Targeting of endomembrane transport containers is of the utmost importance for proper land plant growth and development. Given the immobility of plant cells, localized membrane vesicle secretion and recycling are amongst the main processes guiding proper cell, tissue and whole plant morphogenesis. Cell wall biogenesis and modification are dependent on vectorial membrane traffic, not only during...

Sustainable, environmentally friendly and resource-saving water and nutrient management in horticulture requires knowledge of the hydraulic suitability of horticultural substrates for each specific application. The aim of this study was to develop methods and a rating framework to assess the hydraulic performance of horticultural substrates. The hydraulic criteria related to high-quality hortic...

New approaches for control of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (L.) are being developed, including the potential introduction of life-shortening symbiont bacteria into field populations and the release of transgenic strains with reduced vector competency. With these new approaches comes the need for rapid estimations of existing field population size. Here, we describe the use of simulation mode...

The use of fast growing trees could be an alternative in trace element contaminated soils to stabilize these elements and improve soil quality. In this study we investigate the effect of Paulownia fortunei growth on trace element contaminated soils amended with two organic composts under semi-field conditions for a period of 18 months. The experiment was carried out in containers filled with tr...

Although we normally think about soilless culture as a modern practice, growing plants in containers aboveground has been tried at various times throughout the ages. The Egyptians did it almost 4000 years ago. Wall paintings found in the temple of Deir el Bahari (Naville 1913) showed what appears to be the first documented case of container-grown plants (Fig. 1.1). They were used to transfer ma...

Maritime container terminals are facilities where cargo containers are transshipped between ships and land vehicles. These terminals involve a large number of complex and combinatorial problems. One of the important problems is related to the Container Stacking Problem. A container stack is a type of temporary store where containers await further transport by truck, train or vessel. The main ef...

Mosquito populations are largely regulated by processes occurring at the larval stage. We sampled mosquito larval microhabitats (mostly water-holding containers) in six neighborhoods in the Washington, DC, area that varied in socioeconomic status (SES) and housing structure (row houses vs. stand-alone houses) to test associations among these neighborhood characteristics, microhabitat abundance ...

OBJECTIVE A commonly adhered to operating principle in occupational therapy clinics is that a person must exhibit 20 lb of grip strength before his or her hand is considered "functional." This study examined the relationship between hand and finger grip performances with the forces required to open common household containers. METHOD The grip and pinch strengths of 49 college students were ob...

In physician's offices and biomedical labs, biological waste is handled every day. This waste is disposed of in waste containers designed for holding red autoclave bags. The containers used in these environments are closed hands-free containers, often with a step pedal. While these containers protect the user from surface-borne microorganisms, the containers may allow airborne microorganisms to...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Climate change is advancing the leaf-out times of many plant species and mostly extending the growing season in temperate ecosystems. Laboratory experiments using twig cuttings from woody plant species present an affordable, easily replicated approach to investigate the relative importance of factors such as winter chilling, photoperiod, spring warming and frost tolerance on...