A Perpetual Harvest Greenhouse System: Integrating Barn, Biofilter, and Greenhouse

A prototype was built to evaluate the performance of an integrated barn-biofilter-greenhouse system. The greenhouse floor in the integrated system consisted of a bed of gravel to store maximum solar energy. A vertical airflow biofilter (3.34 x 3.34 m) was constructed inside a solar energy greenhouse (floor area of 15 x 6.7 m); exhaust air from a barn was passed through the biofilter for odour treatment before being released into the greenhouse. A booster fan was used to provide a steady airflow rate of 1.4 m3/s to the biofilter. Data were collected from October 19 to December 6, 2007. The maximum temperature drop along the 15.5 m long, and insulated (R-20) duct carrying the exhaust air from the hog barn to the biofilter was 7°C. The lowest temperature recorded on top of the biofilter surface was 1.3°C when the biofilter booster fan was not working, while the lowest floor temperature was -3°C. On the coldest day in December, when the biofilter booster fan was not in service, the daily average temperature inside the greenhouse was 4.3°C, whereas the outdoor daily average temperature was -25°C. In order to keep the minimum greenhouse temperature at 10°C, the maximum required volumetric flow rate of barn exhaust air at 15°C was 1.60m3/s. Maximum hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal efficiency was 55%. The weekly average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) inside the greenhouse varied from 841 to 1536 ppm. The system has shown promise at creating an environment suitable for plant growth inside the greenhouse using a waste gas stream from a hog barn to provide both auxiliary heat and enhanced CO2 levels

Sustainable Production of Pulses under Saline Lands in India

The decreasing agricultural lands along with waste lands and poor water resources are the main constraints for sustainable agricultural production. The need of time is to produce maximum with minimum inputs. Depleting levels of major and micro-nutrients in Indian soils have been on the rise, and situation may be more harmful if corrective measures are not followed in time. The soil nutrient deficiencies significantly reduce the crop yields in addition to the soil fertility. In preview of this, the need of the hour is to conserve agricultural sustainability, soil health enhancement, and water management. Farmers are forced to use saline water for irrigation in areas with poor quality water or less available water for irrigation, specifically in arid or semi-arid regions. Every crop plants have threshold limit of tolerance beyond which salinity decreases the crop yield. Legumes are very sensitive crops towards soil salinity, and secondary salinization mainly through irrigation water is the hardest challenge for survival of legume crops in arid regions. In view of this, the sustainability of legumes in salt affected areas is a big challenge for crop productivity being sessile to salinity. Hence, the possible strategies for sustainability of salt sensitive legumes have been briefly reviewed in this chapter

Quantitative Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Regulatory element activity in Zebrafish

Mutations or genetic variation in noncoding regions of the genome harbouring cis-regulatory elements (CREs), or enhancers, have been widely implicated in human disease and disease risk. However, our ability to assay the impact of these DNA sequence changes on enhancer activity is currently very limited because of the need to assay these elements in an appropriate biological context. Here, we describe a method for simultaneous quantitative assessment of the spatial and temporal activity of wild-type and disease-associated mutant human CRE alleles using live imaging in zebrafish embryonic development. We generated transgenic lines harbouring a dual-CRE dual-reporter cassette in a pre-defined neutral docking site in the zebrafish genome. The activity of each CRE allele is reported via expression of a specific fluorescent reporter, allowing simultaneous visualisation of where and when in development the wild-type allele is active and how this activity is altered by mutation

Impact of groin flap ischemia-reperfusion on red blood cell micro-rheological parameters in a follow-up study on rats

K

Origin of the low frequency radiation emitted by radiative polaritons excited by infrared radiation in planar La2O3 films

Upon excitation in thin oxide films by infrared radiation, radiative polaritons are formed with complex angular frequency ω, according to the theory of Kliewer and Fuchs (1966 Phys. Rev. 150 573). We show that radiative polaritons leak radiation with frequency ωi to the space surrounding the oxide film. The frequency ωi is the imaginary part of ω. The effects of the presence of the radiation leaked out at frequency ωi are observed experimentally and numerically in the infrared spectra of La2O3 films on silicon upon excitation by infrared radiation of the 0TH type radiative polariton. The frequency ωi is found in the microwave to far infrared region, and depends on the oxide film chemistry and thickness. The presented results might aid in the interpretation of fine structures in infrared and, possibly, optical spectra, and suggest the study of other similar potential sources of electromagnetic radiation in different physical scenarios

Relative performance of wheat genotypes under individual and combined water deficit and salinity stress

49-58Ascertaining the genetic variability and its relationships among valuable genetic resources is important for crop improvement programme. Here, we assessed the response of eleven wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes using cluster and principal component analysis (PCA) based on morphophysiological data and yield under nine different environments. Wheat genotype WH 1080 maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency under individual stress of 50% water deficit (drought) and 100 mM NaCl (salt), whereas under interactive stresses KRL 370 and KRL 283 were found to be the best genotypes. The highest value of Na+/K+ ratio in shoots was recorded for WH 1080 (1.167) and lowest in KRL 283 (0.612) under combined stresses. Proline accumulation was maximum in KRL 330 (3.17 mg g-1 FW) and minimum in KRL 283 (2.8 mg g-1 FW). Significantly higher reduction (73.4%) was observed in HD 2009 for grain weight/plant at 100 mM NaCl + 50% WD stress treatment whereas minimum reduction of 39.18% was recorded in KRL 370 in comparison to the control treatment. The PCA showed that the first three components comprising about 91% of the total variation for which the variables were analyzed. AMMI model revealed KRL 210 to be stable genotype as being close to center on biplot. E5 environment (100 mM NaCl) was most stable followed by E9 (50% WD + 100 mM NaCl). HD 2888, C-306, HD 2851 and HD 2009 were having positive interaction with E1 (Control) whereas WH 1080 had positive interaction with water deficit environments i.e. E2 and E3 (25 and 50% WD) while KRL 433 had highest positive interaction with combined water deficit and salt stress environments E6, E7, E8 and E9, followed by KRL 370. Similarly, KRL 283, KRL 330, KRL 210 and Kharchia 65 had high positive interaction with saline environments E4 and E5. Findings of the experiment would be beneficial to wheat breeders, specifically the location-specific promising genotypes could possibly be used to develop/breed MAGIC populations to tag genes/alleles conferring drought and salinity tolerance

Relative performance of wheat genotypes under individual and combined water deficit and salinity stress

Ascertaining the genetic variability and its relationships among valuable genetic resources is important for crop improvement programme. Here, we assessed the response of eleven wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes using cluster and principal component analysis (PCA) based on morphophysiological data and yield under nine different environments. Wheat genotype WH 1080 maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency under individual stress of 50% water deficit (drought) and 100 mM NaCl (salt), whereas under interactive stresses KRL 370 and KRL 283 were found to be the best genotypes. The highest value of Na+/K+ ratio in shoots was recorded for WH 1080 (1.167) and lowest in KRL 283 (0.612) under combined stresses. Proline accumulation was maximum in KRL 330 (3.17 mg g-1 FW) and minimum in KRL 283 (2.8 mg g-1 FW). Significantly higher reduction (73.4%) was observed in HD 2009 for grain weight/plant at 100 mM NaCl + 50% WD stress treatment whereas minimum reduction of 39.18% was recorded in KRL 370 in comparison to the control treatment. The PCA showed that the first three components comprising about 91% of the total variation for which the variables were analyzed. AMMI model revealed KRL 210 to be stable genotype as being close to center on biplot. E5 environment (100 mM NaCl) was most stable followed by E9 (50% WD + 100 mM NaCl). HD 2888, C-306, HD 2851 and HD 2009 were having positive interaction with E1 (Control) whereas WH 1080 had positive interaction with water deficit environments i.e. E2 and E3 (25 and 50% WD) while KRL 433 had highest positive interaction with combined water deficit and salt stress environments E6, E7, E8 and E9, followed by KRL 370. Similarly, KRL 283, KRL 330, KRL 210 and Kharchia 65 had high positive interaction with saline environments E4 and E5. Findings of the experiment would be beneficial to wheat breeders, specifically the location-specific promising genotypes could possibly be used to develop/breed MAGIC populations to tag genes/alleles conferring drought and salinity tolerance

An Assessment of Dialysis Provider's Attitudes towards Timing of Dialysis Initiation in Canada

Background: Physicians' perceptions and opinions may influence when to initiate dialysis. Objective: To examine providers' perspectives and opinions regarding the timing of dialysis initiation. Design: Online survey. Setting: Community and academic dialysis practices in Canada. Participants: A nationally-representative sample of dialysis providers. Measurements and Methods: Dialysis providers opinions assessing reasons to initiate dialysis at low or high eGFR. Responses were obtained using a 9-point Likert scale. Early dialysis was defined as initiation of dialysis in an individual with an eGFR greater than or equal to 10.5 ml/min/m 2 . A detailed survey was emailed to all members of the Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) in February 2013. The survey was designed and pre-tested to evaluate duration and ease of administration. Results: One hundred and forty one (25% response rate) physicians participated in the survey. The majority were from urban, academic centres and practiced in regionally administered renal programs. Very few respondents had a formal policy regarding the timing of dialysis initiation or formally reviewed new dialysis starts (N = 4, 3.1%). The majority of respondents were either neutral or disagreed that late compared to early dialysis initiation improved outcomes (85–88%), had a negative impact on quality of life (89%), worsened AVF or PD use (84–90%), led to sicker patients (83%) or was cost effective (61%). Fifty-seven percent of respondents felt uremic symptoms occurred earlier in patients with advancing age or co-morbid illness. Half (51.8%) of the respondents felt there was an absolute eGFR at which they would initiate dialysis in an asymptomatic patient. The majority of respondents would initiate dialysis for classic indications for dialysis, such as volume overload (90.1%) and cachexia (83.7%) however a significant number chose other factors that may lead them to early dialysis initiation including avoiding an emergency (28.4%), patient preference (21.3%) and non-compliance (8.5%). Limitations: 25% response rate. Conclusions: Although the majority of nephrologists in Canada who responded followed evidence-based practice regarding the timing of dialysis initiation, knowledge gaps and areas of clinical uncertainty exist. The implementation and evaluation of formal policies and knowledge translation activities may limit potentially unnecessary early dialysis initiation

Engineered reversal of drug resistance in cancer cells - metastases suppressor factors as change agents

Building molecular correlates of drug resistance in cancer and exploiting them for therapeutic intervention remains a pressing clinical need. To identify factors that impact drug resistance herein we built a model that couples inherent cell-based response toward drugs with transcriptomes of resistant/sensitive cells. To test this model, we focused on a group of genes called Metastasis Suppressor Genes (MSGs) that influence aggressiveness and metastatic potential of cancers. Interestingly, modeling of 84 000 drug response transcriptome combinations predicted multiple MSGs to be associated with resistance of different cell types and drugs. As a case study, on inducing MSG levels in a drug resistant breast cancer line resistance to anticancer drugs caerulomycin, camptothecin and topotecan decreased by more than 50–60 %, in both culture conditions and also in tumors generated in mice, in contrast to control un-induced cells. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of engineered reversal of drug resistance in cancer cells based on a model that exploits inherent cellular response profiles

Insights into Physiological, Biochemical and Molecular Responses in Wheat under Salt Stress

Globally, wheat is a major staple food crop that provides 20% of food calories for 30% of the human population. Wheat growth and production are significantly affected by salt stress at various stages and adversely affect germination, vegetative growth, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, reproductive behavior, protein synthesis, enzymatic activity and finally hampered grain yield. Maintenance of low Na+/K+ ratio, antioxidants and hormonal regulation, and accumulation of compatible osmolytes such as glycine betaine, proline and trehalose help the wheat genotypes to mitigate the negative effects of salt stress. Recent studies have reported various mechanisms at the physiological, biochemical and molecular levels to adapt the salinity stress in various ecologies. Salt tolerant genotypes can be developed by conventional breeding approaches and through biotechnological approaches. This chapter reviews the updates on mechanisms and recent approaches to structure the salt-tolerant and high-yielding genotypes