Ga Solution Research Articles

Hormone type, soaking duration and seed coating affect dormancy and germination of pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) lines

Establishment of pennycress is key to ensure uniform stands and maximise canopy closure in autumn. Past work has demonstrated that selected seed treatments could improve germination and establishment, but the optimisation of these processes to minimise inputs and time have not been assessed. The objective of this work was to evaluate seed enhancement technologies (hormone application by soaking and seed coating) to overcome seed dormancy and/or enhance germination. Two black-seeded lines (‘MN106NS’ and ‘ARV1’) and one golden-seeded line (‘tt8-t/ARV1’) were examined. Seeds were soaked in gibberellic acid (GA4+7) or benzyladenine (6-BA), or distilled water for different durations (30, 60, 240 minutes) and compared to an unsoaked control. Results showed that the GA treatment significantly increased germination, particularly for ‘ARV1’ and ‘MN106NS’ lines. Seed coating increased seed diameter but did not enhance germination; instead, it hindered ‘tt8-t/ARV1’ germination by 99-100%. The study suggests soaking seeds for at least 30 minutes in a GA solution to improve germination in black-seeded lines, however, economic and logistical factors must be considered. None of the tested enhancements proved beneficial on the two seed lots of golden-seeded line ‘tt8-t/ARV1’ and further research is needed to examine more seed lots before conclusions can be made.

Gum Arabic Increases Phagocytosis of Escherichia coli by Blood Leukocytes of Young and Old Healthy Volunteers.

Gum arabic, a polysaccharide exudate from Acacia senegal (L.) Willdenow trees, has already been used by African native people in natural medicine. Using whole-blood samples from young (20-35 years) and older (>80 years) healthy volunteers (each group n = 10), the effect of an aqueous solution of GA on phagocytosis of Escherichia coli was examined with a gentamicin protection assay. Whole-blood samples of each volunteer were stimulated with GA and as a control with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (Toll-like receptor -9 agonists) for 2 h, then co-incubated with E. coli for 30 min and thereafter treated with gentamicin for up to 240 min to kill extracellular bacteria. Then, whole-blood cells were lysed with distilled water, and colony-forming units were counted by quantitative plating. Cytokine enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of TNF-α and IL-6 was performed using the blood supernatant. The GA concentration tested (20 mg/mL) did not affect the viability of eukaryotic cells. Phagocytosis of E. coli by whole-blood leukocytes derived from young (p = 0.008) and older (p = 0.004) healthy volunteers was increased by 120.8% (young) and 39.2% (old) after stimulation with GA. In contrast, CpG only stimulated the bacterial phagocytosis by cells derived from young volunteers (p = 0.004). Stimulation of whole blood with GA increased the intracellular killing of E. coli in young (p = 0.045) and older volunteers (p = 0.008) and induced a TNF-α release in whole blood collected from older volunteers but not from younger ones (p = 0.008). These data encourage the isolation of active compounds of GA and the initiation of clinical trials addressing the preventive effect of GA on bacterial infections.

Chemically modified polymeric resins with catechol derivatives for adsorption, separation and recovery of gallium from acidic solutions

Ion-exchange has been extensively explored for the adsorption, separation, and recovery of metal ions. The use of eco-friendly, low-cost, selective, and reusable resins are important for the development of separation technologies for critical elements. Herein, novel chelating adsorbents were synthesized and studied for the selective extraction, separation, and recovery of gallium (Ga) from acidic solutions. Four chelating adsorbents were prepared using 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid, and 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid to functionalize pre-aminated polymeric resins through amide linkage. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirmed the functionalization of the resins and revealed that their surface morphology was significantly improved after the chemical modification. Their adsorption performance was investigated, and maximum Ga-adsorption capacity was found at pH 3. Equilibrium Ga-adsorption isotherms were better demonstrated by the Langmuir isotherm model, and adsorption kinetics were better explained by Pseudo-second order model. The proposed new adsorbents were 10–4800 times more selective for Ga than Zn, Al, Cd, Sb, Fe, As and Mn in acidic conditions. Moreover, high Ga selectivity (SelGa/M >1.5) was accomplished in the binary solution of Ga:Zn and Ga:As in 1:10, 1:50 and 1:100 metal ratios, which suggests that adsorbents can separate Ga from Zn and As solution effectively. Desorption preliminary experiments showed > 60% desorption of Ga over 4 adsorption/desorption cycles. The adsorption mechanism was confirmed by XPS and FTIR studies. This study indicates that the synthesized adsorbents could be used for industrial applications, due to their low-cost, abundant raw materials, mature synthetic routes, and lower environmental impact.

Fabrication of high-performance MeI and HPEI assembled PES/CPES hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes with high positive charges for efficient removal of salt/heavy metal ions

Environmental protection and resource recovery require efficient separation of salts and heavy metal ions from wastewater. A new hollow fiber nanofiltration membrane (HFNM) with a highly positive charge was developed via Hyperbranched polyethyleneimine (HPEI) self-assembly and methyl iodide (MeI) quaternization on a polyethersulfone (PES) with carboxylic-PES (CPES) substrate. Effects of different layers on surface charge and roughness, wettability, and mechanical stability were evaluated. MgCl2 and ZnCl2 as representative of salts and heavy-metal ions, respectively, were used to investigate separating properties of the membranes in terms of feed temperature and concentrations, operating pressures, antifouling properties, and long-term stability. The relationship between salt/ions rejection and water flux, pore size, and surface positive charge degree was explained by comparing the structures and properties of the membranes. The 1wt.% HPEI and 0.5 wt.% GA solutions for 30 min crosslinking at pH of 11 and then 5 wt.% MeI solution could lead to the formation of the optimum membrane. Based on high hydrophilicity, low surface roughness, Donnan exclusion, and steric hindrance, the membrane could effectively exhibit superb rejection rates of Zn2+ (99.8 %), and Mg2+ (98.6 %), while showing high flux values (24.47 and 33.54 Lm−2h−1). The high flux rate (around 25.41 Lm−2h−1) during 4 cycles of regeneration, and high ions rejection (>98 %) were retained even after an 8-hour consistent operation. The prepared membrane, with high durability and structural stability, can introduce an effective solution for water purification from divalent ions.

Functionalization of cellulose adsorbents with catechol derivatives for the effective separation and recovery of gallium from acidic solutions

The selective extraction, separation, and recovery of gallium (Ga), one of the critical elements, is essential due to its role in clean energy technologies and its low reserves. Herein, different catechol derivatives (Pn)-functionalized cellulose substrates were developed using 3,4 dihydroxybenzoic acid (P1), 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (P2), and 3,4-dihydroxyhydrocinnamic acid (P3) through esterification reaction and used for selective extraction of gallium from dilute acidic solutions. Adsorption experiments at pH 3 displayed a maximum Ga adsorption capacity of 31.50, 14.22, and 29.50 mg g−1 for P1, P2, and P3, respectively. Langmuir isotherm was illustrated as the best-fitting model to explain the equilibrium adsorption. Kinetic data were best fitted with pseudo-second order and intraparticle diffusion model, indicating that the adsorption process involves chemisorption as well as intraparticle diffusion. The newly synthesized adsorbents P1 and P3 are 10–300 times more selective for Ga than As, Fe, Al, Cd, and Ge from the mixed solution (pH 3.0) of 1:1 metal ratio. Moreover, high selectivity for gallium was achieved from binary solutions of Ga:Zn, Ga:Ge, and Ga:As in 1:10 (SelGa/M > 5), 1:50 (SelGa/M > 2), and 1:100 (SelGa/M > 2) metal ratio, suggesting that the adsorbent can separate Ga (III) from Zn (II), Ge (IV), and As (III) at the optimal conditions. The adsorbents (P1-P3) were characterized with various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques showing that the surface morphology of cellulose was greatly changed after functionalization. The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis demonstrated that the adsorption of Ga onto the developed adsorbers was attributed to chelation between hydroxyl groups of catechol and gallium ions. This study shows the synthesis of low-cost, sustainable adsorbents for the selective recovery of gallium in dilute acidic solutions.

Xylanase covalent binding onto amidated pectin beads: Optimization, thermal, operational and storage stability studies and application

Amidated pectin-polyethylene imine-glutaraldehyde (AP-PEI-GA) immobilizer was prepared. The ideal protocol that should be adopted during the immobilizer preparation was investigated via Box-Behnken design (BBD), and it comprised processing the AP beads with 3.4 % (w/w) PEI solution of pH 9.65 followed by 5.96 % (v/v) GA solution. The obtained AP-PEI-GA immobilizer was efficient, and it acquired 3.03 U.g−1 of immobilized xylanase (im-xylanase) activity. The computed Km and Vmax values for AP-PEI-GA im-xylanase were 16.67 mg.ml−1 and 20 g.ml−1.min−1, respectively. Through covalent coupling to AP-PEI-GA, Aspergillus niger xylanase thermodynamic properties T1/2 and D-values were increased by 2.05, 3.08, and 1.35 at 40, 50, and 60 °C, respectively. ΔHd and ΔGd for AP-PEI-GA im-xylanase at 40, 50, and 60 °C were higher than those for free form emphasizing more resistance to thermal denaturation. Im-xylanase showed 100 % activity for 20 successive cycles and hydrolyzed different agro-industrial wastes into reducing sugar and xylooligosaccharides (XOS) with more efficiency on pea peel (PP). AP-PEI-GA im-xylanase, PP weight, and hydrolysis time that should be adopted to obtain the highest reducing sugar and XOS yield were optimized through central composite design (CCD). Extracted XOS showed prebiotic and anti-oxidant activities.

Coordination of sorbitol to Ga(OTf)3 in the liquid phase: an experimental and theoretical study.

In a solution of sorbitol (SBT) and Ga(OTf)3 compounds, the coordination of sorbitol (SBT) to [Ga(OTf)n]3-n (n = 0-3) has been investigated, using both ESI-MS spectra and density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the M06/6-311++g(d,p), aug-cc-pvtz level using a polarized continuum model (PCM-SMD). In sorbitol solution, the most stable conformer of sorbitol includes three intramolecular H-bonds, i.e., O2H⋯O4, O4H⋯O6, and O5H⋯O3. Through ESI-MS spectra, in a tetrahydrofuran solution of both SBT and Ga(OTf)3 compounds, five main species are observed, i.e., [Ga(SBT)]3+, [Ga(OTf)]2+, [Ga(SBT)2]3+, [Ga(OTf)(SBT)]2+, and [Ga(OTf)(SBT)2]2+. Through DFT calculations, in a solution of sorbitol (SBT) and Ga(OTf)3 compounds, the Ga3+ cation tends to form five six-coordination complexes, i.e., [Ga(η2O,O-OTf)3], [Ga(η3O2-O4-SBT)2]3+, [(η2O,O-OTf)Ga(η4O2-O5-SBT)]2+, [(η1O-OTf)(η2O2,O4-SBT)Ga(η3O3-O5-SBT)]2+, and [(η1O-OTf)(η2O,O-OTf)Ga(η3O3-O5-SBT)]+, which are in good agreement with the experimental observation of the ESI-MS spectra. For both [Ga(OTf)n]3-n (n = 1-3) and [Ga(SBT)m]3+ (m = 1, 2) complexes, the negative charge transfer from ligands to the Ga3+-center plays an important role in their stability, because of the strong polarization of the Ga3+ cation. For [Ga(OTf)n(SBT)m]3-n (n = 1, 2; m = 1, 2) complexes, the negative charge transfer from ligands to the Ga3+-center plays an essential role in their stability, accompanied by an electrostatic interaction between the Ga3+-center and ligands and/or spatial inclusion of ligands toward the Ga3+-center.

Characterization and pretreatment of breaking seed dormancy Livistona speciosa Kurz, collection of Bogor Botanical Gardens

The palm plant, Livistona speciosa Kurz, belongs to the Arecaceae family. The slow germination of the seeds is just one of the issues this plant faces throughout its growth. This research aims to identify seeds’ morphological traits and the breakdown of seed dormancy. Observations made were testing viability, moisture content, characteristics of fruit and seeds, the effect of pretreatment on seed germination. The dry heat treatment at 50°C, the hot water soak at 50°C, the soak with GA and IAA solution for 1 hour, and the seed scarification treatment are the methods used to treat seeds that are breaking their dormancy. The results revealed the fruit was rounded, average length: 26,755 ± 1,253 mm; Diameter: 21.33 ± 1,356 mm and weight: 7,786 ± 0.906 grams. Ovoid-shaped seeds; average length: 20,772 ± 1.182 mm; diameter: 16.561 ± 1,160 mm and weight: 3.756 ± 0.648 gr. The highest germination capacity (pre-treatment of oven-dry 50°C and immersion with GA and IAA treatments) and the highest germination coefficient and simultaneously (hot water treatment at 50°C).

Growth of α-(AlGa)2O3 alloy thin films on c-sapphire substrates by mist chemical vapor deposition using acetylacetonated Al and Ga solutions

α-Ga2O3 is a semi-stable phase of Ga2O3 and is known as an ultra-wide-bandgap semiconductor material. α-(AlGa)2O3 alloys are important for their applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. We investigated the growth mechanism and process of α-(AlGa)2O3 alloys by mist chemical vapor deposition using acetylacetonated Al and Ga aqueous solutions. The contribution of acetylacetonated Al ions to the epitaxial growth was investigated. The effects of an anchoring mechanism on the mosaic spread were experimentally evaluated. Investigating X-ray diffraction profiles, strain relaxation processes in film formations are discussed.

Rapid Flow-Based System for Separation of Radioactive Metals by Selective Complex Formation.

Short-lived radioactive metals are important tracers in clinical diagnosis. Radioactive metals for clinical use are produced from suitable target metals in cyclotrons. The trace amount of radioactive metal produced is contained in a relatively large amount of target metal. A rapid and effective method is required to isolate the radioactive metal. In the present study, selective complex formation followed by cation-exchange adsorption was performed in a continuous flow-based system. Ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) was selected as the ligand after simulation of the separation of radioactive Ga from the target (Zn). Selectively, the Ga-EDTA complex passed through the cation trap, while Zn2+ was trapped. This separation principle is opposite to that of typical solid-phase extraction, which captures the target ion. The proposed separation was performed in a flow-based system with a parallel, open-channel ion trap. The performance was optimized by altering the channel dimensions, channel-filling mesh, and flow rate. Finally, the target radioactive metal, Ga, was selectively and effectively (>99%) separated from a mixture of 50 fg Ga/L and 100 mg Zn/L. The concentration of Zn remaining in the Ga solution was 2.3 μg/L. The complexed Ga was converted to free Ga3+ by a simple UV irradiation method. The proposed method effectively and rapidly separates trace amounts of radioactive metals contained in larger amounts of target metals using a simple flow system that can be operated on site.

A constraint programming approach and a hybrid of genetic and K-means algorithms to solve the p-hub location-allocation problems

ABSTRACT p-Hub location-allocation problem is one of the most interesting subjects in the location theory. Hubs act as switching points to reduce the transportation cost. In this study, two new solution methods, a constraint programming (CP) based model and a hybrid of k-means and genetic algorithm (KGA), are developed to generate exact and approximate solutions, respectively. The proposed CP formulation is more understandable and straightforward in comparison with the MIP model. The experimental results indicate that the CP model uses the memory of the computer (RAM) more efficiently, which enables us to solve the medium size problems. But, in terms of run time, this method cannot be superior to the MIP model. The CP formulation is also extended for the multi allocation p-hub location problem. K-means algorithm, a well-known algorithm for clustering data, is used to generate initial solutions of GA. Furthermore, a new adaptive crossover operator, which is based on the k-means algorithm, is proposed. The experimental results indicate that the KGA algorithm is superior to the GA, regarding time, objective value, and quality of solution measures.

Total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry as a tool for the direct elemental analysis of ores: Application to iron, manganese, ferromanganese, nickel-copper sulfide ores and ferromanganese nodules

This paper presents a simple and fast method for the determination of major and minor elements in iron, manganese, ferromanganese, nickel‑copper sulfide ores and oceanic ferromanganese nodules by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF). The preparation of suspension from 5 mL of 1% Triton solution and 20 mg of fine powder with a median particle size of less than 10 μm was used as a sample preparation strategy for direct TXRF analysis. Quantification of elements was performed by the internal standard method. Critical sample mass when the sample could be considered ‘thin’ was calculated for various matrices using Ga as an internal standard. The influence of sampling, particle size, and the internal standard distribution on the reproducibility of the analysis was evaluated. For ore powders with low wettability, preliminarily drying the powder mixed with Ga solution is recommended to increase the uniformity of the distribution of the internal standard. Accuracy was evaluated for S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb in ores and nodules and for V, Co, Ni, Sr, Y and As in nodules. TXRF provides fast determination of some major and minor elements in ores and nodules; however, the determination of low levels of elements in the ore matrix can only be considered semi-quantitative.

First-principles study of crystalline Nd–Fe alloys

We report the crystal structure of Nd–Fe alloys as candidates for grain-boundary phases in Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets. We find that the crystal structure of the fluorite Nd–Fe alloys is stable for a wide composition range. We also demonstrate that solid solution of Ga is effective in stabilizing the fluorite crystal structure of Nd–Fe alloys, which is consistent with experimental observations reporting crystalline Nd–Fe alloys at the grain boundaries of Ga-added Nd–Fe–B permanent magnets.

Optimal Coordination of Wind Power and Pumped Hydro Energy Storage

A study combining wind power with pumped hydro energy storage for the Jordanian utility grid is presented. Three solvers of the Matlab optimization toolbox are used to find the optimal solution for the cost of energy in a combined on-grid system. Genetic algorithm, simulated annealing (SA), and pattern search (PS) solvers are used to find the optimal solution. The GA solution of 0.0955388 $/kWh is economically feasible. This is 28.7% lower than the electricity purchased from the conventional utility grid. The discounted payback period to recover the total cost is 10.271 years. The suggested configuration is shown to be feasible by comparing it to real measurements for this case and a previous wind-only case. It is shown that the indicators of the optimal solution are improved. For instance, carbon dioxide emissions (ECO2) and conventional grid energy purchases are reduced by 24.69% and 24.68%, respectively. Moreover, it is shown that the benefits of adding hydro storage, combined with increasing the number of wind turbine units, reduces the cost of energy of renewables (COERenewables). Therefore, combining hydro storage with wind power is economically, environmentally, and technically a more efficient alternative to the conventional power generation.

First-principles study on solid solution embrittlement effect of Ga in Al3.8Ga0.2 alloy

The structural properties, mechanical properties and electronic structure of Al3.8Ga0.2 crystal have been investigated by using the virtual crystal approximation (VCA) based on the density functional theory (DFT). The lattice constants, elastic constants, elastic modulus, poisson’s ratio, anisotropic index and density of states (DOS) of three Al3.8Ga0.2 crystal structures are analyzed in this work and that of pure Al crystal are also calculated as comparison. The results show that 5% solid solubility of Ga atoms in Al crystal structure caused about 10% pure Al volume shrinkage; Three structures of Al3.8Ga0.2 exhibited thermodynamic stability and mechanical stability; The solid solution of Ga enables Al-Ga alloy to have higher resistance to linear compression along the [001] direction and shear deformation resistance along the (100) crystal plane; Al3.8Ga0.2 crystal structures have stronger fracture resistance, plastic deformation resistance and elastic deformation resistance than that of pure Al. Mechanical calculation results show that possibility of embrittlement after the solid solutuion of Ga atom in Al-Ga alloy, and Al3.8Ga0.2 crystal structures exhibit mechanical anisotropy; According to the electronic structures analysis, the DOS of three Al3.8Ga0.2 structures are higher than pure Al at the Fermi level, and have stronger activity than pure Al.

Development of Liquid Enhancer for Germination of Drought-stressed Oryza sativa subsp. indica Seed cv. MR284

Aim: This study was conducted to develop liquid enhancer containing KCl, TU, GA, and SA for germination of drought-stressed Oryza sativa subsp. indica cv. MR284 seed.
 Study Design: All experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. Two steps were involved in the development process which are to select an ideal concentration for each KCl, TU, GA, and SA, and to find an ideal combination of chemicals from the selection of ideal concentrations acquired in step 1 to form liquid enhancer. There were 20 treatments for step 1 and 9 treatments for step 2. All of these treatments with 6 replicates.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University Putra Malaysia, between June 2018 and December 2018.
 Methodology: The sterilized rice seed cv. MR284 was stressed in the -1.2 Mpa PEG 6000 solution for three days and germinated in the KCl, TU, GA, and SA solution in a series of concentration for 10 days, in a controlled room. Seed germination was observed daily.
 Results: In the first step, drought-stressed rice seed showed the best germination performance in the 30 mM of KCl, 2.0 mM of TU, 0.24 mM GA, and 0.5 mM SA. Meanwhile, in the second step, the drought-stressed rice seed showed the best germination performance in the combination of 30 mM KCl + 2.0 mM TU + 0.24 mM GA + 0.5 mM SA. The best germination performance was evaluated by the highest germination percentage (%), germination index, seed vigor, leaf length, root length and biomass.
 Conclusion: Therefore, the combination treatments of 30 mM KCl + 2.0 mM TU + 0.5 mM SA was found to be the most effective and simplest liquid enhancer formula that has an ability to enhance seed germination of drought-stressed rice cv. MR284 seed.

Recovery of Gallium from Bauxite Residue Using Combined Oxalic Acid Leaching with Adsorption onto Zeolite HY

Bauxite residue, the byproduct of alumina production, may potentially be a valuable source of strategically important metals, e.g. Gallium. Ga is considered critical element for the EU. To ensure adequate supply of Ga for the future, secondary sources such as bauxite residue should be exploited with efficient extraction methods. Therefore, in this study, mineral acids (H2SO4, HCl, and HNO3) and an organic acid (H2C2O4—oxalic acid), were evaluated for their efficiencies to extract Ga from bauxite residue. Using H2C2O4, the highest Ga leaching efficiencies were achieved, compared to other acids. The achieved leaching experimental results were considered for the construction of a design of experiment (DOE) model to achieve optimal conditions for Ga extraction using H2C2O4. These values were validated by experiments which resulted in ~ 94% accuracy. In the second part of the study, using pure Ga solution, the adsorption of Ga onto zeolite HY was studied. The effects of adsorbent dosage, temperature, and contact time on the adsorption of Ga from solution by zeolite HY were studied. The obtained adsorption experimental results were used to construct a DOE model to achieve optimal conditions for Ga adsorption on to zeolite HY. The DOE-achieved optimal conditions were evaluated by experiments in pure Ga solution, which resulted in an efficiency of ~ 99.4 %. In the third stage, the bauxite residue was leached in H2C2O4 under the optimal DOE conditions which resulted in 71% efficiency; thus the resulting bauxite residue solution was subjected to adsorption using zeolite HY under the optimal DOE conditions achieved. The Ga adsorption onto the zeolite was only 16% compared to the Ga adsorption of 99.4 % under the pure Ga solution, thus, representing the influences of the other leachates in the solution, which are minimizing the Ga adsorption onto the zeolite HY and providing an opportunity for future studies on the different mechanisms involved.

High-quality GaN crystals grown from double-polarity hydride vapor phase epitaxy and single-polarization regrowth

In this study, high-quality GaN crystals with low-dislocation density were grown with hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) followed by polishing and selective area growth. By optimizing the conditions of growth temperature and the ratio of Ga to N, stable double-polarity facet growth on a sapphire substrate was achieved, with dislocation density of the order of 104 cm−2. Dislocations were eliminated into the N-polar regions of the crystal to produce a GaN substrate with single-polarity Ga. After chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) of GaN with double-polarity solutions of Ga and N, a SiO2 mask was deposited on the N-polar region, and GaN was regrown using HVPE. The resulting GaN substrate grown on the CMP-GaN template had a very flat surface with only single-polarity Ga.

Flowering and nutritional status of Gladiolus hybridus L. 'Black Velvet' following gibberellin treatment

Flowering and nutritional status in Gladiolus hybridus L. ‘Black Velvet’ were assessed following gibberellic acid treatment (GA<sub>3</sub>). Treatment were applied to corm (12–14 diameter) by soaking for 30 min in water solutions of GA<sub>3</sub> at 100, 350 and 600 mg/dm<sup>3 </sup>with a control consisting of soaking-in water. All GA<sub>3</sub> treatments inhibited elongation of inflorescence shoots and stimulated spike elongation. None of the tested concentrations affected the number of developing flowers in the spike, except for the 100 mg/dm<sup>3</sup> in the 2nd year of the study. All GA<sub>3</sub> treatments stimulated calcium uptake, but had no effect on the uptake of other macronutrients. All the GA<sub>3</sub> treatments increased manganese content in leavesbud did not affect copper content. GA<sub>3</sub> at 600 mg/dm<sup>3</sup> stimulated uptake of iron and boron at 600 mg/dm<sup>3</sup> but inhibited both at lower concentrations. Zinc uptake was stimulated at 100 mg/dm<sup>3 </sup>but inhibited at higher concentration.

Endmember Extraction of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Images Based on an Improved Discrete Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm and Genetic Algorithm

Aiming at improving the performance of the endmember extraction problem in hyperspectral images, a new extraction method based on discrete hybrid artificial bee colony algorithm and genetic algorithm (DABC_GA) is proposed. By analyzing the characteristic of the problem, each dimension of candidate solution is a discrete and exclusive integer. Then we employ an optimization method with integral coding. By inheriting the strong exploration ability of the traditional artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC), we propose a discrete ABC which could quickly obtain more valuable endmembers combinations in the early stage. Then we select some outstanding results of DABC as the potential solutions of GA, which is adopted as another optimization tool in the later stage of iteration. The concept of complementary sets is proposed in the cross and mutation operators to guarantee the diversity and completeness of solutions. Meanwhile, the greedy strategy is adopted to ensure that the favorable potential solutions are not discarded. Compared with conventional extraction algorithms in simulated and real hyperspectral remote sensing data, the experimental results show the validity of our proposed algorithm.