Low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma of the falciform ligament: a case report

BACKGROUND: Low grade fibromyxoid sarcomas (LGFMS) are very rarely seen. They commonly arise from deep soft tissues of the lower extremities. Very few cases of intra-abdominal location have been reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 37 year old man who presented with an abdominal mass and dragging pain. Pre-operative imaging suggested the possibility of a subcapsular hemangioma of liver. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopy was useful to locate the tumor as arising from falciform ligament and made the subsequent surgery simpler. This is one of the large fibromyxoid sarcomas to be reported

Identifying Water Stress in Potatoes Using Leaf Reflectance as an Indicator of Soil Water Content

Soil water content must be monitored and maintained at adequate level for optimal productivity. Accuracy of traditional sensors used to monitor soil water content depends on the installation technique and proper contact between soil and sensor, which is difficult to achieve in light textured sandy soils. Non-contact sensing technique does not have the limitation of contact with soil and can monitor plant status continuously. In this study, hyperspectral imaging was used as a non-contact technique for detecting changes in spectral reflectance of Umatilla Russet potato plants grown under varying soil water content. An experiment was carried out in a greenhouse to subject potato plants at different levels of soil water content from extreme stress to surplus. Yield data was also collected, which showed that maximum yield for Umatilla Russet potato can be achieved at 18% to 21% soil moisture content. Various spectral indices were calculated using spectral reflectance data at different water stress levels. Principal component analysis was used to identify indices that represented maximum variability in the data. Simple Ratio Index and Modified Red Edge Simple Ratio Index were identified as the two most relevant indices for differentiating soil water content. K-Means clustering with these two indices resulted in an accuracy of 75% in identifying highly stressed plants and 92% accuracy in identifying stressed plants (that included both high and low stress levels). These results showed a promise for development of a non-contact sensor for detecting plant water stress in potatoes, which may lead to an automated irrigation system for maintaining optimal soil water content during potato growing season

Conteúdo de nutrientes em componentes da biomassa de laranjeira hamlin

A compreensão da distribuição de nutrientes na árvore é importante para o estabelecimento de programas de manejo nutricional eficientes para a produção de citros. Árvores de laranjeira Hamlin [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] em citrumelo Swingle [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. x Citrus paradisi Macfad.], com 6 anos de idade, cultivadas num Entisol da Flórida foram colhidas para investigar a distribuição e o conteúdo de macro e micronutrientes em componentes da biomassa. A distribuição de nutrientes, em peso seco, da biomassa total da árvore foi: frutos = 30,3%, folhas = 9,7%, ramos = 26,1%, tronco = 6,3% e raízes = 27,8%. A concentração de nutrientes em folhas recém maduras ficou entre os níveis adequado e ótimo pela interpretação da análise foliar da Flórida. Maiores concentrações de Ca foram observadas nas folhas mais velhas e nos tecidos lenhosos. Concentrações de micronutrientes foram significativamente maiores nas radicelas em comparação àquelas lenhosas. O maior conteúdo de nutriente na árvore foi de Ca (273,8 g/árvore), seguido de N e de K (243,7 e 181,5 g/árvore, respectivamente). Outros macronutrientes somaram cerca de 11% do conteúdo total de nutrientes. O conteúdo de vários nutrientes na fruta fresca, em kg ton-1, foi: N = 1,20; K = 1,54; P = 0,18; Ca = 0,57; Mg = 0,12; S = 0,09; B = 1,63 x 10-3; Cu = 0,39 x 10-3; Fe = 2,1 x 10-3; Mn = 0,38 x 10-3 e Zn = 0,40 x 10-3. O conteúdo total de N, K e P no pomar correspondeu a 66,5, 52,0, and 8,3 kg ha-1, respectivamente, os quais foram equivalentes às quantidades de nutriente aplicadas anualmente pela adubação.The knowledge of the nutrient distribution in trees is important to establish sound nutrient management programs for citrus production. Six-year-old Hamlin orange trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] on Swingle citrumelo [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. x Citrus paradisi Macfad.] rootstock, grown on a sandy Entisol in Florida were harvested to investigate the macro and micronutrient distributions of biomass components. The biomass of aboveground components of the tree represented the largest proportion of the total. The distribution of the total tree dry weight was: fruit = 30.3%, leaf = 9.7%, twig = 26.1%, trunk = 6.3%, and root = 27.8%. Nutrient concentrations of recent mature leaves were in the adequate to optimal range as suggested by interpretation of leaf analysis in Florida. Concentrations of Ca in older leaves and woody tissues were much greater than those in the other parts of the tree. Concentrations of micronutrients were markedly greater in fibrous root as compared to woody roots. Calcium made up the greatest amount of nutrient in the citrus tree (273.8 g per tree), followed by N and K (234.7 and 181.5 g per tree, respectively). Other macronutrients comprised about 11% of the total nutrient content of trees. The contents of various nutrients in fruits were: N = 1.20, K = 1.54, P = 0.18, Ca = 0.57, Mg = 0.12, S = 0.09, B = 1.63 x 10-3, Cu = 0.39 x 10-3, Fe = 2.1 x 10-3, Mn = 0.38 10-3, and Zn = 0.40 10-3 (kg ton-1). Total contents of N, K, and P in the orchard corresponded to 66.5, 52.0, and 8.3 kg ha-1, respectively, which were equivalent to the amounts applied annually by fertilization

Recent studies in microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in hypersaline environments

Many hypersaline environments are often contaminated with petroleum compounds. Among these, oil and natural gas production sites all over the world and hundreds of kilometers of coastlines in the more arid regions of Gulf countries are of major concern due to the extent and magnitude of contamination. Because conventional microbiological processes do not function well at elevated salinities, bioremediation of hypersaline environments can only be accomplished using high salt-tolerant microorganisms capable of degrading petroleum compounds. In the last two decades, there have been many reports on the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in moderate to high salinity environments. Numerous microorganisms belonging to the domain Bacteria and Archaea have been isolated and their phylogeny and metabolic capacity to degrade a variety of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in varying salinities have been demonstrated. This article focuses on our growing understanding of bacteria and archaea responsible for the degradation of hydrocarbons under aerobic conditions in moderate to high salinity conditions. Even though organisms belonging to various genera have been shown to degrade hydrocarbons, members of the genera Halomonas Alcanivorax, Marinobacter, Haloferax, Haloarcula, and Halobacterium dominate the published literature. Despite rapid advances in understanding microbial taxa that degrade hydrocarbons under aerobic conditions, not much is known about organisms that carry out similar processes in anaerobic conditions. Also, information on molecular mechanisms and pathways of hydrocarbon degradation in high salinity is scarce and only recently there have been a few reports describing genes, enzymes and breakdown steps for some hydrocarbons. These limited studies have clearly revealed that degradation of oxygenated and non-oxygenated hydrocarbons by halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms occur by pathways similar to those found in non-halophiles.Peer reviewedMicrobiology and Molecular Genetic

Efficient Use of Plant Nutrients by Cereal Crops via Optimizing Soil Conditions

The price of nitrogen (N) fertilizer has increased by 5 fold during the last decade. This has led to a significant decline in net returns. However, the increase in cereal grain price for the same period of time was negligible compared to that of N fertilizer price. Poorly managed N fertilization can cause potential ammonia emission and nitrate contamination of groundwater, in addition to being waste of natural resources. Thus, improving N uptake efficiency in crop production is important to maintain economic and environmental sustainability. We have presented different strategies on efficient use of N and phosphorus (P) via optimizing soil conditions including water management and oxygen fertilization. Our recent research results has shown that at a given N rate and soil temperature, N loss by ammonia (NH3) emission was greater when soil water content was maintained at 20% than that at 80% of field capacity (FC). Flooded corn (genotype: FR27 × FRMO17) seedlings with oxygen fertilization absorbed N 8-fold greater than those without oxygen fertilization. Nitrogen use efficiency of wheat (genotype: Yanzhong 144) seedlings grown in complete nutrient solution was 10-fold greater than that of the seedlings under low-phosphorus stress (P-imbalanced nutrient solution). These results indicate that appropriate soil water management, oxygen fertilization, and supply of well-balanced nutrients significantly reduced N loss and enhanced N uptake and N use efficiencies of corn and wheat

Distribution of rainfall and soil moisture content in the soil profile under citrus tree canopy and at the dripline

The plant canopy intercepts rain and thus can alter the distribution of water under the canopy as compared to that along the dripline. The effects of a citrus (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) tree (25-year-old, Valencia orange) canopy on the distribution of rainfall and soil moisture content within the soil profile either along the dripline (D) or under the canopy near the trunk (inner side; I), and midway between I and Dripline (M) were evaluated, on the east and west sides of trees planted along north-south rows. Results of eleven storm events in 1995 (mean of east and west sides) revealed that the amounts of precipitation at the D, M, and I positions were 97-140, 47-94, and 52-79% of the incident rainfall, respectively. Thus, canopy interception of incident rainfall was quite appreciable. The soil moisture content was greater along the dripline compared to that at the M and I positions, particularly in the deeper (≥60 cm) soil profile. The water flux was significantly greater at the dripline than under the canopy indicating a greater leaching potential of soil-applied fertilizers and other chemicals when placed along the dripline. A substantial reduction in the rainfall and water flux under the canopy as a result of canopy interception suggests that application of fertilizer and chemicals under the canopy could minimize leaching losses

Potato Stolon and Tuber Growth Influenced by Nitrogen Form

Potato tuber initiation and its growth are key processes determining tuber yield, which are closely related to stolon growth, and are influenced by many factors including N nutrition. We investigated the influences of different forms of nitrogen (N) on stolon and tuber growth in sand culture with a nitrification inhibitor during 2010 – 2011, and using two potato cultivars. Plants supplied with NO3-N (N as nitrate, NO3-) produced more and thicker stolons than those supplied with NH4-N (N as ammonium, NH4+) at tuber initiation stage. In the plants fed NO3-N, the stolon tips swelled or formed tubers earlier and produced more tubers than in those fed with NH4-N. However, no significant difference was observed among N forms in terms of tuber yield at harvest, this may have been because of the shoot growth rate at tuber initiation stage was lower in the plants fed NO3-N. During the tuber bulking stage, the difference in shoot DWs among N forms began to decrease, and the shoot DW of plants fed NO3-N was even heavier than those fed NH4-N in some cases. The influence of N form on potato plant growth may therefore vary with the potato growth stage

Nutrient content of biomass components of Hamlin sweet orange trees

The knowledge of the nutrient distribution in trees is important to establish sound nutrient management programs for citrus production. Six-year-old Hamlin orange trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] on Swingle citrumelo [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. x Citrus paradisi Macfad.] rootstock, grown on a sandy Entisol in Florida were harvested to investigate the macro and micronutrient distributions of biomass components. The biomass of aboveground components of the tree represented the largest proportion of the total. The distribution of the total tree dry weight was: fruit = 30.3%, leaf = 9.7%, twig = 26.1%, trunk = 6.3%, and root = 27.8%. Nutrient concentrations of recent mature leaves were in the adequate to optimal range as suggested by interpretation of leaf analysis in Florida. Concentrations of Ca in older leaves and woody tissues were much greater than those in the other parts of the tree. Concentrations of micronutrients were markedly greater in fibrous root as compared to woody roots. Calcium made up the greatest amount of nutrient in the citrus tree (273.8 g per tree), followed by N and K (234.7 and 181.5 g per tree, respectively). Other macronutrients comprised about 11% of the total nutrient content of trees. The contents of various nutrients in fruits were: N = 1.20, K = 1.54, P = 0.18, Ca = 0.57, Mg = 0.12, S = 0.09, B = 1.63 x 10-3, Cu = 0.39 x 10-3, Fe = 2.1 x 10-3, Mn = 0.38 10-3, and Zn = 0.40 10-3 (kg ton-1). Total contents of N, K, and P in the orchard corresponded to 66.5, 52.0, and 8.3 kg ha-1, respectively, which were equivalent to the amounts applied annually by fertilization