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Minorities are particularly vulnerable during times of emergency, particularly those that challenge the state. However, it is not understood how minorities can be targeted through emergency decrees despite the government agreeing they had nothing to do with the reasons for declaring the state of emergency. The Turkish emergency in 2016 highlights this little-understood tendency where the government constructed an emergency around a threat from coup plotters, but then much of the subsequent extraordinary legislation targeted the Kurdish minority. We argue that this was possible because the Turkish government engaged in modular emergency rule. Modular emergency rule combines modes of ordinary rule with emergency powers, thus blurring the boundaries between the two. Emergency measures were laid on top of already existing policies that sought to restrict Kurdish politics in public life. In this way, modular emergency rule became more than just a transient form of government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether power-sharing increases polarisation or not in post-conflict societies remains deeply contested. Yet, we currently lack an adequate conceptualisation of polarisation to assess the link (if any) between the two. This article offers a new conceptualisation of polarisation and uses this to gather evidence from Northern Ireland to argue that the assumption that power-sharing entrenches polarisation is not the reality that many think it is. By examining legislator voting records, speeches by party leaders, manifestos and public opinion data, we disaggregate polarisation into different issues, track it over time, and examine both elite and mass levels. We find that overall polarisation declined, albeit some limited polarisation remained in cultural and identity issues, but these were of low salience. We argue that this is the result of parties using identity instrumentally for electoral distinction in a system of convergence – a process that is independent of the effects of power-sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'WA 38' is a new apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivar, released by Washington State University (WSU) in 2017. An unknown disorder, "green spot" (GS), dark green halos in the epidermis, with necrotic, corky, and oxidated cortical tissue underneath the damaged epidermis, leads to unmarketable fruit and has become a threat to the adoption and profitability of 'WA 38', with young and mature orchards exhibiting up to 60% incidence in 2020. Given the apparent susceptibility of 'WA 38' to GS, this research investigated GS relation with nutrient levels in fruit. Research was carried out in 2018 and 2019 in a 'WA 38' apple block planted in 2013, on 'Geneva 41' ('G.41') and 'M.9-Nic 29' ('M.9') rootstocks. In both years, fruit number per tree, fruit weight, and fruit diameter were evaluated in 18 trees per treatment, from both rootstocks. From each tree, fruit were classified for presence or absence of GS, and subsequently analyzed for nutrient concentration in the peel and in the flesh, nutrient extraction, and total nutrient content, on an individual apple basis. Apples with GS had higher nitrogen (N) and magnesium (Mg) levels in the peel, regardless of year and rootstock. Apples grown on 'G.41' rootstock exhibited higher GS incidence and reduced crop load in both years; reduced size and fruit diameter were exhibited only in 2018. Fruit on 'G.41' had higher N, potassium (K), and Mg in the flesh and higher N and Mg in the peel, with lower levels of calcium (Ca) in the flesh and peel; however, only in 2018, with no differences in 2019. GS in 'WA 38' apples appears to be another Ca-related disorder in which excessive vigor, rootstock, and N and Mg excess are predisposing factors for its development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergency rule provides opportunities for aspiring autocrats to subvert democratic institutions while still following constitutional rules. There has been a steady rise in the use of emergency rule for this purpose in recent years, leading many scholars to speak of "permanent" emergency rule. Existing explanations of permanent emergency rule focus on national-level factors, completely neglecting the role of local political dynamics. Our goal is to trace how overlooked local conditions enable the permanency of emergency rule. We do so by looking at one particular autocratizing emergency decree in one province in Eastern Turkey that became permanent during its recent state of emergency: the removal of local elected Kurdish mayors and their replacement with state-appointed trustees. We draw on in-depth interviews, reviews of three local newspapers, and a review of parliamentary records and political statements, to argue that three local conditions were necessary for this process. First, this was not a new policy for this region, which had long been treated as exceptional; secondly, there were high levels of local polarization and zero-sum politics around the ethno-political divide; and thirdly, local politics was highly clientelistic. These reinforcing factors created weak municipal government and enabled its eclipse by an autocratizing centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conflict between the AKP and the HDP can, in part, be understood as a conflict over the nature of democracy in Turkey. While the AKP embodies a vision of majoritarian democracy that has descended into electoral authoritarianism, the HDP offers an alternative vision of ‘radical democracy’ that argues for minority rights and checks on the centralised state. It is against this backdrop that this article analyses the rise of the HDP to become the first Kurdish party to pass the 10% electoral threshold without allying with another party and gain representation in the Grand National Assembly. This article argues that while both parties offer competing visions of democracy, both are instrumental. That is, the parties’ commitment to their democratic visions depends upon the degree to which it helps to advance their interests. In this regard, they fit a longer-term pattern in Turkish politics, which ultimately leaves Turkish democracy weak and with little reason for optimism going forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines how violent separatist groups moderate. Using the case of Sinn Féin and the IRA in Northern Ireland, it shows that moderation is a multidimensional process, entailing a change in strategic behaviour but not necessarily in the goals or values of a separatist group. For Irish republicans, moderation entailed giving up violent revolution and embracing peaceful reformism, but it did not require changing long-term goals, accepting the legitimacy of British rule in Northern Ireland, or distancing themselves from their history of armed struggle. Moderation was possible because both Irish republicans and the British state distinguished between republicans’ strategic behaviour and their political goals, with the British state neither expecting nor demanding a change in the goals of republicanism, and republicans showing a willingness to change tactics to bring them closer to their long-term goal of a united Ireland. This finding has important implications for the moderation of other radical separatist groups. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article explores the impact of the war in Syria on the dynamics of Kurdish nationalism inside the country and beyond. Topics covered include the view by Kurdish groups of the Syrian war as an opportunity to advance their goals of self-determination, how the war exacerbated existing tensions within Kurdish groups, and the increased division at an elite level as competing political projects and struggles were revealed across Kurdish groups.

Fractional interception of photosynthetically active radiation (FIPAR) (i.e. light interception) by tree fruit canopies determines, in large part, fruit quantity and quality, and thus profitability. This study aimed to elucidate the diurnal pattern in FIPAR and determine the optimum time at which the measured FIPAR best represents mean daily FIPAR in sweet cherry trees trained to the planar UFO (Upright Fruiting Offshoots) architecture. Two experiments were conducted to assess the influence of canopy development stages and of canopy height to row spacing ratios (H/S ratio) on diurnal FIPAR pattern and optimum measurement time. For different canopy development stages, three adjacent north-to-south sample blocks were selected. For different H/S ratios, three levels of 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 were used, and 9 north-to-south sample block for each level were selected. Daily FIPAR was determined from measurements taken within ±6 h of solar noon. Gaussian process regression with four parameters was applied to obtain the diurnal pattern with coefficients of determination ( R 2 ) ranging from 0.97 to 1.00. The diurnal pattern was symmetric with the lowest point around solar noon. Mean daily FIPAR increased during the season, as well as with increasing H/S ratio. For both experiments, there was no substantial difference in optimum measurement time among stages and among H/S ratios, with maximum difference of 0.3 h and 0.4 h respectively. We recommend an optimal measurement time window of −2.5 h to −2.0 h with reference to solar noon for the planar UFO architecture to estimate mean daily FIPAR with ±10% tolerance interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intuitively, tree architecture will affect harvest efficiency of tree fruit crops, yet there are no empirical studies that document this. The objective of the current research was to investigate the role of training system on harvest rate of individual pickers in commercial sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) orchards. We used a real-time labor monitoring system (LMS) with the ability to track and record individual picker efficiency in 11 orchards throughout the Pacific Northwest. Trees were trained to one of five different architectures: 1) upright fruiting offshoots (UFO), a planar architecture comprised of unbranched vertical fruiting wood; 2) Y-trellised, an angled dual planar architecture; 3) Kym Green Bush (KGB), a multileader bush; 4) central leader (CL); and 5) traditional multileader open center (MLOC), trees comprised of three to five main leaders. A consistent picking crew was used to facilitate comparisons among systems and eliminate variability in skill among pickers. The LMS calculated harvest rate, picking cost, weight of harvested fruit, number of harvested buckets, range in fruit weight per bucket/bin, and mean fruit weight per bucket/bin for individual pickers. Tests revealed a significant effect of canopy architecture on labor efficiency. The highest mean (± SE) harvest rates (0.94 ± 0.02 kg⋅min-1 and 0.78 ± 0.03 kg⋅min-1) were recorded in 'Cowiche'/'Gisela'®5' and 'Tieton7'Gisela®5' orchards trained to the UFO system, respectively. High harvest efficiency in these orchards was likely the result of the planar, simplified architecture and that most fruit were accessible from the ground. The third highest picking rate was recorded in the KGB system (0.73 ± 0.04 kg⋅min-1), a fully pedestrian orchard. Interestingly, harvest rate of slower pickers was improved to a greater extent (+132%) than skilled pickers (+83%) when comparing pedestrian and planar systems (e.g., UFO and KGB) with traditional architecture (MLOC). Furthermore, picking rate of individual pickers varied within 1 day by more than 100%, likely as a result of variability in fruit density within trees, tree size as well as fruit accessibility. We documented variability of more than 35 kg in final bin weight across all orchards and a range in bucket weight between ≈7 and 13 kg. These results suggest that architecture has a major effect on harvest efficiency and that current systems of piece-rate picker reimbursement are beset with inaccuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvest costs are significant for tree fruit producers and, yet, not well studied. In this paper a prototype system for measuring harvest worker efficiency in sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) is presented. This weighing system consists of a digital weighing platform compatible with standard commercial fruit bins and a data logger interfaced to a wireless radio. Weight data were transmitted every 5 s, filtered and stored to a laptop computer (database). System functionality and reliability were evaluated in five orchards in cooperation with three commercial growers. Preliminary tests showed that the system did not interfere with normal harvest activities and that the efficiency of pickers and picking teams varied within and across orchard blocks, (e.g. 0.75 to 2.87 kg/min), depending on their experience and skills (e.g. 1.37 kg/min for skilled workers vs. 0.64 kg/min for unskilled). Further, the mean picking rate of 'Skeena' without pedicels (stem-free) was 1.15 kg/min, almost 50 % greater than fruit with stems (mean = 0.75 kg/min) when picked by the same crew and orchard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sweet cherry fruit growth is divided into three phases that are described classically as (1) cell division, (2) endocarp lignification, and (3) cell expansion. Negligible fruit size increase during stage II suggests that the endocarp may be the dominant sink in the fruit at this stage. It is not known whether endocarp lignification competes with pericarp development for carbohydrate resources. We investigated this by attempting to reduce carbon allocation to pit hardening and endocarp sink strength with plant growth regulators. Several plant growth regulators, including N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea (CPPU), GA1, GA3, GA4/7, and fluridone (inhibitor of ABA biosynthesis) were applied in lanolin paste to ‘Bing’ fruit pedicels at the onset of stage II of fruit development. Fluridone (0.1%) alone or in combination with GA1 (500mll−1) increased fruit size significantly (+15%) though this was not associated with a decrease in pit weight. Further, GA1 alone did not increase fruit size, seed or endocarp weight, suggesting that ABA metabolism during pit hardening might be involved in mesocarp growth. Although GA3 and GA4/7 alone did not affect seed growth, they increased endocarp dry weight by 10.5% and the proportion of fruit ≥9g by 40% and 33%, respectively. CPPU did not increase fruit weight or pit weight, but did reduce seed growth and induced ca. 85% aborted seeds. Overall, final fruit weight was not correlated well with weight of pit, endocarp, or seed. These results demonstrate potential to manipulate sweet cherry fruit growth by manipulating hormonal balance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper introduces a real-time labor monitoring system (LMS) with the ability to track and record individual picker efficiency during manual harvest of specialty crops. This system utilizes existing commercial harvest equipment and integrates a digital weighing scale, RFID reader, computational unit, and a portable datalogger carried by pickers. The RFID reader, digital scale and computational unit are assembled on a common portable chassis. As pickers transfer fruit into a standard collection bin, the system reads the picker’s ID (RFID tag) and the weight of fruit. Weight data can then be transmitted wirelessly to the picker’s datalogger which records and displays the incremental and total weight of harvested fruit. An algorithm was developed in Matlab® to record, process and store the data, as well as to transmit wirelessly the weight value to the wearable datalogger. System prototypes were assembled and field-tested for accuracy and reliability during commercial harvest of sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) in the Pacific Northwest. The LMS reliably calculated the harvest rate, picking cost, weight of harvested fruit, number of harvested buckets, range in fruit weight per bucket, and mean fruit weight per bucket, in real time. The mean harvest rate (±standard error) in a ‘Chelan’/Mazzard sweet cherry orchard trained to a steep leader architecture was 0.53±0.13kg/person/min. Harvest rate was similar for the same genotype trained to a steep leader (3 leaders) at 0.50±0.10kg/person/min and for harvest of ‘Tieton’/‘Gisela®6’ trees trained to a central leader architecture (0.53±0.15kg/person/min). When surveyed after using the LMS, every picker indicated a preference for knowing the exact weight of fruit they harvested compared with the current system of reimbursement per bucket or bin. Using the LMS, reliable data on worker efficiency can be collected with minimal interference with standard commercial practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This research studied the incidence of sweet cherry flowers with protruding pistil, its relation to air temperature during flowering, and whether fruit set was affected by this condition. The incidence of protruding pistil in the field varied from 0% to ca. 23% among 19 genotypes. ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Lapins’, and ‘Rainier’ where the only cultivars exhibiting flowers with protruding pistils. The duration between initial protrusion of the pistil and full opening, for individual flowers, ranged from 4 to 8 days. This variability was due to weather conditions during bloom, genotype, and flower position on the tree. Filament growth occurred generally before the flower opened, whereas pistil growth was not complete until the ‘popcorn’ stage of flowering. Interestingly, flowers with protruding pistil had similar fruit set potential to normal flowers. Controlled environment studies revealed a negative relationship between air temperature and the incidence of protruding pistils. This is likely due to growth of petals and pedicels being more sensitive to cold temperature than pistil growth. Low temperature reduced petal size but not stylar length. The length of exposed pistil varied among cultivars, however, after anthesis, anthers extended beyond the stigma in most genotypes, irrespective of the presence of a protruding pistil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT This paper describes the duchamp source finder, a piece of software designed to find and describe sources in three-dimensional, spectral-line data cubes. duchamp has been developed with H i (neutral hydrogen) observations in mind, but is widely applicable to many types of astronomical images. It features efficient source detection and handling methods, noise suppression via smoothing or multi-resolution wavelet reconstruction, and a range of graphical and text-based outputs to allow the user to understand the detections. This paper details some of the key algorithms used and illustrates the effectiveness of the finder on different data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing costs and decreasing labor availability for sweet cherry harvest in Washington State, USA, has reinvigorated commercial and research interest of mechanized harvest. Ethephon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) can be used to improve fruit abscission for mechanical harvest. Our previous work shows that 3.5 l ha ethephon enhances red color and reduces firmness of the cultivar 'Bing'. In the current study, we used metabolic profiling of cultivars 'Bing', Chelan', and 'Skeena' fruit meso and exocarp tissue to better understand underlying quality-related metabolism associated with ethephon application. Trees were treated using air-blast sprayer 13-14 days prior to harvest and fruit samples were harvested every 7-10 days starting at least 17 days prior to commercial harvest. Nearly 200 identified and partially characterized metabolites from mesocarp and exocarp tissue were characterized and evaluated. Principal component analysis models revealed changes in the metabolome associated with both natural ripening and ethephon-induced changes, including associations to key color, acid, and sugar components, such as cyanidin 3-glucoside, malic acid and sugar metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Final fruit diameter is the prime determinant of sweet cherry fruit value. Previous research has shown that mesocarp cell size accounts predominantly for variability in final fruit size, within a genotype. Our research program evaluated the potential to improve sweet cherry fruit size/weight with growth regulators to affect cell division and/or cell expansion stages. In the current study we screened 8 plant growth regulators (PGRs), including cytokinins, gibberellins, and auxins, and their combinations for their ability to increase ‘Bing’ fruit weight. Each PGR was mixed in lanolin paste and applied to fruit pedicels at 9 or 30 days after full bloom (DAFB), to coincide with estimated peak in cell division and cell expansion activity, respectively. Several cytokinins applied 30 DAFB improved fruit weight significantly (ca. +15%) with N-(2-Chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea (CPPU) and 6-(3-hydroxybenzylamino) purine (mt-Topolin) at 100mgl−1 being the most effective. Gibberellins, applied alone, improved fruit size and delayed fruit maturation and exocarp coloration. GA3 at 200mgl−1 applied at 9 DAFB was the most effective and improved final fruit weight by 15%. Fifty-six percent of the fruit from this treatment were ≥9g compared to 15% of similar weight fruit from untreated limbs. Both GA3 and GA4/7 treatments applied 9 DAFB increased fruit radial expansion. 4-Chlorophenoxyacetic acid, a synthetic auxin, also stimulated higher fruit growth rates at stage I and stage II, and fruit color development, but did not improve final fruit size. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

2-Formylpyridines have been shown to be suitable electrophiles for the magnesium-promoted phenolic aldol reaction. Exceptionally mild reaction conditions have been developed and a brief survey of the reaction scope has been conducted. This process gives straightforward access to a range of functionalised 2-hydroxy?phenyl-2-pyridylmethanols and 2-hydroxyphenyl-2-pyridylmethanes via their subsequent reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2-Formylpyridines have been shown to be suitable electrophiles for the magnesium-promoted phenolic aldol reaction. Exceptionally mild reaction conditions have been developed and a brief survey of the reaction scope has been conducted. This process gives straightforward access to a range of functionalised 2-hydroxy�phenyl-2-pyridylmethanols and 2-hydroxyphenyl-2-pyridylmethanes via their subsequent reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health specialist initiative aimed to develop closer working practices between health and social care practitioners by providing health input into assessments for child safeguarding and child protection. As part of this initiative, health visitors were transferred to work within social work child welfare teams, where they were renamed 'health specialists' (health visitors are registered nurses or midwives, with additional specialized training and experience in child health, health promotion, and education, usually located in primary health care settings). This initiative aimed to develop closer working practices between health and social care and to provide comprehensive health input into assessments for child safeguarding and child protection. This evaluation found that the health specialist initiative is an example of a successful collaboration between health and social care in terms of both processes and outcomes. The health specialist was influential in improving communication and information flow between these two sets of professionals, increasing social worker knowledge of child health and development and strengthening assessments undertaken within social care. However, consideration needs to be given to the clinical health supervision needs of the health workers based within a host organization. The health specialist initiative has important lessons and experiences for establishing partnership initiatives in practice settings for other children's services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on the physiological effects and horticultural benefits of chemical blossom thinners on 9-year-old and 12-year-old 'Bing'/'Gisela®5' sweet cherry trees in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Chemical thinning agents were applied at 20% and 80% full bloom (FB) by air-blast sprayer and were comprised of: 2% ammonium thiosulphate (ATS), 4% vegetable oil emulsion (VOE), 2% fish oil + 2.5% lime sulfur (FOLS), 1% tergitol, and an untreated control. Leaf gas exchange, leaf SPAD meter readings, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, fruit yield, and fruit quality were evaluated. FOLS, tergitol, VOE, and ATS suppressed leaf net CO2 exchange rate (NCER) by 33%, 30%, 28%, and 18%, respectively, over a variable length recovery period directly after 80% FB treatment. Leaf NCER recovered fully from every thinning treatment. Reductions in leaf NCER were unrelated to gs. VOE reduced estimated leaf chlorophyll content the greatest, suppressing overall levels by 11% for 23 days after treatment. All blossom thinners reduced constant fluorescence (Fo). No thinning agent reduced fruit set or yield in 2004. ATS, FOLS, and tergitol reduced fruit set in 2005. VOE was ineffective as a thinner yet exhibited significant leaf phytotoxicity. Among thinners, there was no relationship between inhibition of leaf NCER and thinning efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the potential of gibberellic acid (GA3 and GA4+7) to reduce sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) floral bud induction and balance fruit number and improve fruit quality in the season following application. In 2003, GA3 was applied to 'Bing'/'Gisela 1' trees at 50 and 100 mg-L-1 at the end of stage I of fruit development, end of stage 11, and on both dates. These treatments were compared to the industry standard application of 30 mg⋅L-1 applied at the end of stage II and an untreated control. Fruit quality was evaluated in the year of application (i.e., nontarget crop) and return bloom, fruit yield and quality were assessed in the subsequent season (2004). In 2003, GA3 delayed fruit maturity proportional to rate. In 2004, bloom density and fruit yield were related negatively and linearly to GA3 concentration. GA3 reduced the number of reproductive buds per spur and did not affect the number of flowers per reproductive bud. Nonspur flowering at the base of 1-year-old shoots was more inhibited by GA3 than flowering on spurs. Double applications significantly reduced bloom density and yield versus single applications. Trees treated with two applications of 50 and 100 mg-L-1 yielded fruit with 7% and 12% higher soluble solids, 15% and 20% higher firmness, and 7% and 14% greater weight, respectively. However, no treatment improved crop value per tree. In a separate isomer trial, GA3 and GA4-7 were applied to 'Bing'/'Gisela 1' trees at 100 and 200 mg⋅L-1 at both the end of stage I and II in 2004. GA3 and GA4+7 applied at 100 mg⋅L-1 reduced bloom density similarly by 65%. GA3 was more inhibiting than GA4+7 at 200 mg⋅L-1, reducing bloom density by 92% versus 68%. We observed a 4- to 5- day delay in flowering from both GA formulations at 200 mg⋅L-1. At both concentrations, GA3 reduced yield by 71% and 95% versus 34% and 37% reduction by GA4+7. Fruit weight and soluble solids were unaffected but fruit firmness was increased by all treatments (6% to 17%). However, crop value per tree was highest from untreated control because improvements in fruit quality were insufficient to offset reductions in yield. GA3 shows potential as a novel crop load management tool in productive 'Bing' sweet cherry orchard systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-redshift radio-loud quasar PKS 2126−158 is found to have a large number of red galaxies in close apparent proximity. We use the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS) on Gemini South to obtain optical spectra for a large fraction of these sources. We show that there is a group of galaxies at , coincident with a metal-line absorption system seen in the quasar's optical spectrum. The multiplexing capabilities of GMOS also allow us to measure redshifts of many foreground galaxies in the field surrounding the quasar. The galaxy group has five confirmed members, and a further four fainter galaxies are possibly associated. All confirmed members exhibit early-type galaxy spectra, a rare situation for a Mg ii absorbing system. We discuss the relationship of this group to the absorbing gas, and the possibility of gravitational lensing of the quasar due to the intervening galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of novel crop load management techniques will be critical to the adoption and success of high density sweet cherry orchard systems based on new clonal rootstocks. Herein we report on a comparison of potential means of balancing crop load of 'Bing' sweet cherry grown on the productive and precocious rootstocks 'Gisela 5' and 'Gisela 6'. In 2002, thinning treatments were applied to entire trees and consisted of an unthinned control (C), and manual removal of 50% of the blossoms (B) or 50% of 2-year-old and older fruiting spurs (S), throughout the tree. In 2003 all trees were left unthinned to characterize the carry-over effect of thinning treatment in 2002. In 2002, compared to C, thinned trees had 38% to 49% fewer fruit per tree, 22% to 42% lower yield, 8% to 26% higher fruit weight, and 2% to 10% larger fruit diameter. S and B treatments reduced yield by 42% and 22% on 'Gisela 5' and by 40% and 31% on 'Gisela 6', respectively. 'Gisela 5'-rooted trees showed greater improvements in fruit quality than did trees on 'Gisela 6'. Compared to C-, S-, and B-treated trees on 'Gisela 5' yielded fruit that was 15% and 26% heavier, respectively. Yield of fruit ≥25.5 mm diameter was increased by 240% by S and 880% by B, though yield of this size fruit was still low (1.5 and 5.2 kg/tree, respectively). Neither technique had any beneficial carryover effect in the year following treatment despite S trees bearing about 25% fewer fruit than B and C trees. In both years, 'Gisela 5'-rooted trees bore about 15% fewer fruit than trees on 'Gisela 6'. Compared to 'Gisela 5', 'Gisela 6'-rooted trees were about 41%, 46%, and 24% more productive for C, S, and B, respectively. Number of fruit/tree in 2003 was within 4% and 8% of the previous year on 'Gisela 6' and 'Gisela 5', respectively. Crop value analyses suggest growers would be rewarded for producing high yields of medium size fruit (e.g., 21.5 to 25.4 mm) compared to low yields of high quality fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) training systems in the United States are based upon vigorous rootstocks and multiple leader vase canopy architectures. The sweet cherry research lab at Washington State University has been investigating the potential of new rootstocks and training systems to improve production efficiency and produce high quality fruit. This paper describes the effects of three rootstocks--Mazzard (P. avium), 'Gisela 6', and 'Gisela 5' (P. cerasus x P. canescens)--and four training systems--central leader, multiple-leader bush, palmette, and y-trellis--on 'Bing' sweet cherry tree vigor, fruit yield and quality over a seven year period. Compared to trees on Mazzard, trees on 'Gisela 5' and 'Gisela 6' had 45% and 20% lower trunk cross-sectional areas after 7 seasons, respectively. Trees on 'Gisela 6' were the most productive, yielding between 13% and 31% more than those on 'Gisela 5' and 657% to 212% more than trees on Mazzard, depending on year. Both Gisela rootstocks significantly improved precocity compared to Mazzard, bearing fruit in year 3 in the orchard. Canopy architecture had only moderate effects on tree vigor and fruit yield. Across rootstocks, bush-trained trees were about 25% less productive compared to the other systems, which exhibited similar cumulative yields (102 kg/tree). Fruit weight was negatively and closely (r² = 0.84) related to tree yield efficiency (kg·cm-2). Crop value was related positively to fruit yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A flexible route to the kainoid skeleton is exemplified by the synthesis of (±)-kainic acid from 3-butyn-1-ol. The route relies on the aza-[2,3]-Wittig sigmatropic rearrangement to efficiently install the relative stereochemistry between C2-C3. The C4 stereocenter was derived from a diastereocontrolled iodolactonization. The aza-[2,3]-Wittig rearrangement potentially allows structural diversity at C3 and the displacement of the tosyloxy group with retention of stereochemistry allows structural diversity at C4. The trans-C2 carboxylic acid functional group was found to be the most important for retention of stereochemistry at C4 upon treatment with a higher order cyano cuprate reagent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lewis acid mediated intramolecular Mannich reaction between an azocinone and a 3-formylindole was investigated as part of a study towards the synthesis of actinophyllic acid. The intramolecular Mannich reaction resulted in a single diastereomer of the 1-azabicyclo[4.2.1]nonan-5-one core framework, although single crystal X-ray structure analysis revealed that this had the undesired stereochemistry in comparison with the natural product. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The potential for drug substances and drug products to contain low levels of N -nitrosamines is of continued interest to the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory authorities. Acid-promoted nitrosation mechanisms in solution have been investigated widely in the literature and are supported by kinetic modelling studies. Carbonyl compounds, particularly formaldehyde, which may be present as impurities in excipients and drug product packaging components or introduced during drug substance manufacturing processes are also known to catalyze nitrosation, but their impact on the risk of N -nitrosamine formation has not been systematically investigated to date. In this study, we experimentally investigated the multivariate impact of formaldehyde, nitrite and pH on N -nitrosation in aqueous solution using dibutylamine as a model amine. We augmented a published kinetic model by adding formaldehyde-catalyzed nitrosation reactions. We validated the new kinetic model vs. the experimental data and then used the model to systematically investigate the impact of formaldehyde levels on N -nitrosamine formation. Simulations of aqueous solution systems show that at low formaldehyde levels the formaldehyde-catalyzed mechanisms are insignificant in comparison to other routes. However, formaldehyde-catalyzed mechanisms can become more significant at neutral and high pH under higher formaldehyde levels. Model-based sensitivity analysis demonstrated that under high nitrite levels and low formaldehyde levels (where the rate of formaldehyde-catalyzed nitrosation is low compared to the acid-promoted pathways) the model can be used with kinetic parameters for model amines in the literature without performing additional experiments to fit amine-specific parameters. For other combinations of reaction parameters containing formaldehyde, the formaldehyde-catalyzed kinetics are non-negligible, and thus it is advised that, under such conditions, additional experiments should be conducted to reliably use the model. [Display omitted] • Automated experimental investigation of formaldehyde-catalyzed N -nitrosation of dibutylamine in the presence of nitrite in aqueous solution. • An augmented kinetic model for the solution phase N -nitrosation of dialkyl amines including formaldehyde-catalyzed reactions is presented. • Simulations show that acid-promoted nitrosation mechanisms have significantly greater impact on nitrosamine formation than formaldehyde-catalyzed mechanisms at low formaldehyde concentrations. • Formaldehyde-catalyzed mechanisms become more significant at neutral to high pH in the presence of high levels of formaldehyde, e.g., during certain synthetic or workup steps. • Global sensitivity analysis shows that experimental data should be generated for an amine without available kinetic parameters required to use the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an ASKAP search for associated H  i 21-cm absorption against bright radio sources from the Molonglo Reference Catalogue (MRC) 1-Jy sample. The search uses pilot survey data from the ASKAP First Large Absorption Survey in H  i (FLASH) covering the redshift range 0.42 < z < 1.00. From a sample of 62 MRC 1-Jy radio galaxies and quasars, we report three new detections of associated H  i 21-cm absorption, yielding an overall detection fraction of |$1.8\,{{\,\rm per\,cent}}^{+4.0\,{{\,\rm per\,cent}}}_{-1.5\,{{\,\rm per\,cent}}}$|⁠. The detected systems comprise two radio galaxies (MRC 2216−281 at z  = 0.657 and MRC 0531−237 at z  = 0.851) and one quasar (MRC 2156−245 at z  = 0.862). The MRC 0531−237 absorption system is the strongest found to date, with a velocity integrated optical depth of |$\rm 143.8 \pm 0.4 \ km \ s^{-1}$|⁠. All three objects with detected H  i 21-cm absorption are peaked-spectrum or compact steep-spectrum (CSS) radio sources. Two of them show strong interplanetary scintillation at 162 MHz, implying that the radio continuum source is smaller than 1 arcsec in size even at low frequencies. Among the class of peaked-spectrum and compact steep-spectrum radio sources, the H  i detection fraction is |$23\,{{\,\rm per\,cent}}^{+22\,{{\,\rm per\,cent}}}_{-13\,{{\,\rm per\,cent}}}$|⁠. All three detections have a high 1.4 GHz radio luminosity, with MRC 0531−237 and MRC 2216−281 having the highest values in the sample, |$\rm \gt 27.5 \ W \ Hz^{-1}$|⁠. The preponderance of extended radio sources in our sample could partially explain the overall low detection fraction, while the effects of a redshift evolution in gas properties and AGN UV luminosity on the neutral gas absorption still need to be investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field observations suggest high air temperatures during bloom decrease fruit set of many sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) cultivars. We investigated the role of temperature on stigma receptivity and ovule viability in four sweet cherry cultivars that exhibit variability in productivity and fertility: ‘Sweetheart’ (self-fertile, high productivity), ‘Benton’ (self-fertile, low productivity), ‘Rainier’ (self-sterile, high productivity), and ‘Tieton’ (self-sterile, low productivity). The development of the stigmatic surface, and pollen hydration, germination and tube growth in vivo, were evaluated by hand pollination and used as proxies for stigma receptivity. In addition, the senescence of primary and secondary ovules was analyzed with fluorescence microscopy. The stigmatic papillae began deteriorating by the second day after anthesis and had collapsed by the sixth day post-anthesis across cultivars. Pollen hydration exhibited 5 stages related to the length-width ratios of 2.5:1, 2:1, 1.75:1, 1.5:1 to 1:1. Maximum pollen hydration and pollen germination occurred on the stigmas within 2 days of bloom, depending on cultivar and air temperature. Pollen hydration and germination, and ovule senescence accelerated under warmer temperatures. At 7 days post-anthesis and under 24 °C approximately 80% of ‘Rainier’ ovules were viable compared to 30% in the three other cultivars. Under moderate temperature (18 °C) which mimicked the field average flowering temperature, ovule of the two high productivity cherry cultivars, ‘Rainier’ and ‘Sweetheart’, kept full viabilities for 3–4 days post-anthesis while only 1 day for the two low productivity cultivars ‘Benton’ and ‘Tieton’. These results reveal that low commercial productivity of sweet cherry cultivars in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of U.S. is likely due to rapid ovule senescence, a condition exacerbated in warm conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on PC7064-3 sweet cherry. Trademarked as Selah, this sweet cherry is for fresh market production. The fruit is released from the Washington State University Sweet Cherry Breeding Program. An overview of the fruit's origin is presented, along with a brief description of the fruit's features and performance. Also discussed is the fruit's availability.

The article provides information on PC7145-8 sweet cherry. Trademarked as Benton, this sweet cherry is for fresh market production. The fruit is released from the Washington State University Sweet Cherry Breeding Program. An overview of the fruit's origin is presented, along with a brief description of the fruit's features and performance. Also discussed is the fruit's availability.

Investigates the potential for thinning sweet cherry fruit with fish oil and lime sulphur. Limitation of rootstock used in sweet cherry orchard systems; Method used in determining fruit set; Measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence; Effect of postbloom thinner on fruit set.

Background and Aims The archetypical double sigmoid-shaped growth curve of the sweet cherry drupe (Prunus avium) does not address critical development from eco-dormancy to anthesis and has not been correlated to reproductive bud development. Accurate representation of the growth and development of post-anthesis ovaries is confounded by anthesis timing, fruiting-density and the presence of unfertilized and defective ovaries whose growth differs from those that persist to maturation. These factors were addressed to assess pre-anthesis and full-season growth and development of three sweet cherry cultivars, ‘Chelan’, ‘Bing’ and ‘Sweetheart’, differing primarily in seasonal duration and fruit size. Methods Volume was calculated from photographic measurements of reproductive buds, ovaries and pits at all phases of development. A population of unfertilized ovaries was produced using bee-exclusion netting to enable a statistical comparison with an open pollinated population to detect differences in size and shape between successful and failing fruit growth. Anthesis timing and fruiting-density were manipulated by floral extinction at the spur and whole-tree scales. Developmental time indices were analysed using polynomial curve fitting of log-transformed data supported by Richards and logistic functions of asymptotic growth of the pit and maturing fruit, respectively. Key Results Pre-anthesis growth began at the completion of eco-dormancy. A slight decline in relative growth rate (RGR) was observed during bud scale separation approx. −16 d from anthesis (DFA) before resumption of exponential growth to a maximum about 14 DFA. After anthesis, reduced growth of unfertilized or defective ovaries was partly discriminated from successful fruit at 5 DFA and completely at 25 DFA. Time indices of RGR inflections were similar among cultivars when adjusted for anthesis date alone, until the end of pit growth. Asymptotic growth of the pit underpinned the declining growth rate of fruit at the end of the first exponential growth phase. Duration of the subsequent expansive growth phase accounted for genotypic differences in seasonal duration and final size. Pit size and final fruit size were inversely related to fruiting-density. Conclusions Developmental differences among early, mid and late maturing cultivars were not detected until the final growth period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new upgraded Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope H  i 21-cm observations of the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy IRAS 10565 + 2448, previously reported to show blueshifted, broad, and shallow H  i absorption indicating an outflow. Our higher spatial resolution observations have localized this blueshifted outflow, which is ∼ 1.36 kpc southwest of the radio centre and has a blueshifted velocity of |$\sim 148\, \rm km\, s^{-1}$| and a full width at half maximum of |$\sim 581\, \rm km\, s^{-1}$|⁠. The spatial extent and kinematic properties of the H  i outflow are consistent with the previously detected cold molecular outflows in IRAS 10565 + 2448, suggesting that they likely have the same driving mechanism and are tracing the same outflow. By combining the multiphase gas observations, we estimate a total outflowing mass rate of at least |$140\, \rm M_\odot \, yr^{-1}$| and a total energy loss rate of at least |$8.9\times 10^{42}\, \rm erg\, s^{-1}$|⁠ , where the contribution from the ionized outflow is negligible, emphasizing the importance of including both cold neutral and molecular gas when quantifying the impact of outflows. We present evidence of the presence of a radio jet and argue that this may play a role in driving the observed outflows. The modest radio luminosity |$L_{\rm 1.4GHz}\, \sim 1.3\times 10^{23}\, {\rm W\, Hz^{-1}}$| of the jet in IRAS 10565 + 2448 implies that the jet contribution to driving outflows should not be ignored in low radio luminosity active galactic nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present early science results from Deep Investigation of Neutral Gas Origins (DINGO), an |$\rm H$| i survey using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). Using ASKAP subarrays available during its commissioning phase, DINGO early science data were taken over ∼60 deg2 of the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) 23 h region with 35.5 h integration time. We make direct detections of six known and one new sources at z < 0.01. Using |$\rm H$|   i spectral stacking, we investigate the |$\rm H$|   i gas content of galaxies at 0.04 < z < 0.09 for different galaxy colours. The results show that galaxy morphology based on optical colour is strongly linked to |$\rm H$|   i gas properties. To examine environmental impacts on the |$\rm H$| i gas content of galaxies, three subsamples are made based on the GAMA group catalogue. The average |$\rm H$| i mass of group central galaxies is larger than those of satellite and isolated galaxies, but with a lower |$\rm H$| i gas fraction. We derive a variety of |$\rm H$| i scaling relations for physical properties of our sample, including stellar mass, stellar mass surface density, NUV − r colour, specific star formation rate, and halo mass. We find that the derived |$\rm H$| i scaling relations are comparable to other published results, with consistent trends also observed to ∼0.5 dex lower limits in stellar mass and stellar surface density. The cosmic |$\rm H$| i densities derived from our data are consistent with other published values at similar redshifts. DINGO early science highlights the power of |$\rm H$| i spectral stacking techniques with ASKAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of a search for associated 21 cm H  i absorption at redshift 0.42 < z < 1.00 in radio-loud galaxies from three Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey fields. These observations were carried out as part of a pilot survey for the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) First Large Absorption Survey in H  i (FLASH). From a sample of 326 radio sources with 855.5 MHz peak flux density above 10 mJy, we detected two associated H  i absorption systems, in SDSS J090331+010847 at z  = 0.522 and SDSS J113622+004852 at z  = 0.563. Both galaxies are massive (stellar mass |$\gt 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$|⁠) and have optical spectra characteristic of luminous red galaxies, though spectral energy distribution fitting implies that SDSS J113622+004852 contains a dust-obscured starburst with star formation rate ∼69 M⊙ yr−1. The H  i absorption lines have a high optical depth, with τpk of 1.77 ± 0.16 for SDSS J090331+010847 (the highest value for any z > 0.1 associated system found to date) and 0.14 ± 0.01 for SDSS J113622+004852. In the redshift range probed by our ASKAP observations, the detection rate for associated H  i absorption lines (with τpk > 0.1 and at least 3σ significance) is |$2.9_{-2.6}^{+9.7}$|  per cent. Although the current sample is small, this rate is consistent with a trend seen in other studies for a lower detection rate of associated 21 cm H  i absorption systems at higher redshift. We also searched for OH absorption lines at 0.67 < z < 1.34, but no detection was made in the 145 radio sources searched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding interception of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) of individual canopies could help advanced orchard management, thus, enhance fruit productivity and quality. The objective of this research was to develop a canopy PAR interception mapping method in Y-trellis trained sweet cherry orchards. A mobile measurement system was developed for continuously collecting constant spatial resolution PAR data at varying moving speeds. A mathematical model was developed to correct the distortion of the projected canopy shadow due to time of day and/or from orchard latitude. The mapping method was evaluated at both the dormant and full canopy stages. Digital images of 10 trees were used to validate the canopy projection correction method in each test. The measurement system achieved constant spatial resolution of 0.01 m·sample −1 within the entire platform speed range of 0–3.8 km h −1 . For dormant stage, the relative error in branch elevation angle comparison ranged from 0.1% to 9.6% with a mean of 3.4% ± 3.1%, and for full canopy stage, the relative error in canopy eccentricity ranged from 1.5% to 10.3% with a mean of 4.8% ± 2.6%. Combined, the results showed that the measurement system was capable of collecting high-density data with constant spatial resolution in orchards, and the canopy projection correction method can effectively correct the distortion in canopy maps caused by both imperfect sun zenith and azimuth angles at data collection. Light interception of individual tree canopies and the variation between/within canopies could be extracted from the corrected canopy maps, which should be useful for the advanced orchard management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floral organ attributes are important for pollinator attraction and pollination success in many plants. As part of a broader effort investigating causes for variable fruit set among sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) genotypes, we have studied the role of temperature on floral organs in cultivars exhibiting high (‘Sweetheart’ and ‘Rainier’) or low fruit set (‘Benton’ and ‘Tieton’) in field conditions. In 2010 and 2011, two-year old sweet cherry limbs collected at ‘tight cluster’ flower stage were distributed randomly among three controlled environment chambers programmed to mimic a warm, moderate, or cool blooming period. Entire flowers were sampled and dissected at ‘tight cluster’, ‘first white’, ‘half white’, ‘first open’ and ‘full open’ stages. There was high year-to-year variability in size of all organs except stylar and filament lengths. ‘Tieton’ floral organs were significantly larger than other cultivars with the exception of filament, style and pedicel lengths. Between the earliest and the latest developmental stages petal area enlarged ca. 4.5 times, filament length increased ca. 3 times and styles doubled in length, across all cultivars. Irrespective of cultivar, the lengths of the styles and filaments were the most sensitive to temperature, being about 11% and 25% shorter in the low temperature environment compared to high temperature, respectively. This suggests that temperatures after the ‘tight cluster’ stage play an important role in the growth of styles and filaments. In addition, interestingly, our current results revealed that low productivity cultivars, i.e. ‘Tieton’ and ‘Benton’, have relative short styles to its petal size compared to the other two high productivity cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from MUSE observations of a 21-cm |${\rm H\, {\small I}}$| absorption system detected with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder radio telescope at redshift z  = 0.4503 towards the z  = 1.71 quasar PKS 1610-771. We identify four galaxies (A, B, X, and Y) at the same redshift as the 21-cm |${\rm H\, {\small I}}$| Damped Lyman-α (DLA) absorption system, with impact parameters ranging from less than 10 kpc to almost 200 kpc from the quasar sightline. |${\rm Ca\, {\small II}}$| and |${\rm Na\, {\small I}}$| absorption is seen in the MUSE spectrum of the background QSO, with velocities coinciding with the initial |${\rm H\, {\small I}}$| 21-cm detection, but tracing less dense and warmer gas. This metal-line component aligns with the rotating ionized disc of galaxy B (impact parameter 18 kpc from the QSO) and appears to be corotating with the galaxy disc. In contrast, the 21-cm |${\rm H\, {\small I}}$| absorber is blueshifted relative to the galaxies nearest the absorber and has the opposite sign to the velocity field of galaxy B. Since galaxies A and B are separated by only 17 kpc on the sky and 70 km s−1 in velocity, it appears likely that the 21-cm detection traces extragalactic clouds of gas formed from their interaction. This system reveals that the cold 100 K neutral gas critical for star formation can be associated with complex structures beyond the galaxy disc, and is a first case study made in preparation for future large 21-cm absorption surveys like the ASKAP First Large Absorption Survey in |${\rm H\, {\small I}}$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination is essential for the production of most fruit and nut crops, yet it is often a limiting factor for both yield and product quality. Mechanical pollination (MP) systems offer the potential to increase productivity of a broad range of horticultural fruit and nut crops, and to manage the risk of reliance on current insect pollination services. To date, commercial MP systems have been developed for only a few crops (e.g., kiwifruit and date palm), suggesting that innovation in the use of MP systems has been stymied. Here, we review published and 'grey' literature to investigate the feasibility of MP systems of economically important tree fruit and nut crops. This review found that, whilst MP systems are a commercial reality for a wider range of fruit crops (e.g., sweet cherry) than nut crops (e.g., almond), promising results have been achieved at the experimental scale. Further we identified that the key barriers for progressing MP systems more widely include knowledge gaps in pollination biology, particularly of emerging fruit and nut species that are grown outside their native distributions, and access to proprietorial knowledge gained by commercial operators. What continues to remain unclear is detailed knowledge of the commercial development of MP systems and therefore, the opportunities to apply this knowledge to other tree crops where effective pollination limits yield and quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the first redox-free protocol for the Mitsunobu reaction is described. This has been achieved by exploiting triphenyiphosphine oxide - the unwanted by-product in the conventional Mitsunobu reaction - as the precursor to the active P(v) coupling reagent. Multinuclear NMR studies are consistent with hydroxyl activation via an alkoxyphosphonium salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvest costs are generally the single greatest expense for specialty crop producers. Identifying and reducing inefficiencies during harvest are essential steps towards reducing costs and maintaining product quality. To streamline harvest operations, the number of workers and machines required to harvest, handle, and transport the product needs to be planned along with the execution of field operations. In this paper the fruit harvest and the bin collection process are modelled, adopting a modified machine repair model (machine interference problem) from the operations research area. An algorithm was developed in Matlab® to evaluate the performance of the system and improve confidence in sizing the fleet (workers and machines). Two different case studies are modelled using this algorithm: i) manual table grape harvest in Greece, and ii) manual sweet cherry harvest in Washington State, USA. First, the harvest procedures are described, and then the machine repair model is formulated to model each process. The bin loading process during grape harvest in Greece, and the sweet cherry picking process in USA are simulated. System performance under different number of bin carriers (or pickers) and loading stations is evaluated and results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measure how the atomic gas (H i) fraction f H I = M H I M * of groups and pairs taken as single units vary with average stellar mass (〈 M *〉) and average star formation rate (〈SFR〉), compared to isolated galaxies. The H i 21 cm emission observation are from (i) archival ALFALFA survey data covering three fields from the GAMA survey (provides environmental and galaxy properties), and (ii) DINGO pilot survey data of one of those fields. The mean f H i for different units (groups/pairs/isolated galaxies) are measured in regions of the log(〈 M *〉)â€"log(〈SFR〉) plane, relative to the z ∼ 0 star-forming main sequence (SFMS) of individual galaxies, by stacking f H i spectra of individual units. For ALFALFA, f H i spectra of units are measured by extracting H i spectra over the full groups/pair areas and dividing by the total stellar mass of member galaxies. For DINGO, f H i spectra of units are measured by co-adding H i spectra of individual member galaxies, followed by division by their total stellar mass. For all units, the mean f H i decreases as we move to higher 〈 M *〉 along the SFMS and as we move from above the SFMS to below it at any 〈 M *〉. From the DINGO-based study, mean f H i in groups appears to be lower compared to isolated galaxies for all 〈 M *〉 along the SFMS. From the ALFALFA-based study, we find substantially higher mean f H i in groups compared to isolated galaxies (values for pairs being intermediate) for 〈 M *〉 ≲ 109.5 M ⊙, indicating the presence of substantial amounts of H i not associated with cataloged member galaxies in low mass groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sweet cherry is one of the most labor-intensive fruit crops due to the small fruit size, large tree structure, and need to harvest the fruit manually. To enable adoption of mechanical or mechanical-assisted harvest, it is necessary to develop sweet cherries with low retention force between pedicel and fruit. Many commercial sweet cherry cultivars and F1 seedlings were assessed for pedicel-fruit retention force (PFRF) and fruit quality attributes in 2009, 2010 and 2011. PFRF in sweet cherry cultivars and F1 seedlings displayed continuous distribution, suggesting that PFRF is a quantitative trait. The effects of genotype and year were significant as well as the interaction between genotype and year (G×Y) (p <0.0001). The significant G×Y highlights the importance of both genetics and environment on PFRF. The significantly lower (p <0.0001) mean PFRF of F1 seedlings (561±234g in 2009 and 884±281g in 2010) compared to their parents and/or commercial cultivars (814±295g in 2009 and 1029±311g in 2010) suggests that PFRF can be reduced through breeding. Correlations between PFRF and fruit quality attributes were generally low (correlation coefficients of −0.12 to 0.10), suggesting that it will be possible to combine low PFRF and excellent fruit traits through strategic hybridization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Providing consumers with basic taste properties of sweet cherries at point of purchase would allow consumers to make purchase decisions based on fruit's intrinsic sensory attributes. The objective of this study was to develop a model to predict taste-grouping assignation of cherries into the following categories: (1) low sweetness/high sourness, (2) balance between sweetness and sourness, and (3) high sweetness/low sourness. A sensory panel ( n = 10) was trained to recognize sweetness and sourness in 5 cultivars of sweet cherries and assign a taste grouping based on the perceived balance of sweetness and sourness. Four of these same cultivars were then evaluated for sweetness and sourness by a consumer panel ( n = 117) and instrumentally for titratable acidity (TA) and soluble solids concentration (SSC). Results showed that for 3 of the 4 cherry cultivars, the sweetness/sourness balance of the cherries was not significantly different as evaluated instrumentally or by the trained panel. However, the balance determined by the consumer and the trained panel was different for 3 of the 4 cherry cultivars ( P < 0.05). Based on trained panel perceived sweetness and sourness, a multinomial logit model was developed to predict the assignation of cherry taste grouping. The likelihood of group assignment depended on both the perceived sweetness and sourness of the cherry, with taste groupings agreed upon for 3 of 5 sweet cherry cultivars. As previous studies have indicated a positive relationship between cherry sweetness and sourness to consumer acceptance, these groupings show promise for assisting consumers in cherry selection at the point of purchase. Practical Applications: The prediction models proposed in this study suggest that both sweetness and sourness are important in the cherry characterization and the ratio between the 2 attributes may be appropriate for making taste-grouping assignments. These groupings may then be used to provide additional sensory information to consumers to assist them in cherry selection at the point of purchase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a necessary step towards understanding soil water extraction and plant water relationships, the components of hydraulic conductance (K) of mature sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) trees were evaluated in situ based on a Ohm's law analog method. In June 2004, K was determined for 10-yr-old 'Bing'/'Gisela® 5' trees, from simultaneous measurements of whole canopy gas exchange and leaf (sunlit and shaded) and stem water potentials (Ψ). Leaf water potential of sunlit leaves was lower than shaded leaves, reaching minimum values of ca. -2.3 MPa around 14:00 h (solar time). Average total hydraulic conductance was 60 ± 6 mmol s-1 MPa-1, presenting a slight decreasing trend as the season progressed. The analysis of tree K components showed that it was higher on the stem-leaf pathway (150 ± 50 mmol s-1 MPa-1), compared to the root-stem component (100 ± 20 mmol s-1 MPa-1), which is in agreement with literature reports for other fruit trees. A weak hysteresis pattern in the daily relationship between whole-canopy transpiration (weighted sunlit and shaded leaves) vs. Ψ was observed, suggesting that water storage within the tree is not a significant component of sweet cherry water balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]