Percentage Of Breaks Research Articles

Acoustic and Perceptual Analyses of Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia in Mandarin-speaking Chinese

The objective of this study was to examine the perceptual structure and acoustic characteristics of speech of patients with adductor spasmodic dysphonia (ADSD) in Mandarin. Case-Control Study MATERIALS AND METHODS: For the estimation of dysphonia level, perceptual and acoustic analysis were used for patients with ADSD (N = 20) and the control group (N = 20) that are Mandarin-Chinese speakers. For both subgroups, a sustained vowel and connected speech samples were obtained. The difference of perceptual and acoustic parameters between the two subgroups was assessed and analyzed. For acoustic assessment, the percentage of phonatory breaks (PBs) of connected reading and the percentage of aperiodic segments and frequency shifts (FS) of vowel and reading in patients with ADSD were significantly worse than controls, the mean harmonics-to-noise ratio and the fundamental frequency standard deviation of vowel as well. For perceptual evaluation, the rating of speech and vowel in patients with ADSD are significantly higher than controls. The percentage of aberrant acoustic events (PB, frequency shift, and aperiodic segment) and the fundamental frequency standard deviation and mean harmonics-to-noise ratio were significantly correlated with the perceptual rating in the vowel and reading productions. The perceptual and acoustic parameters of connected vowel and reading in patients with ADSD are worse than those in normal controls, and could validly and reliably estimate dysphonia of ADSD in Mandarin-speaking Chinese.

Abscisic Acid (ABA ) Promotes the Induction and Maintenance of Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia White Pear Group) Flower Bud Endodormancy.

Dormancy is an adaptive mechanism that allows temperate deciduous plants to survive unfavorable winter conditions. In the present work, we investigated the possible function of abscisic acid (ABA) on the endodormancy process in pear. The ABA content increased during pear flower bud endodormancy establishment and decreased towards endodormancy release. In total, 39 putative genes related to ABA metabolism and signal transductions were identified from pear genome. During the para- to endodormancy transition, PpNCED-2 and PpNCED-3 had high expression levels, while PpCYP707As expression levels were low. However, during endodormancy, the expression of PpCYP707A-3 sharply increased with increasing cold accumulation. At the same time, the ABA content of pear buds declined, and the percentage of bud breaks rapidly increased. On the other hand, the expression levels of PpPYLs, PpPP2Cs, PpSnRK2s, and PpABI4/ABI5s were also changed during the pear flower bud dormancy cycle. Furthermore, exogenous ABA application to para-dormant buds significantly reduced the bud breaks and accelerated the transition to endodormancy. During the whole treatment time, the expression level of PpPP2C-12 decreased to a greater extent in ABA-treated buds than in control. However, the expression levels of PpSnRK2-1, PpSnRK2-4, and PpABI5-1 were higher in ABA-treated buds. Our results indicated that PpCYP707A-3 and PpNCEDs play pivotal roles on the regulation of endodormancy release, while ABA signal transduction pathway also appears to be involved in the process. The present work provided the basic information about the function of ABA-related genes during pear flower bud dormancy process.

Effect of parboiling technique on Physico-Chemical and nutritional characteristics of basmati rice

Parboiling method was developed to enhance the milling quality, cooking characteristics and textural properties of Basmati cultivar Pusa Basmati 1121. In order to increase the head rice yield of Basmati rice, three different parboiling methods (traditional parboiling technique, steaming alone and advanced parboiling method) were performed and compared with unparboiled sample. Parboiling method 3 consisting of pre-steaming of paddy at 66.09%. Broken percentage was significantly reduced (p<0.05) to 6.31% while cooking time and water uptake ratio increased to 48.63 minutes and 2.96%, respectively. Hardness, cohesiveness and springiness of parboiled cooked rice increased to 9.52N, 0.16 and 0.23mm whereas adhesiveness was reduced significantly to 0.007Nmm.

Preliminary Study on Effect of Chemical Composition Alteration on Elastic Recovery and Stress Recovery of Nitrile Gloves

Nitrile gloves are widely used in the medical and automobile field due to its superiority in hypo-allergic component and chemical resistance over natural latex gloves. However, poor elastic recovery of nitrile glove to compressive force also creates an aesthetic issue for customers with high levels of wrinkling after removing from glove box. This paper demonstrates the preliminary study on the varies chemical composition such as crosslinking agents, sulphur and zinc oxide, the accelerator agent added during curing process, and the rubber filler Titanium Dioxide, on the elastic recovery and stress relaxation in nitrile gloves manufacturing. These chemical were studied at different concentration level comparing the high and low level versus the normal production range. Due to the inconsistency in the analysis technique on the surface imaging, the elastic recovery result was unable to be quantified and was not conclusive at this point. The cross linking agents, sulphur and zinc oxide, and the accelerator agent, played a significant role in the mechanical strength of the gloves. Increment of these chemicals result in higher tensile strength, but a reduction in the elasticity of the materials in which causes a lesser elongation at break percentage for the gloves. Both cross-linkers demonstrate different behaviour where higher sulphur content, provide higher stress relaxation (SR%) yet zinc oxide shows otherwise.

Ovarian Aging in Women With BRCA Germline Mutations.

Recent clinical and laboratory studies suggested that women with BRCA mutations have lower ovarian reserve and their primordial follicle oocytes may be more prone to DNA damage; however, direct proof is lacking. To determine whether women with germline BRCA mutations have reduced primordial follicle reserve and increased oocyte DNA damage. A comparative laboratory study of ovarian tissue obtained from unaffected BRCA mutation carriers (BMCs) vs age-matched organ donor cadavers. Two academic centers. Of the 230 ovarian specimens from BMCs, 18 met the study inclusion criteria. Healthy ovaries from 12 organ donor cadavers served as controls. Histology and immunohistochemical analysis on paraffin-embedded ovarian sections. Primordial follicle density and the percentage of DNA double-strand break (DSB)-positive primordial follicle oocytes. Ovaries from BMCs had significantly lower primordial follicle densities than those of controls (11.2 ± 2.0 vs 44.2 ± 6.2 follicles/mm3; P = 0.0002). BRCA mutations were associated with increased DNA DSBs in primordial follicle oocytes (62% ± 5.2% vs 36% ± 3.4%; P = 0.0005). In subgroup analyses, both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were associated with lower primordial follicle density (P = 0.0001 and 0.0030, respectively), and BRCA1 mutations were associated with higher DNA DSBs (P = 0.0003) than controls. The rates of follicle decline (R2 = 0.74; P = 0.0001) and DNA DSB accumulation (R2 = 0.70; P = 0.0001) appeared to be accelerated, particularly in primordial follicle oocytes of BMCs over age 30 years. We provide direct evidence of diminished ovarian reserve as well as accelerated primordial follicle loss and oocyte DNA damage in women with BRCA mutations. These findings may further our understanding of ovarian aging, and be useful when counseling BMCs.

Development and Characterization of an Amorphous Solid Dispersion of Furosemide in the Form of a Sublingual Bioadhesive Film to Enhance Bioavailability.

Administered by an oral route, Furosemide (FUR), a diuretic used in several edematous states and hypertension, presents bioavailability problems, reported as a consequence of an erratic gastrointestinal absorption due to various existing polymorphic forms and low and pH-dependent solubility. A mucoadhesive sublingual fast-dissolving FUR based film has been developed and evaluated in order to optimize the bioavailability of FUR by increasing solubility and guaranteeing a good dissolution reproducibility. The Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analyses confirmed that the film prepared using the solvent casting method entrapped FUR in the amorphous state. As a solid dispersion, FUR increases its solubility up to 28.36 mg/mL. Drug content, thickness, and weight uniformity of film were also evaluated. The measured Young’s Modulus, yield strength, and relative elongation of break percentage (EB%) allowed for the classification of the drug-loaded film as an elastomer. Mucoadhesive strength tests showed that the force to detach film from mucosa grew exponentially with increasing contact time up to 7667 N/m2. FUR was quickly discharged from the film following a trend well fitted with the Weibull kinetic model. When applied on sublingual mucosa, the new formulation produced a massive drug flux in the systemic compartment. Overall, the proposed sublingual film enhances drug solubility and absorption, allowing for the prediction of a rapid onset of action and reproducible bioavailability in its clinical application.

Experimental Evaluation on Aggregate Particle Breakage in Unbound Granular Mixture Compaction

In order to evaluate the particle breakage percentage and improve fundamental understanding of particle-based mixture construction, this paper presents the laboratory testing results of mineral aggregate mix compaction. In this research, the laboratory compaction tests were conducted under heavy compaction. In preparing the testing samples, aggregate gradations, water contents, and aggregate types were considered. After compaction, CBR (California Bearing Ratio) values optimum moisture contents (OMC) or moisture content (MC) and maximum dry density (MDD) were measured. In order to quantify the particle break percentage, the compacted samples were sieved and analyzed. Furthermore after compaction the changes in gradations could be determined. Through laboratory testing results, connections with design moisture content (DMC) and actual forming moisture content (AFMC) and particle breakage with CBR (California Bearing Ratio) values were established. Besides relationship between design water content and forming water content was cubic function and proctor compaction had a great influence on gradations, particles especially coarse particles reduced a lot while fineness modulus seemed to increase and there was an optimum crushing value under which CBR reached maximum.

Starch, growth, and development in cuttings of rootstock 'Paulsen 1103' from plants infested with ground pearl

ABSTRACT: The ground pearl, Eurhizococcus brasiliensis , is considered an important pest of vineyards in southern Brazil, with affected plants exhibiting leaf chlorosis, reduction in vigor, fading, and death. This study evaluated the quality of hardwood cuttings produced from plants infected (I) and not infected (NI) by ground pearl. 'Paulsen 1103' ( Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris ) plants were grown for 29 months in brick-built raised beds either infested or not infested by ground pearl; then, 12 one-year-old branches with a maximum of 12 buds each were cut from each plant, subdivided into three portions (4 buds cutting-1), and subjected to destructive and nondestructive testing. DDestructive testing comprised determining fresh and dry weight, length, internode diameters, and percentage of starch. Nondestructive testing comprised assessing the potential for bud sprouting and shoot development. Each mother plant in the I and NI beds was considered a replicate, with a total of 360 cuttings per treatment. It was observed that cuttings from infected plants had significantly lower (P&lt;0.05) internode diameter, length, and fresh and dry weight than those of the uninfected plants. The percentage of starch content of the cuttings did not differ significantly. All cuttings showed the same percentage (100%) of bud breaking and no changes in growth and development of seedlings regardless of source. Given these results, it was concluded that vines of 'Paulsen 1103' infested with ground pearl produce smaller cuttings than those of uninfected plants but with no reduction in bud break percentage or seedling development

Affective Prosody and Depression After Stroke

Poststroke depression (PSD) is a frequent complication of stroke with detrimental consequences in terms of quality of life and functional outcomes. In individuals with major depression, several studies have demonstrated an alteration of affective prosody. The aim of this study is to identify prosodic markers that may be predictive of PSD. Patient voices were recorded at baseline and 3 months after stroke. We extracted prosodic parameters, including fundamental frequency, percentage of voice breaks, and shimmer. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed 3 months later. Among the 49 patients included in the study, 22.5% developed PSD 3 months after stroke. A significant decrease was observed concerning the fundamental frequency among patients who developed PSD. Discriminant analysis demonstrated that initial voice breaks coupled with shimmer are strongly predictive of subsequent PSD. Early alterations of affective prosody are associated with a higher risk of PSD 3 months after a stroke. This new physiological approach overcomes traditional barriers associated with clinical instruments and contributes to the prediction of this disorder.

The Effects of Trans- Polyoctylene Rubber (TOR) as a Compatibilizer on The Properties of Epoxidized Natural Rubber/Recycled Silicone Catheter (ENR-25/rSC) Vulcanizate

In this study, the influence of Trans- Polyoctylene Rubber (TOR) as a compatibilizer on the cure characteristics, tensile and physical properties of ENR-25/rSC vulcanizate were determined. Five different loading of TOR (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 phr) were prepared and added into the vulcanizate. Results indicated that the scorch time (t 2 ) and cure time (t 90 ) bacame shorter as TOR increased, while minimum torque (M L ) and maximum torque (M H ) increased. The incorporation of TOR with the vulcanizates enhanced the tensile strength (T s ), modulus (M100) crosslinking density and hardness values. However, the elongation at break percentage of compatibilized vulcanizates became lower than uncompatibilized vulcanizates.

Milling recovery and quality of combine harvested paddy: a case study in Batticaloa and Ampara Districts

Grain quality directly affects the profitability of a crop. This study investigated the field operational conditions of combine harvesters with respect to the quality of the grain. A total of six brands of combine harvesters were tested in 10 different fields in Batticaloa and Ampara districts. The damages imposed on grains were determined based on the milling quality of the samples. The holistic view of data from farmers’ field trials indicated that the combine forward speed, tip velocity of threshing drums and grain moisture content highly influenced the physical damages caused to the paddy grains during milling. Threshing unit tip velocity of the combine harvesters were found to be in the range of 10.35 – 39.51 m/s. The tip velocity of 10.35 m/s gave the lowest broken percentage of 15.38% and a higher head rice yield of 49.45%. Relatively low percentages of broken rice of 19.32% and 27.45% were obtained at high forward speeds of 1.36 and 2.5 m/s, respectively. This could be due to the creation of cushioning effect on the grains by increasing feed rate. High impacting forces on the grains at increased tip velocities caused the grain fissures which decreased the quality of seed paddy. The lowest grain moisture content of 15.9% yielded a relatively high broken rice percentage of 33.98 kg/ha at the tip velocity of 24.64 m/s. The highest grain damage of 39.94 kg/ha was obtained during milling at the tip velocity of 39.51 m/s at the moisture content of 20.9%. Tropical Agricultural Research Vol. 26 (1): 120 – 130 (2014)

Abstract 4244: Comparison of different ALK tests in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with crizotinib and their clinical outcome

Abstract Background: The screening algorithm for detection of ALK-rearranged NSCLC is still under investigation. The Break-Apart ALK FISH is the standard diagnostic test for the treatment with crizotinib. However, immunohistochemistry (IHC) with different antibodies shows excellent results when compared to ALK FISH. The efficacy of crizotinib is studied in relation to ALK FISH. We compared IHC outcome and the number of ALK breaks estimated with FISH with clinical outcome. Methods: Patients treated with crizotinib who had biopsies with sufficient tumor tissue were selected. Tumour response was assessed by CT using RECIST. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed with Vysis LSI ALK Break Apart FISH Probe KIT (Abbott Molecular) and immunohistochemistry with Ventana ALK IHC Kit using D5F3 antibody. Results: Twenty one patients with NSCLC were selected, median (range) age 54 yrs (21-75); 19 had adenocarcinoma, 2 had large-cell carcinoma. We confirmed the presence of EML4-ALK fusions in all samples either by FISH or IHC. Median percentage of ALK breaks was 47% (6-76). Tumour response occurred in 12 pts having a median of 51 (6-76) breaks and 9 non-responders having a median of 27 (15-64) breaks. Of the 12 responders, 8 pts had positive IHC (67%), 3 were negative and 1 was not done; the FISH negative, IHC positive patient was one of the responders. Of the 9 non-responders 2 had positive IHC (22%), 3 negative (33%), and 1 was equivocal and 3 not done. Median PFS for positive IHC is 7.9 mo (95% CI., 5.5 - 10.3) and for negative IHC 1.6 mo (1.3 - 1.8), n = 17, p&amp;lt;0.0001. OS survival data are 6.5 mo (95% CI., 0 - 17.8) and 18.3 mo (95% CI., 11.1 - 25.6) respectively, n = 17 p = 0.052. PFS above 30% number of breaks was 7.0 mo (95% CI., 1.8 - 12.2) versus PFS below is 1.8 mo (95% CI., 0.7 - 2.9), n = 21, p = 0.05. OS survival data are 4.1 mo (95% CI., 0 - 9.3) and 16.1 mo (95% CI., 9.0 - 23.2) respectively, n = 21 p = 0.003. Therefore PFS and OS is more prolonged in those tumors who have ALK breaks above 30%. IHC difference are only significant for PFS. Conclusions: Both ALK FISH and IHC identify NSCLC patients who benefit from crizotinib treatment. Patients with ALK breaks above 30% have a better PFS and OS. IHC only differentiates for PFS. Citation Format: Anthonie J. van der Wekken, Thijo JN Hiltermann, Wim Timens, Ed Schuuring, Harry JM Groen. Comparison of different ALK tests in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with crizotinib and their clinical outcome. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4244. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4244

An analysis of the influence of logistics activities on the export cold chain of temperature sensitive fruit through the Port of Cape Town

Background: South Africa exports a large variety of different fruit types and cultivars worldwide. Yet, there is concern in the South African fruit industry that too much fruit and money is lost each year due to breaks along the fresh fruit export cold chain.Objective: The objective of this article was to identify the influence of logistics activities on breaks along the South African fruit export cold chain. The focus is specifically on temperature sensitive fruit, exported in refrigerated containers to Europe and the United Kingdom through the Port of Cape Town. This supply chain was selected as this was the most accessible supply chain in terms of retrieving the necessary temperature data.Method: The cold chain was investigated from the cold store, through all segments, until the Port of Cape Town. Temperature data collected with temperature monitoring devices from different fruit export supply chains of grapes, plums and pome fruit (apples and pears) were analysed to identify the percentage of temperature breaks and the length of temperature breaks that occur at each segment of the cold chain.Results: The results show that a large number of breaks are experienced along South Africa’s fruit export cold chain, specifically at the interface between the cold store and the truck. In addition, the findings also show that there has been an improvement in the number of breaks experienced in the Port of Cape Town following the implementation of the NAVIS and Refcon systems.Conclusion: This article concludes by providing the fruit industry with areas that require addressing to improve operational procedures along the fruit export cold chain to help ensure that the fruit arrives at its final destination at optimal quality.

Encircling Narrow Band versus Buckle for Retinal Detachments with Intrabasal or Unseen Retinal Breaks.

Purpose:To compare the results of narrow encircling band surgery with standard encircling scleral buckling for retinal detachments (RDs) with intrabasal or unseen breaks.Methods:In a retrospective study, eyes with intrabasal or unseen breaks underwent narrow band implantation (group N) or standard encircling buckling plus wide tire placement (group W) and were followed for at least one year.Results:A total of 112 eyes including 39 eyes in group N and 73 eyes in group W were studied. Preoperatively visual acuity of eyes in group N was significantly better (1.55 ± 0.9 vs. 1.93 ± 0.9 logMAR, P = 0.043). The two study groups (N and W) were comparable in terms of the extent of RD (2.8 ± 0.96 vs. 2.8 ± 0.93 quadrants), interval to surgery (88.3 ± 176.4 vs. 71.9 ± 135.4 days) and percentage of visible breaks (56.4% vs. 63%), respectively (all P values > 0.05). More atrophic holes were present in group W and more dialyses were reported in group N. The single operation success rate at 12 months was 69.2% in group N and 74% in group W (P = 0.1). The single operation success rate for eyes with unseen breaks was also comparable (66.7% vs. 85.7%, P = 0.157). Final corrected visual acuity was also similar (0.63 ± 0.44 vs. 0.85 ± 0.69 log MAR). The only factor influencing success rate was the type of retinal breaks (P = 0.04). Type of scleral buckling did not affect the single operation success rate (P = 0.460).Conclusion:Narrow encircling band surgery is a possible option with acceptable single operation success rate for RDs with intrabasal or unseen breaks.

Scarification and Gibberellic Acid Affecting to Dormancy Breaking of Variegated Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum odoratum var. pluriflorum ‘Variegatum’)

무늬 둥굴레는 화훼장식의 절엽 소재로 많이 활용되고 있으나 봄과 여름 시기에만 생산되는 제한적인 시장성을 가지고 있다. 무늬 둥굴레의 연중생산 요구가 늘어나고 있으며, 시간과 공간을 필요로 하는 저온처리를 대신하는 무늬둥굴레의 휴면타파법이 필요하다. 본 연구에서는 지베렐린을 효과적으로 처리하여 무늬둥굴레의 휴면을 타파할 수 있는 방법을 찾고자 실험을 수행하였다. 휴면 상태의 무늬둥굴레 근경에 지베렐린을 두상관주 하였을 때에는 휴면타파가 이루어 지지않았다. 하지만 지베렐린을 처리하기 전에 면도칼로 무늬둥굴레의 표피에 상처를 내어 지베렐린을 관주하거나 주사로 지베렐린을 직접 주입하였을 때에는 1년차 실험에서는 <TEX>$GA_3$</TEX> <TEX>$400mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX>를 처리했을 때 각각 100, 83.3%의 휴면타파가 이루어졌다. 그러나 면도날이나 주사기를 사용했을 경우 무늬둥굴레에 물리적인 피해가 나타나 NaOCl을 이용한 화학적 처리를 사용해 보았다. 솜에 묻힌 4%의 NaOCl을 6시간 또는 24시간 처리한 이후에 <TEX>$GA_3$</TEX> <TEX>$400mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX>를 처리했을 때 휴면 상태의 무늬둥굴레에서 각각 70%와 86.7%의 휴면타파 결과를 얻을 수 있었다. 그리고 대조구나 지베렐린의 관주처리에 비하여 물리적인 처리 이후 지베렐린을 처리했을 때 엽수가 더 많았다. 이와 같은 결과는 지베렐린을 효과적으로 처리하면 무늬둥굴레의 휴면을 효율적으로 타파시켜서 절엽의 주년생산에 기여할 수 있음을 알 수 있었다. The foliage of variegated Solomon's seal is excellent in cut flower arrangements. However, it has a restricted marketing period because the harvesting is limited in spring and summer. The increased interest requires the year-round production, thus techniques for dormancy breaking and forcing without low temperature treatment is needed. Therefore, experiments were conducted to d etermine whether gibberellic acid (GA) could break dormancy in variegated Solomon's seal. Thes prouting of dormant bud did not occur throughout the experiment when <TEX>$GA_3$</TEX> <TEX>$400mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX> was applied to dormant rhizomes as a soil drench. However, when plants were treated with a GA drench after scratch with razor blade or were given direct injection of GA, percent sprouting was increased up to 100 or 83.3%, respectively. However, because treatments with razor or syringe may damage internal organs, we tested another method, scarifying the rhizomes with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Rhizome scarification with 4% NaOCl for 6 or 24 hours followed by drench of <TEX>$GA_3$</TEX> <TEX>$400mg{\cdot}L^{-1}$</TEX> increased the dormancy breaking percentage to 70 or 86.7%, respectively. Moreover, scarified and GA-treated rhizomes produced more leaves than untreated or GA-soil drenched plants in the glasshouse. These results showed the possibility of year-round production of variegated Solomon's seal foliage with rhizome scarification and GA treatments.

Speech in Alzheimer's Disease: Can Temporal and Acoustic Parameters Discriminate Dementia?

Aims: The study explores how speech measures may be linked to language profiles in participants with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and how these profiles could distinguish AD from changes associated with normal aging. Methods: We analysed simple sentences spoken by older adults with and without AD. Spectrographic analysis of temporal and acoustic characteristics was carried out using the Praat software. Results: We found that measures of speech, such as variations in the percentage of voice breaks, number of periods of voice, number of voice breaks, shimmer (amplitude perturbation quotient), and noise-to-harmonics ratio, characterise people with AD with an accuracy of 84.8%. Discussion: These measures offer a sensitive method of assessing spontaneous speech output in AD, and they discriminate well between people with AD and healthy older adults. This method of evaluation is a promising tool for AD diagnosis and prognosis, and it could be used as a dependent measure in clinical trials.

Chill unit accumulation and necessity of rest breaking agents in South African table grape production regions

Cultivation of table grapes in warm regions of South Africa is complicated by problems associated with delayed and uneven bud break. Rest breaking agents, mainly hydrogen cyanamide, are applied to overcome these problems. The chill unit accumulation of the five major table grape production regions in South Africa was compared with the minimum chilling required to obtain a high bud break percentage (>80%) and even bud break, defined as 200 hours between 0 and 10 ∘ C, or 400 hours at 3 ∘ C. The effect of chilling accumulation (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 hours at 3 ∘ C) on bud break of dormant cuttings of three table grape cultivars was investigated in controlled studies in a glass house over a three year period. Cuttings used in the study were collected from commercial vineyards in Saron in the Berg River Valley (representing a warm region) and the Hex River Valley (representing a cool region). Sultanina and Sugraone cuttings from Saron required at least 200 hours at 3 ∘ C to obtain a final bud break % of 80%+. A final bud break % of 80%+ was obtained with all Sultanina cuttings from Hex River Valley. Treatments receiving 400 and 800 hours at 3 ∘ C, showed the most rapid rate of bud break. Prime cuttings collected from Saron, receiving 0, 50, 100 and 400 hours at 3 ∘ C, showed a more rapid bud break process, as well as a higher final bud break % compared to Sugraone and Sultanina. It seems as if Prime has a lower chilling requirement than the other two cultivars. The model of Dokoozlian for quantifying chilling status is applicable to Saron and the Hex River Valley. The necessity of using rest breaking chemicals in the Saron area, for obtaining a high bud break % and even bud break, was confirmed. The Hex River Valley receives sufficient chilling temperatures to obtain a high bud break %, but rest breaking chemicals can be used to obtain more even bud break. The use of hydrogen cyanamide for improved and even bud break is a general practice in regions that receive less than 400 chill units. In regions receiving more than 400 chill units, several producers still use hydrogen cyanamide for even bud break. It is recommended that the chilling requirement of economic important cultivars should be determined simultaneously in field trials and glass house trials for the major table grape production regions of South Africa, to verify the necessity of using rest breaking chemicals for specific cultivars in specific regions.

Tensile Properties, Swelling Behavior, and Morphology Analysis of Recycled High Density Polyethylene / Natural Rubber / Chicken Feather Fibers (R-HDPE / NR / CFF) Composites: The Effects of Caprolactam

The effect of caprolactam as a coupling agent on the tensile properties, swelling behavior and morphology analysis of recycled high density polyethylene/ natural rubber/ chicken feather fiber (R-HDPE/ NR/ CFF) composites was studied. The R-HDPE/NR/CFF composites with and without caprolactam were prepared using Brabender Plasticorder at 160°C and rotor speed of 50 rpm. The results indicated that R-HDPE/NR/CFF with caprolactam showed higher value of tensile strength but lower elongation at break and mass swell percentage than R-HDPE/NR/CFF composites. SEM morphology showed that the addition of caprolactam improved the fiber matrix-interfacial adhesion and good dispersion of the fiber in the R-HDPE/NR blends.

Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) and Potato virus Y (PVY) influence vegetative growth, physiological metabolism, and microtuber production of in vitro-grown shoots of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

Effects of Potato leafroll virus (PLRV) and Potato virus Y (PVY) on vegetative growth, physiological metabolism and microtuber production were investigated using in vitro shoot cultures. The results showed that parameters of shoot growth including bud break percentage, shoot length, and node number and length were markedly reduced in the diseased shoots. These negative effects were much more pronounced in shoots co-infected with PLRV and PVY than in those singly infected with either PLRV or PVY. The inhibitive effects on root developments measured by root number and length were observed only in shoots co-infected with PLRV and PVY. Significantly lower contents of chl-a, chl-b and total chl were found in virus infected shoots than in healthy ones. There were striking differences in contents of total soluble protein observed between healthy shoots and PLVR and PVY co-infected ones. The content of total soluble sugar was highest in shoots co-infected with PLRV and PVY, and lowest in healthy shoots. Furthermore, there were no significant differences found in the level of endogenous indole-acetic acid among healthy shoots verses virus infected shoots. However, the level of zeatin-ribosome was much higher in healthy shoots than in virus infected ones. Yet, both healthy and single PLRV infected shoots produced similar levels of gibberillic acid 3, which were much higher than those of PVY single-infected shoots and PLRV and PVY co-infected shoots. Also, there were no significant differences in the number of microtubers among healthy shoots, PLVR single or PVY single infected shoots, but shoots co-infected with PLRV and PVY produced the lowest number of microtubers. Overall, the healthy shoots produced the largest size of microtubers and the highest percentage of microtubers ≥5 mm in diameter.

Response of “Anna” apple dormant buds and carbohydrate metabolism during floral bud break to onion extract

The response of dormancy release of “Anna” apple buds, carbohydrate metabolism and hydrolytic enzymes activities to 13-year-old trees foliar application with onion extract was investigated. Selected trees were sprayed with four extract rates (50, 100, 150 and 200mll−1) and tap water as a control. Our results showed that breaking bud dormancy increased as the extract concentration increased. Increases in reducing sugars and hydrolytic enzymes (α-amylase and invertase) activities, and reductions in non-soluble carbohydrates and non-reducing sugars were correlated with the increase in the percentage of floral bud break and the reduction in flowering duration as a result in the extract application. The variance in the timing of soluble sugars accumulation/exhaustion processes in the extract treated-trees and the control may be accounted for the variance in flowering duration and floral bud break timing. The best results were obtained with the extract concentration of 200mll−1, which could be recommended for early and high floral bud break percentage by regulating the metabolism of carbohydrates and the activities of hydrolytic enzymes in apple floral buds.