The goal of this study was to determine the comparative properties of dry-formed medium density fiberboards (MDF) made from renewable biomass (wheat and soybean straw) and those from conventional soft wood fiber. The MDF properties evaluated were modulus of elasticity, modulus of rupture, internal bond strength, thickness swell, and screw holding capacity. The results show that MDF made from wh...

The genus Aeromonas is ubiquitous in aquatic environments encompassing a broad range of fish and human pathogens. Aeromonas strains are known for their enhanced capacity to acquire and exchange antibiotic resistance genes and therefore, are frequently targeted as indicator bacteria for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in aquatic environments. This study evaluated temporal trends in Aeromonas...

Knowledge of the location and magnitude of the resistance to water flow in a plant is fundamental for describing whole plant response to water stress. The reported magnitudes of these resistances vary widely, principally because of the difficulty of measuring water potential within the plant. A number of interrelated experiments are described in which the water potential of a covered, nontransp...

Vegetation growing in the water along rivers has been the subject of several studies since it was recognized that it could have a significant impact on the water flow. It may increases resistance to flow and causes higher water levels. Also, it has affects on the turbulent structure such as the mean velocity profiles. For flow of water through emergent vegetation, previous investigations show d...

Several studies on diverse Drosophila species have reported higher desiccation resistance of females, but the physiological basis of such sex-specific differences has received less attention. We tested whether sex-specific differences in cuticular traits (melanic females and non-melanic males) of Drosophila kikkawai correspond with divergence in their water balance mechanisms. Our results are i...

Most of the shell material in snails is composed of calcium carbonate but the organic shell matrix determines the properties of calcium carbonate crystals. It has been shown that the deposition of calcium carbonate is affected by the ingestion of organic compounds. We hypothesize that organic compounds not synthesized by the snails are important for shell strength and must be obtained from the ...

The bacterial spore, the hardiest known life form, can survive in a metabolically dormant state for many years and can withstand high temperatures, radiation, and toxic chemicals. The molecular basis of spore dormancy and resistance is not understood, but the physical state of water in the different spore compartments is thought to play a key role. To characterize this water in situ, we recorde...