Contrary to expectations, Helianthus anomalus from the relatively mesic dune sites, on average, exhibited higher native embolism, lower soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance (k(L)) and lower transpiration rates, than its xeric analogue, H. deserticola. In transplant gardens, H. anomalus’ vulnerability to cavitation was unaffected by transplant location AZD8055 cell line or watering treatment. In H. deserticola, however, vulnerability to cavitation varied significantly in response to watering in transplant gardens and varied as a function of stem water potential (Psi(stem)). H. deserticola largely avoided cavitation through its higher water status and generally more resistant

xylem, traits consistent with a short life cycle and typical drought-escape strategy. By contrast, H. anomalus’ higher native embolism is likely to be adaptive by lowering plant conductance and transpiration rate, thus

preventing the loss of root-to-soil hydraulic contact in the coarse sand dune soils. For H. anomalus this dehydration avoidance strategy is consistent with its relatively long 3-4 month life cycle and low-competition habitat. We conclude that variance of hydraulic parameters in herbaceous plants is a function of soil moisture heterogeneity and is consistent with the notion that trait plasticity to fine-grained environmental variation can be adaptive.”
“The influence of hydrogen and vacuum annealing on the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Ni-doped ZnO pellets viz. Zn(0.95)Ni(0.05)O has been investigated CA4P using x-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization, resistance measurements, buy AR-13324 and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Rietveld refinement of the XRD patterns confirms that all the polycrystalline samples possess wurtzite

type hexagonal structure with no evidence of secondary phases. The superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry measurements exhibit a paramagnetic state for the as-synthesized Zn(0.95)Ni(0.05)O. However, the post annealing in H(2) as well as in vacuum, drive it to a ferromagnetic state at 300 K. The obtained values of coercivity are 177 and 270 Oe, and the saturation magnetizations are 1.67 and 1.91 emu/g, respectively, for the H(2) and vacuum annealed samples. Temperature dependent magnetization results show that the Curie temperatures are nearly the same (similar to 550 K) for both the annealed samples. Resistance of the annealed samples is three orders of magnitude lower than their as-synthesized counterparts. The XPS results confirm bivalency of Ni ions and creation of O vacancies upon annealing, due to the Ni (3d)-O (2p) hybridization. The ferromagnetism and the consequent electronic property changes are reversible with regard to reheating the samples in air, in agreement with the reported switch “”on”" and “”off”" ferromagnetic ordering in the doped ZnO. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.