or 63-L steel drums. The composition of the essential oils was consistent between years but evaporation rate varied among the oils as dill weed extract evaporated the fastest while clove oil evaporated the slowest under the same conditions. After exposure to essential oil treatments, tuber sprout number and weight were assessed and compared to untreated control and tubers treated with commercially marketed clove oil product (Biox-CTM, containing 78.5-82.3% eugenol). Applications of 32.5 and 47.6 mg L-1 headspace of dill weed oil and 21.5 and 22.3 mg L-1 headspace of spearmint oil achieved 50% reduction in 'Russet Burbank' sprout weight and sprout number respectively, 30 days after the initial treatment. Tubers stored in environments with 60-240 mg L-1 headspace of dill weed or spearmint oils suppressed sprouting at least 5 weeks longer than that of the controls. In 63-L steel drums, repeated dill and spearmint oil vapor treatments effectively and consistently suppressed sprouting of 'Russet Norkotah' and 'Piccolo' tubers for 7-8 months when doses were 25 mg L-1 headspace or higher and when treatments were repeated at least every four weeks. Within this range, sprout suppression was not sensitive to treatment variations, and, therefore, an optimal treatment level could not be determined. Clove oil was less effective in suppressing sprouting, likely due to its slower vaporization compared to dill and spearmint oils. Essential oil treatment effects on seed tuber viability were evaluated on 'Piccolo'. Tubers were planted after exposure to dill or spearmint oil vapor environments ranging from 15-240 mg L-1 headspace for seven days. There were no adverse effects on seed viability at doses less than 120 mg L-1 headspace. Although environments with <120 mg L-1 headspace had no significant adverse impact on sprouting, sprout emergence was delayed at higher doses. Dill weed and spearmint oils could potentially be used as potato sprout inhibitors but further studies are needed to demonstrate its commercial feasibility.

Sprout control is essential for successful management of stored potatoes. This study examined the effect of dill weed, spearmint and clove essential oils on sprouting of potatoes. Extracts of steam distilled dill weed whole plants containing 41.5-42.7% of S-(+)-carvone and spearmint foliage extracts containing 97.2-97.6% of R-(-)-carvone, were applied to tubers in a series of experiments using either 1-L glass jars or 63-L steel drums. The composition of the essential oils was consistent between years but evaporation rate varied among the oils as dill weed extract evaporated the fastest while clove oil evaporated the slowest under the same conditions. After exposure to essential oil treatments, tuber sprout number and weight were assessed and compared to untreated control and tubers treated with commercially marketed clove oil product (Biox-CTM, containing 78.5-82.3% eugenol). Applications of 32.5 and 47.6 mg L-1 headspace of dill weed oil and 21.5 and 22.3 mg L-1 headspace of spearmint oil achieved 50% reduction in 'Russet Burbank' sprout weight and sprout number respectively, 30 days after the initial treatment. Tubers stored in environments with 60-240 mg L-1 headspace of dill weed or spearmint oils suppressed sprouting at least 5 weeks longer than that of the controls. In 63-L steel drums, repeated dill and spearmint oil vapor treatments effectively and consistently suppressed sprouting of 'Russet Norkotah' and 'Piccolo' tubers for 7-8 months when doses were 25 mg L-1 headspace or higher and when treatments were repeated at least every four weeks. Within this range, sprout suppression was not sensitive to treatment variations, and, therefore, an optimal treatment level could not be determined. Clove oil was less effective in suppressing sprouting, likely due to its slower vaporization compared to dill and spearmint oils. Essential oil treatment effects on seed tuber viability were evaluated on 'Piccolo'. Tubers were planted after exposure to dill or spearmint oil vapor environments ranging from 15-240 mg L-1 headspace for seven days. There were no adverse effects on seed viability at doses less than 120 mg L-1 headspace. Although environments with <120 mg L-1 headspace had no significant adverse impact on sprouting, sprout emergence was delayed at higher doses. Dill weed and spearmint oils could potentially be used as potato sprout inhibitors but further studies are needed to demonstrate its commercial feasibility.

The vascular endothelium continually senses and responds to both biochemical and mechanical stimuli to regulate vascular function in health and disease. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the molecular mechanisms by which endothelial cells (ECs) respond to sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and fluid wall shear stress (WSS) to initiate angiogenesis. To accomplish this, a novel cell culture system was developed to study the combined effects of S1P and WSS on inducing EC invasion into three-dimensional (3-D) collagen matrices. EC invasion required the presence of S1P, with the effects of S1P being enhanced by WSS to an extent comparable with S1P combined with pro-angiogenic growth factor stimulation. The extent of EC invasion depended on the magnitude of WSS in a biphasic manner, with the greatest induction occurring at 5.3 dyn/cm2 WSS. Several proteins have been implicated in EC invasion, including calpain, Akt, vimentin, p21-activated kinase (PAK), and membrane type 1-matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP). Interestingly, activations of calpain and MT1-MMP and phosphorylations of Akt, PAK, and vimentin coincided with, and were required for, S1P- and WSS- induced EC invasion. Further, inhibitors of calpain, MT1-MMP, Akt and PAK all attenuated invasion induced by WSS and S1P. Calpain inhibition reduced Akt phosphorylation, vimentin cleavage, and MT1-MMP membrane translocation, suggesting that calpain regulates MT1-MMP via Akt phosphorylation and vimentin remodeling. Akt inhibition also completely blocked MT1-MMP membrane translocation and decreased phosphorylation of PAK and vimentin. In summary, these results suggest a new molecular pathway by which the combination of S1P and WSS stimulates EC invasion through calpain, Akt, PAK and vimentin to regulate activation and membrane translocation of MT1-MMP in 3-D collagen matrices.