EPR measurement of Cu2+-fe2+ exchange in FeSif6 · 6H20 at 4.2 K

Six inequivalent Cu2+ EPR spectra were observed at 4.2 K in single crystals of FeSiF 6 • 6H20. The estimated parametersgz ---2.38 and 8=40°, where 8 is the angle between the ionicz axis and the c axis, differ from those measured in crystals of similar structure. Thes~ differences have been explained in terms of an isotropic Cu2+ -Fe2+ exchange Hamiltonian JS1 • S2, with J = + (0.030 ± 0.003) em - 1 ' which gives a contribution gex = - 5.05 J sin2 e, where e is the angle between the external magnetic field and the z axis. Perpendicular to the c axis, an independent estimate of + 0.034 em -I for J was made from the low-field displacement of a satellite spectru

Evaluation of tomato accessions for flavour and flavour-contributing components

Flavour is one of the most highly demanded consumer traits of tomato at present; poor flavour is one of the most commonly heard complaints associated with modern varieties of tomato. In order to combine flavour with other desirable fruit traits in improved cultivars, it is important to determine how much variability exists in the crucial compounds that contribute most to flavour. The objective of the present study was to determine the variability of flavour-contributing components including total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acids (TTA) among other subjective traits related to flavour in a core collection of tomato accessions. The core collection was comprised of 173 tomato accessions with a wide genetic background from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Services (ARS) Plant Genetic Resources Unit repository. The TTA varied from 0.20 to 0.64%, whereas the TSS ranged from 3.4 to 9.0%, indicating the availability of broad variation for these traits. Rinon (PI 118783), Turrialba, Purple Calabash and LA2102 were among the high TTA (>0.45%) containing accessions, whereas those with high TSS (>7.0%) were AVRDC#6, Sponzillo and LA2102. A positive correlation of overall flavour with TTA (r=0.33; P<0.05) and TSS (r=0.37; P<0.05) indicated that these two components play an important role in determining the overall flavour in tomato. Subjectively measured other traits including fruity odour and fruity flavour had positive correlations with overall flavour. Overall flavour is discussed in the context of other traits including fruit firmness. Information obtained from this study may be useful for tomato breeders aiming to improve tomato flavou

Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences of genus Methanobrevibacter

BACKGROUND: The phylogeny of the genus Methanobrevibacter was established almost 25 years ago on the basis of the similarities of the 16S rRNA oligonucleotide catalogs. Since then, many 16S rRNA gene sequences of newly isolated strains or clones representing the genus Methanobrevibacter have been deposited. We tried to reorganize the 16S rRNA gene sequences of this genus and revise the taxonomic affiliation of the isolates and clones representing the genus Methanobrevibacter. RESULTS: The phylogenetic analysis of the genus based on 786 bp aligned region from fifty-four representative sequences of the 120 available sequences for the genus revealed seven multi-member groups namely, Ruminantium, Smithii, Woesei, Curvatus, Arboriphilicus, Filiformis, and the Termite gut symbionts along with three separate lineages represented by Mbr. wolinii, Mbr. acididurans, and termite gut flagellate symbiont LHD12. The cophenetic correlation coefficient, a test for the ultrametric properties of the 16S rRNA gene sequences used for the tree was found to be 0.913 indicating the high degree of goodness of fit of the tree topology. A significant relationship was found between the 16S rRNA sequence similarity (S) and the extent of DNA hybridization (D) for the genus with the correlation coefficient (r) for logD and logS, and for [ln(-lnD) and ln(-lnS)] being 0.73 and 0.796 respectively. Our analysis revealed that for this genus, when S = 0.984, D would be <70% at least 99% of the times, and with 70% D as the species "cutoff", any 16S rRNA gene sequence showing <98% sequence similarity can be considered as a separate species. In addition, we deduced group specific signature positions that have remained conserved in evolution of the genus. CONCLUSIONS: A very significant relationship between D and S was found to exist for the genus Methanobrevibacter, implying that it is possible to predict D from S with a known precision for the genus. We propose to include the termite gut flagellate symbiont LHD12, the methanogenic endosymbionts of the ciliate Nyctotherus ovalis, and rat feces isolate RT reported earlier, as separate species of the genus Methanobrevibacter

Neutrino masses along with fermion mass hierarchy

Recently a new mechanism has been proposed to cure the problem of fermion mass hierarchy in the Standard Model (SM) model. In this scenario, all SM charged fermions other than top quark arise from higher dimensional operators involving the SM Higgs field. This model also predicted some interesting phenomenology of the Higgs boson. We generalize this model to accommodate neutrino masses (Dirac & Majorana) and also obtain the mixing pattern in the leptonic sector. To generate neutrino masses, we add extra three right handed neutrinos $(N_{iR})$ in this model.Comment: 20 pages, the content on results and phenomenology have been expanded, a new section on UV completion of the model has been added and also some new references, this version has been accepted by Physical Review

Property Rights and Gender Bias: Evidence from Land Reform in West Bengal

While land reforms are typically pursued in order to raise productivity and reduce inequality across households, an unintended consequence may be increased within-household gender inequality. We analyse a tenancy registration programme in West Bengal, and find that it increased child survival and reduced fertility. However, we also find that it intensified son preference in families without a first-born son to inherit the land title. These families exhibit no reduction in fertility, an increase in the probability that a subsequent birth is male, and a substantial increase in the survival advantage of subsequent sons over daughters

EPR study of the Jahn-Teller effect of Cu2+ in ZnTiF6·6H20

The 34-GHz EPR spectrum of Cu2+ in ZnTiF6·6H20 shows a Jahn-Teller effect with a transition from a single-line spectrum at high temperatures to a multiline anisotropic spectrum. The transition temperature on cooling varied with Cu concentration from 172 K for a sample containing 0.2 at.% Cu to roughly 90 K for a 46-at. % Cu sample. For dilute samples, the single-line spectrum was isotropic at 300 K with g =2.223±0.005, but showed axial symmetry about the trigonal axis at 180 K with gj1 =2.226±0.005 and g~ =2.223±0.005. At 4.2 K, a "static" Jahn-Teller effect was observed with six axially symmetric Cu2+ spectra, each with g 11 =2.470±0.005, g1 =2.100±0.005, I A 11 I ~ I 06 X 10- 4 em -I, and I A 1 I ~30 X 10- 4 em - I. The z axis of these spectra was found to lie along the fourfold axes of two cubes with a common [Ill] axis, rotated by 40"±2" with respect to each other about this axis. Analysis of the 4.2-K data leads to the values q~O. 50 for the Ham reduction factor and K~O. 26 for the Fenni contact parameter, with A uA 1 < 0. An activation energy of about 100 cm-1 was deduced from the gradual increase of the anisotropy of the spectrum on cooling in the low-temperature region