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We have carried out a systematic investigation on the impact of Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) and Rhizobium inoculation on nodulation and growth of common bean plants (cv. Red Guama, Phaseolus vulgaris). Three distinct treatments were conducted on the common bean plants: (i) exposure to Fe3O4 NPs; (ii) Rhizobium inoculation; and (iii) a combined treatment involving Fe3O4 NPs + Rhizobium inoculation, with non-treated plants as controls. Temperature and magnetic field dependence of magnetization, M(T, H), measurements were performed on both the soil, and dried organs of the plants including roots, nodules, stems, and leaves. M(T, H) analyses indicated a systematic increase in magnetization across organs of plants treated with Fe3O4 NPs and combined Fe3O4 NPs + Rhizobium. We have found the magnetic contribution, generally related to Fe content in the soil and plant organs, significantly increased in plants exposed to Fe3O4 NPs, further indicating absorption, translocation, and accumulation of Fe3O4 NPs in the areal parts of the plants. Plants treated with Fe3O4 NPs and combined Fe3O4 NPs + Rhizobium exhibited Fe3O4 NPs accumulation in all organs with increasing concentrations of 69.7 to 74.1 NNPs/g in roots, 5.6 to 7.7 NNPs/g in stems, and 3.1 to 5.5 NNPs/g in leaves, respectively. The iron concentration in nodules was found to be close to 65 NNPs/g. No appreciable difference in the absorption index AI of roots between plants treated with Fe3O4 NPs (~ 1.73%) and Fe3O4 NPs + Rhizobium (~ 1.79%) has been observed. The translocation index TI increased by ~ 46% in plants treated with Fe3O4 NPs + Rhizobium (6.9%) compared to Fe3O4 NPs (4.3%). Treated plants showed improved symbiotic performance including nodule leghaemoglobin and iron content, number of active nodules per plant, and nodule dry weight. The best result was obtained using the combined treatment of Fe3O4 NPs + Rhizobium. This study provides evidence that M(T,H) measurements constitute a valuable tool in monitoring the uptake, translocation, and accumulation of Fe3O4 NPs in plant organs of common bean plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modelling the transport of cosmic rays (CRs) in the heliosphere represents a global challenge in the field of heliophysics, in that such a study, if it were to be performed from first principles, requires the careful modelling of both large scale heliospheric plasma quantities (such as the global structure of the heliosphere, or the heliospheric magnetic field) and small scale plasma quantities (such as various turbulence-related quantities). Here, recent advances in our understanding of the transport of galactic cosmic rays are reviewed, with an emphasis on new developments pertaining to their transport coefficients, with a special emphasis on novel theoretical and numerical simulation results, as well as the CR transport studies that employ them. Furthermore, brief reviews are given of recent progress in CR focused transport modelling, as well as the modelling of non-diffusive CR transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To further improve the physiological properties of textiles, solutions of low degree of substitution cellulose derivatives, i.e. carbamates and acetates, containing finely dispersed sub-micron scaled NaCl particles (d = 269 nm, d = 275 nm, d = 283 nm) serving as templates were coated on textiles. By wet milling of NaCl particles in a 12.5 wt% solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as dispersing agent, a stable, processable dispersion was obtained, which could be diluted with LiCl/DMAc without any flocculation. For the preparation of the coating solution, the NaCl/DMAc dispersions were diluted with LiCl/DMAc and added to the DMAc-swollen cellulose derivatives. After application onto the textiles, the NaCl particle-containing coating had to be coagulated directly after application in a solvent bath, otherwise slow replacement of hygroscopic DMAc by water lead to the dissolution and recrystallisation of NaCl on the surface of the coating, thereby changing particle distribution and diameter. The solvent for the coagulation bath was chosen in a way that it allows for a high coagulation speed for the cellulose derivative matrix while possessing a low solubility product for NaCl (e.g., 2-propanol) in order to prevent any loss of the NaCl particles. Due to the highly porous structure created, increased water retention values and increased water vapour permeabilities were observed under preservation of the number of accessible hydroxyl groups of the cellulose derivatives. Both the templated and non-templated coatings could be processed on various textile substrates (e.g., on PET and PP). An important feature of these new materials, i.e. the possibility to apply an antibacterial finish, is discussed within the context of a potential use in the medical sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of N-methyl-formimino-methylester were studied in albino mice. Very short exposure (0.5 and 1 s) to the concentrated vapour led to an increase of the neural olfactory threshold to geraniol by a factor of 10-10. There was a slow recovery of the olfactory sensitivity and after about 40 days the threshold values returned to normal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particles are accelerated to very high, non-thermal energies in solar and space plasma environments. While energy spectra of accelerated electrons often exhibit a power law, it remains unclear how electrons are accelerated to high energies and what processes determine the power-law index δ. Here, we review previous observations of the power-law index δ in a variety of different plasma environments with a particular focus on sub-relativistic electrons. It appears that in regions more closely related to magnetic reconnection (such as the ‘above-the-looptop’ solar hard X-ray source and the plasma sheet in Earth’s magnetotail), the spectra are typically soft (δ≳4). This is in contrast to the typically hard spectra (δ≲4) that are observed in coincidence with shocks. The difference implies that shocks are more efficient in producing a larger non-thermal fraction of electron energies when compared to magnetic reconnection. A caveat is that during active times in Earth’s magnetotail, δ values seem spatially uniform in the plasma sheet, while power-law distributions still exist even in quiet times. The role of magnetotail reconnection in the electron power-law formation could therefore be confounded with these background conditions. Because different regions have been studied with different instrumentations and methodologies, we point out a need for more systematic and coordinated studies of power-law distributions for a better understanding of possible scaling laws in particle acceleration as well as their universality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]