Exploring Systemic Problems in IS Adoption Using Critical Systems Heuristics

Systemic Practice and Action Research - Most of the traditional technology acceptance models revolve around information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) adoption at individual user level....     

Isolation and structure of raucaffrinoline—A new alkaloid fromRauwolfia caffra Sonder

Zusammenfassung Ein neues Indolenin-Alkaloid aus der ungetrockneten Wurzelrinde vonRauwolfia caffra Sonder wurde isoliert und charakterisiert.     

Resistance in some wild and cultivated grasses to the phytotoxicity of a systemic fungicide

Zusammenfassung Auf den Blättern einiger Gräser (Aegilops, Triticum, Secale, Hordeum undAvena) wurde der Grad der durch das systemische Fungizid Calixin verursachten Chlorosis näher untersucht.     

Removal of Ammonia from Wastewater Effluent by Chlorella Vulgaris

The capability of Chlorella vulgaris to remove nitrogen in the form of ammonia and/or ammonium ions from wastewater effluent in a local wastewater treatment plant (i.e., the Mill Creek Plant in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.) was studied. The wastewater effluent leaving the plant was found to include high concentra-tions of nitrogen (7.7±0.19 mg/L) (ammonia (NH3) and/or ammonium ion (NH4+)) and total inorganic carbon (58.6±0.28 mg/L) at pH 7, and to be suitable for growing Chlorella vulgaris. When Chlorella vulgaris was cul-tivated in a batch mode under a closed system, half of the nitrogen concentration was dramatically removed in 48 h after a 24-h lag-phase period. Total inorganic carbon concentration also concomitantly decreased during the rapid growth-phase. The total biomass weight gained during the entire cultivation period balanced out well with the total amount of inorganic carbon and nitrogen removed from the culture medium. These results indicate that wastewater can be synergistically used to polish residual nutrients in wastewater as well as to cultivate microalgae for biofuel production.     

Significance of nitrate reductase in nitrate assimilation in free-livingRhizobium cultures

Summary An in situ method for measuring nitrate reductase (NR) in free-livingRhizobium cultures has been developed. Arginine, threonine, valine, glutamic acid, tyrosine and tryptophan were found to promote NR synthesis. In root nodules rhizobial nitrate reductase also converts nitrate into NH₄ ⁺, thus it provides an alternative to the nitrogenase route for the formation of NH₄ ⁺.Acknowledgments: M.H.S. is grateful to the authorities of CSIR, New Delhi and Miss Anjali Mathur to the authorities of SCST, Lucknow (U.P.) for financial assistance.     

Purification and properties of a heat-resistant exotoxin produced byMacrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid in culture

Summary A partially purified preparation of a water-soluble, heat-resistant, nonspecific exotoxin produced by a strain ofMacrophomina phaseolina, isolated fromPhaseolus mungo L. could reduce Cu⁺⁺ ions and produced a red colour with 2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine reagent. It caused inhibition of seed germination, wilting of cut seedlings, stunted growth of young seedlings and loss of permeability of the cell membrane. Seedlings ofP. mungo, grown in presence of the toxin showed a slight increase in the contents of protein and total RNA over control, but a significant increase in the specific activities of F-1, 6-BP aldolase and G-6-P isomerase.