Acoustic emission analysis of industrial plywood materials exposed to destructive tensile load

Several plywood materials made from spruce wood and, for comparison, solid spruce wood were investigated focusing on the sub-macroscopic damage evolution during tensile loading of the specimens. The destructive tests were simultaneously monitored by the acoustic emission (AE) method and strain field deformation measurement using digital image correlation (DIC). The bilinear interpretation of exponential defect growth identified the start of significant nonlinear behavior at 70 % of ultimate strength for all plywood materials. However, already the preceding and more stable damage evolution at lower stress levels has indicated a variation in intensity of the source mechanisms evaluated by AE energy of the detected events. Additional information on the formation of strain field concentration, which correlates with discrete accumulation in AE events and increased spreading in the distribution of AE energy, reveals the complexity of pre-damage due to the variation in cracks’ magnitude and timescales involved. The correlation between ultimate tensile strength and damage accumulation below 70 % of ultimate strength is determined, as well as the influence of layered structures on damage size shown by the percentage distribution of AE energy.     

Establishment of proliferative cell nuclear antigen gene as an internal reference gene for polymerase chain reaction of a wide range of archival and fresh mammalian tissues.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from paraffin-embedded tissues provides a powerful tool to amplify DNA from a variety of recent and archival material. Because DNA from paraffin-embedded samples is more degraded than from fresh material, the amplification of reference genes is essential to exclude false-negative results. This study describes the use of the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) gene as a reference gene in a range of animal species and in humans. The PCNA-PCR to amplify a fragment extending from exon 5 through exon 6 and including the intervening intron 6 gave a reproducible pattern, with a 280-base pair (bp) band from canine, equine, bovine, ovine, and caprine samples showing high sequence homology. Porcine, guinea pig, tiger, and lion samples, however, gave an additional fragment of approximately 197 bp. The whole intron 6 from these fragments is missing, possibly representing a pseudogene. In feline samples only the 197-bp fragment could be detected. This study shows that the PCNA gene is highly conserved across a broad range of animal species and is well suited as an internal control for PCR analysis in veterinary medicine.     

Regionalization of critical loads under uncertainty

The steady-state model PROFILE was used to perform Monte Carlo simulations of critical loads of acidity and exceedances of forest soils for 128 sites in the province of Scania, southern Sweden. Statistical tests showed that 100 sites had normal distributed critical loads and exceedances and that the variance of these parameters was statistically equal for all sites. Pooled estimates of the standard deviation was 0.19 and 0.31 kmol_c ha^?1 yr^?1 for the critical loads and exceedances, respectively. Introduction of uncertainties, expressed as confidence intervals, in the cumulative distribution function for critical loads showed that overlaps between percentiles were substantial. The 5%-ile was systematically equal to the 57%-ile using a 67% confidence interval and equal to the 87%-ile when a 95% confidence level was chosen. The overlaps of percentiles cause a reduction of acidic deposition according to the mean value of the 5%-ile to protect only 68% of the ecosystem area with an 84% probability and not a guaranteed protection of 95% as if uncertainties did not exist. Thus, uncertainties make it possible to advocate reductions to levels of deposition below the 5%-tile of critical loads.     

Impacts of drought on mineral macro- and microelements in provenances of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) seedlings

Beech seedlings originating from 11 German provenances with different climatic conditions were grown in pots and cultivated in a greenhouse. The composition of macro- and microelements in roots, axes and leaves was measured after half of the seedlings were subjected to a simulated summer drought. The recently described sensitivity of these provenances to drought was compared with drought-mediated changes in the elemental and ionic composition in organs of the seedlings; in addition, partitioning between roots and shoots was evaluated. A number of element concentrations were decreased in roots due to drought (K 94% of control, Mg 94%, Mn 75% and Zn 85%). However, chloride concentration increased in all organs (115-125%) and was the only element affected in leaves. Some changes in ionome can be related to sensitivity of provenances, but it is difficult to decide whether these changes are a result of, or a reason for, drought tolerance or sensitivity. Observed increases in chloride concentration in all plant parts of drought-treated beech seedlings can be explained by its function in charge balance, in particular since the level of phosphate was reduced. As a result of chloride accumulation, the sum of added charges of anions (and cations) in water extracts of leaf and root material was similar between drought and control plants. Since only the partitioning of Ca and Al (both only in axis) as well as Mn was affected and other elements (together with previously observed effects on C, N, S and P) remained unaffected by drought in all provenances, it can be concluded that direct effects by means of mass flow inhibition in xylem and phloem are unlikely. Secondary effects, for example on the pH of transport sap and the apoplastic space, cannot be excluded from the present study. These effects may affect partitioning between the apoplast and symplast and therefore may be significant for drought sensitivity.     

Functional shift hypothesis and the relationship between temperature and soil carbon accumulation

Recent experimental evidence on the relationship between temperature and litter or soil organic matter decomposition suggests that the simple assumption that temperature affects the rate constant of the processes may not be valid. Thermal conditions seem to influence the kinetics of C mineralization by changing, in a qualitatively predictable way, the estimated percentages of initial material that behave as labile or recalcitrant. The consequences of this shift in mineralization dynamics due to temperature, referred to as the functional shift hypothesis, for the long-term C accumulation potential of a soil were investigated using a modified version of Jenny's model. It was concluded that if soils behave according to the functional shift hypothesis, then the utilization of Q₁₀ or other temperature response functions by simulation models leads to significant overestimations of soil C losses due to temperature increase.     

Viscosity of fluids in subduction zones

The viscosities of aqueous fluids with 10 to 80 weight percent dissolved silicates have been measured at 600 degrees to 950 degrees C and 1.0 to 2.0 gigapascals by in situ observation of falling spheres in the diamond anvil cell. The viscosities at 800 degrees C range from 10(-4) to 10(0.5) pascal seconds. The combination of low viscosities with a favorable wetting angle makes silicate-rich fluid an efficient agent for material transport at low-volume fractions. Our results therefore suggest that there may be a direct relationship between the position of the volcanic front and the onset of complete miscibility between water and silicate melt in the subducting slab.     

The V-antigen of Yersinia forms a distinct structure at the tip of injectisome needles

Many pathogenic bacteria use injectisomes to deliver effector proteins into host cells through type III secretion. Injectisomes consist of a basal body embedded in the bacterial membranes and a needle. In Yersinia, translocation of effectors requires the YopB and YopD proteins, which form a pore in the target cell membrane, and the LcrV protein, which assists the assembly of the pore. Here we report that LcrV forms a distinct structure at the tip of the needle, the tip complex. This unique localization of LcrV may explain its crucial role in the translocation process and its efficacy as the main protective antigen against plague.     

The contribution of single synapses to sensory representation in vivo

The extent to which synaptic activity can signal a sensory stimulus limits the information available to a neuron. We determined the contribution of individual synapses to sensory representation by recording excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in cerebellar granule cells during a time-varying, quantifiable vestibular stimulus. Vestibular-sensitive synapses faithfully reported direction and velocity, rather than position or acceleration of whole-body motion, via bidirectional modulation of EPSC frequency. The lack of short-term synaptic dynamics ensured a highly linear relationship between velocity and charge transfer, and as few as 100 synapses provided resolution approaching psychophysical limits. This indicates that highly accurate stimulus representation can be achieved by small networks and even within single neurons.     

Stakeholder participation in agricultural research projects: a conceptual framework for reflection and decision-making

Recent discourse in the field of participatory agricultural research has focused on how to blend various forms and intensities of stakeholder participation with quality agricultural science, moving beyond the simple “farmer-first” ideology of the 1980s and early 1990s. Yet, most existing frameworks of participation in agricultural research still adhere to a linear typology of participatory research with an inherent claim of “the more participation, the better.” In this article, we propose a new framework that looks at participatory research elements along different dimensions and attributes and thus takes into account the diversity and dynamics of agricultural research projects. The framework provides a basis for agricultural researchers engaged in participatory processes with local stakeholders to decide for which issues and in which phases certain participatory elements could be used in a specific research context. Rather than aiming at maximizing the adoption of participatory methods, it can thus become a tool for optimizing the use of participatory approaches in agricultural research. We conclude that this framework can be a starting point for a more thoughtful integration of participatory elements in agricultural research projects that does justice to the multidimensional and dynamic nature of stakeholder participation in varying contexts.