The effect of different compost applications in organic production of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

It is well-known that compost and manure applications to all kinds of soils if these organic materials are mature and composted under favorable conditions result in improved soil fertility and crop production in terms of yield and quality, but because manure is expensive in our region and the application of in-farm production compost for organic lands and farms of Turkey is limited, there is a great and urgent need for demonstrate compost using advantages to soil fertility, plant yield-quality and food safety (Kir 2006). Vegetables account for only approximately 2% of total organic production in Turkey, but there is great potential for growth of organic production for both export and domestic consumption of organic products in our country. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most important species for testing effects of compost applications because of its sensitivity related with phyto-toxic effects of compost (Fuchs et al. 2008) and very important to find out productivity and sustainable production levels in crop production. It is obtained from the results at the end of the first two-year trials, respectively of the three year-planned research under organic management (framework of regulations of EU and Turkey) that (1) the artificial organic materials sourced from farms can be composted and applied to lettuce production to get a great profit in terms of environment and economic aspects of organic lettuce production significantly, (2) promising improvement of industry of compost production can be expected, (3) Organic lettuce can be consumed as microbiologically safe, (4) high quality lettuce production can be attained by using compost

SOM Loss and Soil Quality in the Clear Creek, IA

The Clear Creek, IA Experimental Watershed (CCEW), which drains to the Iowa River, experiences severe surface erosion due to a combination of high slopes, erodible soils, and extensive agriculture. Concurrent with soil loss is the removal of Soil Organic Matter (SOM). High values of SOM have been related to soil quality; therefore, excessive SOM loss corresponds to degrading soil health. Soil quality assessments are important tools for evaluating management practices in agricultural systems; however, it is difficult to measure soil quality directly at the watershed scale because it varies with a number of site-specific soil characteristics. The coupling of soil surveys with GIS and Non-Point Source computer simulation models will effectively forecast the impacts of ever-changing management practices on soil quality at the watershed scale in less time. NPS models can be extended to evaluate the movement of additional particle-bound constituents like SOM, by incorporating erosion rates and enrichment ratios. The ANNualized AGricultural Non-Point Source pollution modeling system (AnnAGNPS) was used to evaluate upland erosion, enrichment ratios, and SOM loss at the watershed scale in the headwaters of the CCEW using current crop rotations. Gross erosion rates averaged 7.73 MT/ha/yr for individual cells within the watershed. In addition, enrichment ratios, which were determined using gross and net erosion values from AnnAGNPS, were coupled with an organic matter coverage map of the watershed to determine an SOM loss of0.41 MT/ha/yr, which was similar to the loss rates determined by AnnAGNPS (0.29 MT/ ha/yr). To understand the state of soil health in this watershed, the NRCS Soil Conditioning Index (SCI) was determined for the watershed. The average SCI for the watershed was 0.38, which suggests improving soil health conditions. This improvement is most probably due to conservation practices like reduced tillage

PHR: A parallel hierarchical radiosity system with dynamic load balancing

In this paper, we present a parallel system called PHR for computing hierarchical radiosity solutions of complex scenes. The system is targeted for multi-processor architectures with distributed memory. The system evaluates and subdivides the interactions level by level in a breadth first fashion, and the interactions are redistributed at the end of each level to keep load balanced. In order to allow interactions freely travel across processors, all the patch data is replicated on all the processors. Hence, the system favors load balancing at the expense of increased communication volume. However, the results show that the overhead of communication is negligible compared with total execution time. We obtained a speed-up of 25 for 32 processors in our test scenes. © 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc

54/07/28 Why Don\u27t Police Quiz Top Suspect: An Editorial

This editorial, published two days after the conclusion of the Coroner\u27s Inquest, describes Sam as a proven liar who is being shielded by his family and demands that he be taken to police headquarters for further questioning. It declares that if average people\u27 were involved in this murder it would have been cleaned up long ago.https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/sheppard_maxwell_articles/1004/thumbnail.jp

Relationships of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p’-DDE) with Testosterone Levels in Adolescent Males

Background: Concern persists over endocrine-disrupting effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on human growth and sexual maturation. Potential effects of toxicant exposures on testosterone levels during puberty are not well characterized. Objectives: In this study we evaluated the relationship between toxicants [polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and lead] and testosterone levels among 127 Akwesasne Mohawk males 10 to \u3c 17 years of age with documented toxicant exposures. Methods: Data were collected between February 1996 and January 2000. Fasting blood specimens were collected before breakfast by trained Akwesasne Mohawk staff. Multivariable regression models were used to estimates associations between toxicants and serum testosterone, adjusted for other toxicants, Tanner stage, and potential confounders. Results: The sum of 16 PCB congeners (Σ16PCBs) that were detected in ≥ 50% of the population was significantly and negatively associated with serum testosterone levels, such that a 10% change in exposure was associated with a 5.6% decrease in testosterone (95% CI: –10.8, –0.5%). Of the 16 congeners, the more persistent ones (Σ8PerPCBs) were related to testosterone, whereas the less persistent ones, possibly reflecting more recent exposure, were not. When PCB congeners were subgrouped, the association was significant for the sum of eight more persistent PCBs (5.7% decrease; 95% CI: –11, –0.4%), and stronger than the sum of six less persistent congeners (3.1% decrease; 95% CI: –7.2, 0.9%). p,p´-DDE was positively but not significantly associated with serum testosterone (5.2% increase with a 10% increase in exposure; 95% CI: –0.5, 10.9%). Neither lead nor HCB was significantly associated with testosterone levels. Conclusions: Exposure to PCBs, particularly the more highly persistent congeners, may negatively influence testosterone levels among adolescent males. The positive relationship between p,p´-DDE and testosterone indicates that not all POPs act similarly

Genome-wide association study identifies variants in the MHC class I, IL10, and IL23R-IL12RB2 regions associated with Behcet's disease

Behcet's disease is a genetically complex disease of unknown etiology characterized by recurrent inflammatory attacks affecting the orogenital mucosa, eyes and skin. We performed a genome-wide association study with 311,459 SNPs in 1,215 individuals with Behcet's disease (cases) and 1,278 healthy controls from Turkey. We confirmed the known association of Behcet's disease with HLA-B*51 and identified a second, independent association within the MHC Class I region. We also identified an association at IL10 (rs1518111, P = 1.88 x 10(-8)). Using a meta-analysis with an additional five cohorts from Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and Asia, comprising a total of 2,430 cases and 2,660 controls, we identified associations at IL10 (rs1518111, P = 3.54 x 10(-18), odds ratio = 1.45, 95% CI 1.34-1.58) and the IL23R-IL12RB2 locus (rs924080, P = 6.69 x 10(-9), OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.18-1.39). The disease-associated IL10 variant (the rs1518111 A allele) was associated with diminished mRNA expression and low protein production

Antiangiogenic Activity of 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose

During tumor angiogenesis, endothelial cells (ECs) are engaged in a number of energy consuming biological processes, such as proliferation, migration, and capillary formation. Since glucose uptake and metabolism are increased to meet this energy need, the effects of the glycolytic inhibitor 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) on in vitro and in vivo angiogenesis were investigated.In cell culture, 2-DG inhibited EC growth, induced cytotoxicity, blocked migration, and inhibited actively forming but not established endothelial capillaries. Surprisingly, 2-DG was a better inhibitor of these EC properties than two more efficacious glycolytic inhibitors, 2-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose and oxamate. As an alternative to a glycolytic inhibitory mechanism, we considered 2-DG's ability to interfere with endothelial N-linked glycosylation. 2-DG's effects were reversed by mannose, an N-linked glycosylation precursor, and at relevant concentrations 2-DG also inhibited synthesis of the lipid linked oligosaccharide (LLO) N-glycosylation donor in a mannose-reversible manner. Inhibition of LLO synthesis activated the unfolded protein response (UPR), which resulted in induction of GADD153/CHOP and EC apoptosis (TUNEL assay). Thus, 2-DG's effects on ECs appeared primarily due to inhibition of LLOs synthesis, not glycolysis. 2-DG was then evaluated in two mouse models, inhibiting angiogenesis in both the matrigel plug assay and the LH(BETA)T(AG) transgenic retinoblastoma model.In conclusion, 2-DG inhibits endothelial cell angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, at concentrations below those affecting tumor cells directly, most likely by interfering with N-linked glycosylation rather than glycolysis. Our data underscore the importance of glucose metabolism on neovascularization, and demonstrate a novel approach for anti-angiogenic strategies