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

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

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

Examining students' use of, preferences for, and learning with e-textbooks

Paper presented at the 2019 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Canada.E-textbooks (e-texts) are becoming more available in higher education as they offer a cost advantage and features that are intended to enhance teaching and learning. Although previous studies speak to student experiences and preferences for e-texts, these studies are often limited in scope. The purpose of this study is to understand student experiences with e-texts and the factors that drive their preferences for textbook medium with a large-scale multi-institution data set. Findings indicate that e-text use and preferences differ by a variety of student characteristics, most notably students' class level and major field. In general, students who more frequently used the interactive features of e-texts felt that their use of these tools contributed to their learning and interactions with others

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

Antiinflammatory Therapy with Canakinumab for Atherosclerotic Disease

Background: Experimental and clinical data suggest that reducing inflammation without affecting lipid levels may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Yet, the inflammatory hypothesis of atherothrombosis has remained unproved. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial of canakinumab, a therapeutic monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-1β, involving 10,061 patients with previous myocardial infarction and a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level of 2 mg or more per liter. The trial compared three doses of canakinumab (50 mg, 150 mg, and 300 mg, administered subcutaneously every 3 months) with placebo. The primary efficacy end point was nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or cardiovascular death. RESULTS: At 48 months, the median reduction from baseline in the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level was 26 percentage points greater in the group that received the 50-mg dose of canakinumab, 37 percentage points greater in the 150-mg group, and 41 percentage points greater in the 300-mg group than in the placebo group. Canakinumab did not reduce lipid levels from baseline. At a median follow-up of 3.7 years, the incidence rate for the primary end point was 4.50 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group, 4.11 events per 100 person-years in the 50-mg group, 3.86 events per 100 person-years in the 150-mg group, and 3.90 events per 100 person-years in the 300-mg group. The hazard ratios as compared with placebo were as follows: in the 50-mg group, 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.07; P = 0.30); in the 150-mg group, 0.85 (95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.021); and in the 300-mg group, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; P = 0.031). The 150-mg dose, but not the other doses, met the prespecified multiplicity-adjusted threshold for statistical significance for the primary end point and the secondary end point that additionally included hospitalization for unstable angina that led to urgent revascularization (hazard ratio vs. placebo, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.95; P = 0.005). Canakinumab was associated with a higher incidence of fatal infection than was placebo. There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio for all canakinumab doses vs. placebo, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.83 to 1.06; P = 0.31). Conclusions: Antiinflammatory therapy targeting the interleukin-1β innate immunity pathway with canakinumab at a dose of 150 mg every 3 months led to a significantly lower rate of recurrent cardiovascular events than placebo, independent of lipid-level lowering. (Funded by Novartis; CANTOS ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01327846.

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

Evaluation of Production Performance Parameters of Two Laying Hen Strains Housed in Four Housing Environments

This study investigated the impact of housing environment on performance parameters of the Lohmann LSL Classic (LW) and Lohmann Sandy (LS) strains. The deep litter (DL), free access to outdoor Mentha piperita (MP), Petroselinum crispum (PC), and Medicago sativa (MS) housing environments were examined. A total of 260 four-weekold birds were randomly allotted to DL and outdoor plant-associated groups, with four and three replicates, respectively, and 10 birds per replicate. Data collection for weekly feed intake began at 4 weeks until the end of the study. Weekly hen weights were measured from 4 weeks of age until the age of 50% egg production; and then later, at 52 weeks of age. From the day of the first egg until the last day of the study, eggs laid in each nest box tier (upper, middle, bottom, and floor) were recorded and weighed at 9:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 3:00 p.m. Housing environment influenced the age at first egg and 50% egg production, hen-day egg production, feed intake during the egg-laying period, feed conversion ratio, average egg weight, and egg size distribution ( p< 0.01; p< 0.05). Age at first egg and 50% egg production, hen-day egg production, feed intake, average egg weight, and egg size distribution varied between strains ( p< 0.01; p< 0.05). Most of the eggs were laid in the morning and on the upper nest box tier ( p< 0.01). Additionally, average egg weight varied among the egg-laying time and nest box tiers, and most of the eggs laid were in the large egg size (56-65 g) category ( p< 0.01). It was concluded that access to Medicago sativa offers hens the most ideal environment for production performance. The two strains were quite similar in terms of overall performance outcomes.Scientific Research Projects (BAP) Council of Nigbreve;de OEmer Halisdemir University [TGT 2022/4-BAGEP]This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects (BAP) Council of Ni & gbreve;de OEmer Halisdemir University under grant no. TGT 2022/4-BAGEP