Top Growth Research Articles

Evaluation of the Relationship Between Growth Parameters for Spring-sown Onion Cultivation in Tohoku, Japan

Onion is one of the most productive vegetables in Japan, and onion growth models have been developed to predict its yield. However, onion growth is complex, and the selection of simple parameters is required to estimate bulb weight. This study utilized a 2-year dataset from a sequential growth study of spring-sown onions in the northeastern region of Japan to evaluate the correlation among growth parameters and to determine suitable parameters for estimating the dry weight of bulbs via multiple regression analysis. The results indicated that when bulb dry weight was the objective variable, the coefficients of determination of the single regression equation with plant height and leaf area as explanatory variables were 0.553 and 0.508, respectively, and the leaf parameter explained more than 50% of variance in bulb dry weight. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination was 0.912 when the leaf sheath basal diameter (ball width of the bulb) was used as an explanatory variable to explain the bulb dry weight. This indicates that there is a gap between the top and bulb growth. This study revealed the important parameters for predicting onion yield and demonstrated the switch in onion development from tops to bulbs.

Digital transformation under Covid-19: A Bibliometric Study and future research agenda

Digital transformation (DT) has been considered an essential enabler of operational and strategic change for any given organization across various industries. Based on the smart adoption and assimilation of cutting-edge tools and technologies, DT allows firms to develop new capabilities, including creating improved products and services, enhancing experiment and innovation abilities, becoming customers centric, and streamlining end-to-end business processes. No wonder some analysts believe that covid-19 has contributed to fostering DT trends across industries. Yet very few studies exist about the real impact of covid-19 on DT. This study aims at filling this knowledge gap using a bibliometric analysis of 441 documents collected from the Web of Science database. Two bibliometric tools, namely Bibliometrix and VOSViewer, were used for data analysis. It emerged that impact, innovation, and performance are among the top word growth and the most relevant words, while the top three relevant affiliations are based in the USA. Further insights are presented and discussed, followed by a future research agenda.

Stable Zn Anodes with Triple Gradients.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are highly desirable for sustainable energy storage, but the undesired Zn dendrites growth severely shortens the cycle life. Herein, a triple-gradient electrode that simultaneously integrates gradient conductivity, zincophilicity, and porosity is facilely constructed for a dendrite-free Zn anode. The simple mechanical rolling-induced triple-gradient design effectively optimizes the electric field distribution, Zn2+ ion flux, and Zn deposition paths in the Zn anode, thus synergistically achieving a bottom-up deposition behavior for Zn metals and preventing the short circuit from top dendrite growth. As a result, the electrode with triple gradients delivers a low overpotential of 35mV and operates steadily over 400h at 5mA cm-2 /2.5mAhcm-2 and 250h at 10mAcm-2 /1mAhcm-2 , far surpassing the non-gradient, single-gradient and dual-gradient counterparts. The well-tunable materials and structures with the facile fabrication method of the triple-gradient strategy will bring inspiration for high-performance energy storage devices.

Alpine and Arctic tundra shrub populations show similar ontogenetic growth trends but differing absolute growth rates and lifespan

The majority of terrestrial primary production is performed by plants, the ontogenetic growth trends of which significantly influence biomass and carbon dynamics. Here, we present a study of ontogenetic trends in primary (apical) and secondary (stem thickening) growth of plants in Arctic (Svalbard, Norway) and alpine (Krkonoše, Czechia) populations of the black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum), the dominant plant species of certain tundra communities. The environmental conditions in alpine areas are more favourable for plant growth than those in the High Arctic, where temperatures are lower, there is less precipitation and soils are shallower, among other differences. These differences were clearly reflected in significant distinctions in absolute growth rates and shrub age between the populations under study. However, we found almost no divergence in ontogenetic growth trends between the populations (based on ring width measurements made from the base to the top of plants, known as serial sectioning). In both populations, primary and secondary stem base growth decrease over the course of ontogeny whereas secondary stem top growth and basal area increment increase. No significant differences in the slope of the trends were found in either primary or secondary stem base growth. Trends of the growth ratio between basal area increment and primary growth revealed neither absolute nor relative differences between the populations. Ontogenetic trends in the shrubs analysed were surprisingly stable despite the prominently dissimilar environmental conditions. Empetrum plants have adapted to the different environments by altering their absolute growth rate only. This adaptation has probably also resulted in the different longevity of plants constituting the study populations, confirming the theory that slower-growing plants live longer. Primary growth and secondary stem base growth seem to be more basic characteristics of plant growth compared to basal area increment and secondary growth at the apex because the latter two seem to be dependent on the absolute growth rate.

Regional industrial growth and biopharma patent networks: empirical insights from the UK

The COVID-19 pandemic has once again brought the significance of biopharmaceutical and medical technology sectors to the spotlight. Seeing that some of the most critical medical breakthroughs such as the speedy mRNA vaccine development were results of cross-border patenting collaboration, we have proposed in a previous work a new method to identify the cross-border collaborative regional centres in the patent networks, using a clustering comparison approach based on adjusted mutual information (AMI). In this paper, we focus on the UK industrial landscape. We use the UK bioscience and health technology sector statistics from 2015 to 2020 and look into the regional growth of each postcode area. We compare the top growth regions with the cross-border collaborative centres identified using AMI comparison at the postcode area level, and find that both long-term and short-term AMI gains show an increase in the correlation with regional annual growth rates of firm numbers in the studied sectors from 2016 to 2020, and the increase is more consistent with the short-term AMI gain. We also found that areas more central in the long-term cross-regional R&D collaboration demonstrate a stronger association with more developed industrial settings indicated by more firms and, potentially more employment and turnover in the field. However, AMI gains are found to have negative correlations with the industrial growths as a sign of possible trade-offs of being central.

Identifikasi Karakter Morfologis dan Hubungan Kekerabatan Tanaman Jahe ( Zingiber officinale Rosc.) di Kabupaten Siamlaungun

Ginger plants were grown in large areas in Indonesia through inter cropping and diversecroped. Simalungun was one of the largest ginger producer centers in North Sumatra. The aim of the study was to identify the morphological characters and relationship of ginger in Simalungun Regency. This research was conducted in three districts ; Purba District, Dolok Masagal District and Raya District from September to November 2021. The UPOV (International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants) descriptor was used with purposive sampling technique. Parameters observed were plant habitus, plant height, number of stems, type of top growth, number of leaves on main stem, stem lenght, leaf width, intensity of green color on stems,leaf lenght, leaf width, intensity of green color on leaves, rhizome total weight, rhizome shape, rhizome skin color, rhizome surface texture, number of rhizomes, rhizome size, rhizome colour, time of sprouting (after planting), time of harvest maturity. The result of this study showed there were wide and narrow diversity on the observed characters and the closest value of the relationship is 2.019 in samples B1J4 and F1J5, while the farthest value of the relationship is 35.903 in samples A1J1 and A1J2.

Occurrence and Distribution Patterns of Magnetic Particles Within Stalagmite Growth Laminae

AbstractThe concentrations of magnetic particles in stalagmites depend greatly on the regional hydrologic condition, and thus can act as an important proxy for paleoclimate reconstruction. The central axis region of a stalagmite is usually selected for such magnetism study. However, little is known about the distribution and influence factors of exogenetic magnetic particles within the growth laminae. In this study, the occurrence and variations of magnetic particles along the growth laminae of three shape stalagmites were investigated by a set of magnetic measurements, including isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition curves and low‐temperature magnetic analysis. The results show the main magnetic remanence carrier is detrital magnetite/maghemite, coexisting with small amounts of hematite and goethite. The distribution of soft magnetic particles along the growth laminae showed different patterns among the three shape stalagmites (dome, cone, and candle). For the dome shape stalagmite, the soft magnetic particle concentrations in all studied growth layers showed an increasing trend from center to edge. Similar patterns were also appeared in the bottom growth layers of the cone and candle shape stalagmites. This edge enrichment of magnetic particles is caused by drip water washing effect. However, such enrichment pattern became weaker or even inverse in the top growth layers of the cone and candle shape stalagmites, indicating that the shapes of stalagmites could also affect the surface distribution of soft magnetic minerals. These uneven distributions of magnetic particles imply that the central axis region of a stalagmite may not always be the optimal specimen for environmental magnetism study.

Assessing and Regulating the State of Population Reproduction

The article studies alternatives of regulating the state of demographic reproduction as a goal of assessing the necessary changes in annual levels of the age birth and death rates providing the growth in the process indicators that characterize the change from depopulation in Russia to sustainable rise in the country population. It provides indicators of the population reproduction state, i.e. the top and standardized rates of its growth, which show the objective state of the process in each year. Methods of these indicators’ estimation were studied on the basis of age factors of natural movement and analytical expressions connecting these indicators’ values were obtained. The authors elaborated methods aimed at regulation of the top growth rate based on methodology of the theory of linear operator disturbances and standardized growth rate by using possible variants of standardized population structures. They estimated and compared values of the top and standardized population growth rates in Russia in certain years of the 21st century and found their differences. The key indicators of the natural population movement, i. e. the factor of the birth rate of women at the age of 25–39 were shown as they are mainly subject to regulation and can influence volatility of indicators of the demographic reproduction state. The necessary growth in these factors was evaluated, which ensures the passing of these indicators over the single border that separates states of depopulation and extended population reproduction. The article explains the differences in resolving this problem for indicators shown in the article.

Perspective of new distributed grid connected roof top solar photovoltaic power generation policy interventions in India

The building integrated rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, contribute significantly to the decentralised power generation. In this study a detailed analysis of the new distributed power generation policy from roof top PV systems, in India, is carried out along with identifying policy interventions required for its successful implementation. A contrasting perspective of decentralised power generation analysis is presented for roof top power generation enhancement and solar industry growth in India. As a case study, the implementation of roof top PV power generation in India is presented which faces a number of challenges including resistance from energy distribution companies (DISCOMs). The electricity tariff analysis is also carried out, to suggest corrective measures. The novelty of the study is that it identifies solar tariff, benchmark cost, energy subsidy pattern, release methodology and lack of incentives to DISCOMs as crucial parameters to be addressed for roof top PV promotion. The study is of importance and of interest for the effective implementation of distributed renewable power generation in the residential sector for solar industry and DISCOM growth in India and other countries worldwide.

Self-sacrifice alkali acetate seed layer for efficient four-terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells

Seed-assisted growth is an effective way to achieve high-quality perovskite active layers for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, it is still challenging for conventional seed layers to realize the synergistic effect of the perovskite crystallization control and defect passivation without hindering the charge extraction and light absorption. Here, a self-sacrifice alkali acetate seed layer is employed at the buried perovskite interface to assist a vertical bottom–top growth of the high-quality perovskite film. Meanwhile, the dissolved alkali and acetate ions can diffuse into the perovskite layer, providing an efficient defect passivation and a favorable interfacial energy band alignment at both electron- and hole-selective contacts. As a result, these favorable synergistic effects enable the fabrication of a 21.69 % efficient PSC with a boosted fill factor of 83.33 % and enhanced long-term stability. Moreover, the optimized semitransparent perovskite solar cell (ST-PSC) achieves a certified efficiency of 19.28 %, the highest reported for p–i–n typed ST-PSCs. Combining the ST-PSC with a silicon bottom cell, the four-terminal perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell reaches a record efficiency of 28.28 %.

Understanding Rising Concentration at the Extremes of the U.S. Income Distribution

We explore the importance of income fluctuations at the top of the U.S. income distribution in understanding rising income concentration. Very high income families—including the top .001 percent—account for much of the recent top income growth, but are under-studied even in the literature exploring high-income groups. Using 3-year panels of tax records from 1997 to 2013 we document that top-income shares are lower—typically by about 20 percent—when measured by using a three-year income average, and that cyclical income fluctuations are greatest at the very top of the income distribution. Trends toward rising concentration over time, however, cannot be explained by these fluctuations, as growth in top-income shares is comparable for annual and three-year average income, and measured income dispersion has increased only for the very top group. Further, the probability of remaining in the highest income groups over multiple years increased over the sample period.

Effects of Catalytic Promoter Mn on Ni/ZSM-5 Catalyst to Catalyst Waste Plastic Syngas to Prepare Carbon Nanotubes for Co-Production of Hydrogen

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) produced by catalytic reforming of the waste plastic syngas is a high value-added by-product of hydrogen production. Catalysts play an important role in the growth of carbon nanotubes. The influences of Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst, Ni–Mn/ZSM-5 catalyst and temperature were performed in a lab-scale tubular reactor. The catalysts and product carbon were analyzed by different characterization methods, including temperature-programed reduction/oxidation, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray energy spectrometer. The results showed that in the presence of Ni–Mn/ZSM-5 catalyst with the addition of catalytic promoter Mn, 650 °C was the optimum temperature during the operating temperature range of 600 °C~800 °C for the rate of carbon production and hydrogen production, and the carbon production was the highest, which was 2.95gCNTs/gCatalyst (wherein the Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were main product), and compared with the monometallic Ni/ZSM-5 catalyst, the Ni–Mn/ZSM-5 catalyst with Mn addition increased the H2 content in the syngas from 14 Vol.% to 39 Vol.%. The highest carbon nanotubes proportion of 95.81% to total carbon deposition was obtained under the conditions of 750 °C. The introduction of catalytic promoter Mn transforms the growth mode of carbon nanotubes from top growth mode to bottom growth mode, and obtains carbon nanotubes with more regular structure. It suggested that Ni–Mn/ZSM-5 catalyst had the potential for high quality carbon nanotubes and H2-riched gas production from waste plastic syngas.

Growth and Physiological Responses of Pseudolysimachion pusanensis (Y. N. Lee) Y. N. Lee to NaCl Treatment

Background and objective This study was conducted to determine the effect of NaCl on the growth, antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, proline), maximum quantum yield, and chlorophyll contents of Pseudolysimachion pusanensis. Methods Five levels of NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 mM) were used for treatment. Results The growth according to NaCl concentrations was highest at 50 and 100 mM, but root growth declined before the top from 200 mM or higher. The increase in NaCl concentrations also led to the increase in SOD and proline content compared to the control plot, whereas it decreased chlorophyll content. There was no difference in the maximum quantum yield at 0, 50, 100, and 200 mM, but it decreased at 400 mM. Conclusion The results proved that P. pusanensis showed an increase in SOD and proline content at 50 and 100 mM of NaCl treatment compared to the control plot, indicating that it receives salt stress, but the growth was excellent at 50 and 100 mM. In addition, there was no difference in top growth up to 200 mM compared to the control plot, and there was no significant difference in the maximum quantum yield, which proved that P. pusanensis has strong tolerance to salt stress.

Assessment of the effect of stand density on the height growth of Scots pine using repeated ALS data

• Repeated ALS allows detecting the height increment variation influenced by stand density. • Higher stand density stimulate height growth, particularly on most productive sites. • Repeated ALS data allows developing density-dependent top height growth models. The spread of remote sensing technologies allows for continuous and precise mapping of forest ecosystem attributes over large areas. One of the most important attributes of a forest ecosystem is site productivity, an essential determinant of resource availability. Knowledge of site productivity is crucial for sustainable forest management because it is the basis for predictions of future forest growth and is fundamental to long-term planning in forestry. Models of forest dynamics allow us to better understand the functioning of forest ecosystems and to assess the provision of ecosystem services. However, discussions on the factors affecting forest growth are ongoing. Previous research has not clarified the influence of stand density on the height increment of trees. Consequently, this uncertainty leads to inconsistent predictions for stand growth and nonoptimal forest-management decisions. We aimed to analyse the effect of stand density on top height (TH) growth and the development of the TH growth model for Scots pine based on bitemporal ALS measurements. We applied repeated ALS observations from two acquisitions (2011, 2019) to fit a density-sensitive TH growth model. We found that stand density affected the TH growth of Scots pine. A higher stand density stimulated TH growth, particularly in productive sites showing a TH increment of about 10%. We demonstrated the usefulness of bitemporal ALS measurements for developing a TH growth model for Scots pine considering stand density. We found that the predictive accuracy of the TH increment increased when stand density was considered.

An Ecological Appraisal of Reclaimed Limestone mines in Mussoorie hills, India

The present study investigates the floral diversity of reclaimed limestone mined areas in Lambidehar and Chunakhala and the changes brought about in the associated soils. Soil eco-physiological indicators and floral diversity of the sites were studied using quadrat analysis, which revealed that the reclaimed mine areas display a dynamic floral community and a steady soil improvement. The density and abundance showed a declining trend with time which may be attributed to the anthropogenic disturbances evident during the study. Species diversity was greater in Chunakhala as compared to Lambidehar where the index values for different vegetation forms are comparable with the values of other Himalayan forest (0-3.037). The diversity indices of shrubs at Chunakhala were higher, along with a higher total basal area. The soil physical properties such as bulk density have improved over the years, whereas soil texture remains the same (sandy loam). The chemical properties improved over the years because of the deposition of organic matter due to the higher shrubs and herbs population, contributing a significant amount of litter from both top growth and roots. Both the mine sites reclaimed significantly, and primary colonizing plant species grew well on the earlier derelict sites.

Warming offsets the beneficial effect of elevated CO2 on maize plant-carbon accumulation in particulate organic carbon pools in a Mollisol

Investigating the interactive effect of elevated CO2 and warming on photosynthetic carbon (C) detained in soil organic C (SOC) fractions is pivotal to predict the SOC stability in farming soils in response to climate change, especially in a major maize-grown Mollisol, one of most fertile farming soil in the world. Using open top growth chamber (OTC) to mimic the rises of atmospheric CO2 concentration up to 550 ppm and temperature 2 °C above surroundings, one set of maize plants were labelled with 13CO2 across the first growth season, and the other set of plants were grown in OTCs for four seasons. We found that elevated CO2 increased plant-C in the fine particulate organic C fraction from 0.53 mg kg−1 under the control to 0.89 mg kg−1, while warming plus elevated CO2 did not alter plant-C allocation into this fraction. Elevated CO2 increased plant-C accumulated in the mineral-associated C (MOC) fraction, but not C content in this fraction. There was no change of C content in the MOC fraction with plant grown under climatic conditions over time. Climate change may not alter SOC stock but accelerate the fresh-old-C exchange in maize-grown Mollisols as warming may accelerate turnover of plant-derived C.

‘Staying on in national schools’: a history of Ireland’s secondary tops, 1880-1980

ABSTRACT Staying on in national school to gain some second-level education became a feature of the Irish education system during the late nineteenth century and continued until the 1980s. Following the establishment of Ireland’s Department of Education in 1924, the classes in national schools which provided second-level instruction became known as ‘secondary tops’. At their peak, there were more than 80 secondary tops in Ireland. Nonetheless, few academics have seriously considered the place of secondary tops within the history of Irish education. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to examine the origins and purpose of secondary tops. It also charts the growth of secondary tops from the 1920s and finally explores the impact of the 1960s reform period on their subsequent decline. This paper argues that, until the 1960s, secondary tops were an important component of Irish second-level schooling, providing one of the few opportunities for educational advancement.

An In‐Depth Study of Regulable Zincophilic Alloy Matrix toward Stable Zinc Metal Batteries

AbstractIntroducing 3D hosts is recognized as valid means to low the local current density for alleviating dendrite problems. However, the uncontrollable “top growth” behavior on some 3D hosts is still a serious issue. Although some strategies on the manipulation of Zn2+ ion flux by causing Zn‐alloying metals are reported, the covert details during cycles are still ignored. A tuned Cu‐Zn alloy interfacial layer on stainless‐steel mesh (SS) is proposed here as a fresh tactic. The zincophilic scaffold furnishes nucleation sites and lowers energy barriers for axipetally controllable Zn plating. In‐depth study reveals that CuxZny phase generated by variable Cu/Zn ratios preferentially forms into CuZn5 with Zn plating and then converts into metallic Zn in plating cycle, and no decomposition in a given voltage range in stripping process due to a negative Gibbs free energy of formation of zinc alloys. Thus, CuZn5 is the main zincophilic seed in the subsequent cycles, regardless of any CuxZny phases. As a result, the optimized SS in Zn//MnO2 full cell can render 70% retention after 350 cycles, while the bare SS only shows retention of 30%.

Organic Amendments with Poultry Manure and Cow Dung Influence the Yield and Status of Nutrient Uptake in Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>)

The field experiment cultivating wheat during the winter season from November 2014 to March 2015 was conducted in the “North Eastern Barind Tract Soils” at Kushadaha, Nawabganj, Dinajpur in Bangladesh. The wheat variety BARI Gom 26 was selected in focusing to evaluate the effects of organic amendments using poultry manure (PM) and cow dung (CD) on the growth, yield and nutrient uptake by the plant. The texture of the field soil was clay with acidic nature (pH 5.61). The trials comprise three treatments following a randomized complete block design (RCBD) replicated thrice. Results showed that significantly greater plant height, number of tillers per hill and straw yield were 98.10 cm, 3.66 and 5425 kg/ha respectively in receiving the treatment T2 than T3 (95.66 cm, 3.38 and 4483 kg/ha) and T1 (control). Spike length, 1000 grain weight and grain yield were 9.23 cm, 39.81 kg/ha and 3100 kg/ha respectively also higher in T2 treatment than T3 (8.76 cm, 38.51 kg/ha, 3091 kg/ha) with no statistical differences among them. Therefore, the treatment T2 (PM) comprised of poultry manure and NPK exhibited as the best treatment for producing the highest in all growth and yield parameters of wheat. In wheat grain, the content of N, P, K, S, Mg, Zn and B ranged from 1.080% to 1.380% N, 0.390% to 0.398% P, 0.780% to 0.840% K, 0.079% to 0.111% S, 0.181% to 0.187% Mg, 25.56 to 29.77 ppm Zn and 10.12 to 12.54 ppm B. Similarly in straw, nutrients content ranged from 0.220 to 0.300% N, 0.045% to 0.074% P, 0.970% to 1.250% K, 0.152% to 0.191% S, 0.097% to 0.101% Mg, 10.78 to 13.23 ppm Zn and 27.98 to 2989 ppm B. Therefore, organic amendment with 5-ton cow dung (CD) ha-1 with a recommended dose of NPK significantly increased the content of N, S, Mg, Zn and B in the grain and straw of wheat. Alternatively, the poultry manure treatment with NPK significantly increased the content of P and K in the grain and straw of wheat. However, results revealed that the treatments T2 and T3 comprising a recommended dose of NPK with poultry manure and cow dung respectively could increase the content of N, P, K, S, Mg, Zn and B in wheat. The overall results expressed that the poultry manure treatment with NPK (T2) exposed as superior for producing the top growth and yield attributes of wheat in the studied area.

A Stochastic Hierarchical Population System: Excitement, Extinction and Transition to Chaos

A problem of the mathematical modeling and analysis of noise-induced transformations of complex oscillatory regimes in hierarchical population systems is considered. As a key example, we use a three-dimensional food chain dynamical model of the interacting prey, predator, and top predator. We perform a comparative study of the impacts of random fluctuations on three key biological parameters of prey growth, predator mortality, and the top predator growth. A detailed investigation of the stochastic excitement, noise-induced transition from order to chaos, and various scenarios of extinction is carried out. Constructive abilities of the semi-analytical method of confidence domains in the analysis of the noise-induced extinction are demonstrated.