In order to stand firmly and efficiently uptake water and nutrients, plants need complex root stock architectures. The root system in maize is characterized by different root types, each of which contributes to the development and establishment of plants in a distinctive manner. During very early development, the embryonic primary and seminal roots are predominant, together with their post-embr...

Twenty-three years ago when women and their children were recruited to a longitudinal genetic epidemiological study during pregnancy, placentas were collected at birth. This paper explores the history of a regional placenta biobank and contemporary understandings of its value for the constitution of a research population. We draw on interviews with some of the mothers and those responsible for ...

Effects of age and stand density of mother tree on seed germination, seedling biomass allocation, and seedling growth of Pinus thunbergii were studied. The results showed that age of mother tree did not have significant influences on seed germination, but it was significant on seedling biomass allocation and growth. Seedlings from the minimum and maximum age of mother tree had higher leaf mass ...

Companies pursuing extension of their activities and new companies in establishment phase are using various concepts and techniques to consider location decision, because location greatly a®ects both ̄xed and variable costs and on the overall pro ̄t of the company. This paper suggests a new use of quality function deployment (QFD) for facility location selection problem instead of applying it to ...

Insights into the ecology of historic invasions by introduced species can be gained by studying long-term patterns of invasions by native species. In this paper, we review literature in palaeo-ecology, forest-stand simulation modelling, and historical studies of plant species invasions to illustrate the relevance of biological inertia in plant communities to invasion ecology. Resistance to inva...

SUMMARY Lignin, a phenolic polymer derived mainly from hydroxycinnamyl alcohols, is ubiquitously present in tracheophytes. The development of lignin biosynthesis has been considered to be one of the key factors that allowed land plants to flourish in terrestrial ecosystems. Lignin provides structural rigidity for tracheophytes to stand upright, and strengthens the cell wall of their water-condu...

The establishment and growth of an early Australian entrepreneurial firm supplying veterinary services and products is examined. John Pottie established a veterinary practice in Sydney in the 1860's and then proceeded to develop a large and successful family business that is still trading. By exploring the ingredients for its successful entry and growth, this study seeks to show through one lon...

Reduced-tillage, cover crop intensive production systems have several important potential benefits for sweet corn growers including: fuel and labor savings; reduced equipment wear and tear; more timely planting under wet conditions; and improvements in soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Since sweet corn is an important rotational crop for many high value vegetables, improvements...

Heat stress is one of the most prominent and deleterious environmental threats affecting plant growth and development. Upon high temperatures, plants launch specialized gene expression programs that promote stress protection and survival. These programs involve global and specific changes at the transcriptional and translational levels. However, the coordination of these processes and their spe...