Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Root-Zone Drying Irrigation Technique under Different Nitrogen Rates on Water Use Efficiency for Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) in Semi-arid Conditions (I)

An investigation was carried out at the Technical Center of Potato and Artichoke CTPTA in the region of Saida, located in the lower valley of Medjerda river during the season of 2017. The objective was to evaluate the effects of deficit irrigation (DI) and the root-zone drying irrigation technique (PRD) under different nitrogen rates on total dry matter production (TDM), water consumption (WC) and water use efficiency of potato (Solanum Tuberosum L. VS. Spunta). Three water treatments (T1 = FI = 100% ETC, T2 = DI = 75% ETC and T3 = PRD50) and three nitrogen rates (F1 = N150: 150 kg N ha-1, F2 = N75: 75kg N ha-1, F3 = N0: 0kg N ha-1) were applied since the tuber initiation (55 days after planting) to maturity (100 days after planting). The results showed that the water regime affected negatively the total dry matter accumulation. A decline of 7 and 18.6% was registered in the two treatments T2 and T3 compared to the control T1. The WC decreased during water restriction respectively by 16; 33 and 29% for the T2 and T3 (PRD50 left) and T3 (PRD50 right) compared to T1. For the three nitrogen treatments (F1, F2 and F3) the water restriction has increased the WUE. The best values was recorded in the treatment T2 and then in the treatment T3 from where this increase compared to T1 was equal to (22.6% and 12.9%), (24.1% and 12, 4%) and (21.9% and 15.3%) respectively

Impact of Deficit Irrigation (DI) and Root-Zone Drying Irrigation Technique (PRD) under Different Nitrogen Rates on Radiation Use Efficiency for Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L.) in Semi-arid Conditions (II)

The study was carried out at the Technical Center of Potato and Artichoke CTPTA located in the lower valley of Medjerda river of Tunisia during the season of 2017. The purpose was to estimate the impact of deficit irrigation (DI) and the root-zone drying irrigation technique (PRD) under different nitrogen rates on photo synthetically active radiation absorbed and radiation use efficiency for Potato (Solanum Tuberosum L. VS. Spunta). Three water treatments (T1= 100% ETC, T2 = DI = 75% ETC and T3 = PRD50) and three nitrogen rates (F1 = N150: 150 kg N ha-1, F2 = N75: 75kg N ha-1, F3 = N0: 0kg N ha-1) were applied since the tuber initiation (55 days after planting) to maturity (100 days after planting). The deficit irrigation T2 has no effect on PARabs. Besides, the PRD50 has led to a reduction in PARabs. This decrease compare to T1 was equal to (8.9; 9.9 and 7.9%) respectively for the three treatments (F1; F2 and F3). The nitrogen deficit affects negatively the PARabs. An improvement of 13.2%, 11.2% and 12.2% of the F1 compared to the F3, respectively for the three water treatments (T1, T2 and T3). The T2 has no effect on RUE TDM. Conversely, the PRD50 has led to a reduction in RUE TDM. This decline referee against T1 was equal to (12.7; 17.4 and 21.5%) respectively for the three treatments (F1; F2 and F3). For RUEGY statistical analysis showed significant (P < 0.05) difference between the three irrigation treatments (T0, T1 and T2) for the three nitrogen treatments (F1; F2 and F3). The T2 and the PRD50 has led to a reduction in RUE GY. This decrease judge against T1 respectively for the two treatments (F2 and F3) was equal to (14.9 and 21.5%) and (19.6 and 31.2%)

Differential influence of arterial blood glucose on cerebral metabolism following severe traumatic brain injury

INTRODUCTION: Maintaining arterial blood glucose within tight limits is beneficial in critically ill patients. Upper and lower limits of detrimental blood glucose levels must be determined. METHODS: In 69 patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), cerebral metabolism was monitored by assessing changes in arterial and jugular venous blood at normocarbia (partial arterial pressure of carbon dioxide (paCO2) 4.4 to 5.6 kPa), normoxia (partial arterial pressure of oxygen (paO2) 9 to 20 kPa), stable haematocrit (27 to 36%), brain temperature 35 to 38 degrees C, and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) 70 to 90 mmHg. This resulted in a total of 43,896 values for glucose uptake, lactate release, oxygen extraction ratio (OER), carbon dioxide (CO2) and bicarbonate (HCO3) production, jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO2), oxygen-glucose index (OGI), lactate-glucose index (LGI) and lactate-oxygen index (LOI). Arterial blood glucose concentration-dependent influence was determined retrospectively by assessing changes in these parameters within pre-defined blood glucose clusters, ranging from less than 4 to more than 9 mmol/l. RESULTS: Arterial blood glucose significantly influenced signs of cerebral metabolism reflected by increased cerebral glucose uptake, decreased cerebral lactate production, reduced oxygen consumption, negative LGI and decreased cerebral CO2/HCO3 production at arterial blood glucose levels above 6 to 7 mmol/l compared with lower arterial blood glucose concentrations. At blood glucose levels more than 8 mmol/l signs of increased anaerobic glycolysis (OGI less than 6) supervened. CONCLUSIONS: Maintaining arterial blood glucose levels between 6 and 8 mmol/l appears superior compared with lower and higher blood glucose concentrations in terms of stabilised cerebral metabolism. It appears that arterial blood glucose values below 6 and above 8 mmol/l should be avoided. Prospective analysis is required to determine the optimal arterial blood glucose target in patients suffering from severe TBI

Pretransplant dyslipidaemia influences primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation

OBJECTIVES: Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a major cause of mortality within the first year following lung transplantation. Pulmonary hypertension, elevated body mass index (BMI), prolonged ischaemic time of the graft, intraoperative blood transfusions >1000 ml and the use of cardiopulmonary bypass or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation increase the risk for PGD. We aimed to evaluate whether dyslipidaemia is an additional risk factor for the development of PGD. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed demographic and clinical data of 264 patients who received their first bilateral lung transplantation between March 2000 and October 2013 at our institution. The endpoint was PGD grade 3 at any time, defined according to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) criteria. Fasting lipid profiles at listing time or just before transplantation (baseline) were documented and dyslipidaemia was defined as any of the parameters being out of range. Comparisons of continuous variables between patients with PGD grade 3 and patients without were performed with the Mann-Whitney U-test, whereas proportions were compared with the χ(2) test. Continuous variables were presented as arithmetic means with standard deviation for ease of comparison, but levels of statistical significance were computed using the appropriate non-parametric statistical test. To identify PGD risk factors, a forward stepwise logistic regression model was used. RESULTS: PGD occurred in 63 recipients (24%). Pretransplant dyslipidaemia was documented in 153 recipients (58%) and was significantly more prevalent among recipients developing PGD (45 vs 108, P < 0.013). Despite various underlying pulmonary pathologies, higher triglyceride (TG) levels (1.41 ± 0.78 vs 1.16 ± 0.78, P < 0.012), lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations (1.24 ± 0.55 vs 1.57 ± 0.71, P < 0.0005) and higher cholesterol/HDL-C values (3.80 ± 2.02 vs 3.00 ± 0.92, P < 0.0005) were associated with a lower incidence of PGD. Patients with PGD had significantly longer ischaemic time (350 ± 89 vs 322 ± 91, P = 0.017) and higher BMI (23 ± 5 vs 21 ± 4.4, P < 0.007). CONCLUSION: Dyslipidaemia seems to be an independent risk factor for PGD after lung transplantation: low circulating levels of HDL-C and hypertriglyceridaemia increase the incidence of PGD. Even if HDL-C levels are difficult to alter today, triglyceride and cholesterol levels can be addressed therapeutically and may have a positive influence on the development of PGD

Two different hematocrit detection methods: Different methods, different results?

BACKGROUND: Less is known about the influence of hematocrit detection methodology on transfusion triggers. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare two different hematocrit-assessing methods. In a total of 50 critically ill patients hematocrit was analyzed using (1) blood gas analyzer (ABLflex 800) and (2) the central laboratory method (ADVIA(R) 2120) and compared. FINDINGS: Bland-Altman analysis for repeated measurements showed a good correlation with a bias of +1.39% and 2 SD of +/- 3.12%. The 24%-hematocrit-group showed a correlation of r2 = 0.87. With a kappa of 0.56, 22.7% of the cases would have been transfused differently. In the-28%-hematocrit group with a similar correlation (r2 = 0.8) and a kappa of 0.58, 21% of the cases would have been transfused differently. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a good agreement between the two methods used to determine hematocrit in clinical routine, the calculated difference of 1.4% might substantially influence transfusion triggers depending on the employed method

(U-Th)/He dating of supergene iron (oxyhydr-)oxides of the Nefza-Sejnane district (Tunisia):new insights into mineralization and mammalian biostratigraphy

The mining district of Nefza-Sejnane (Tunisia) encloses numerous ores and raw material deposits, all formed in relation with successive Fe-rich fluids of meteoric and/or hydrothermal origins. Here, for the first time in Tunisia, (U-Th)/He ages were obtained on supergene goethite from various localities/deposits of the district highlight direct dating of significant weathering episodes during late Tortonian and late Pleistocene. These weathering events are most likely associated with favorable conditions that combine (i) wet climate displaying sufficient meteoric water/fluid; and (ii) regional exhumation, due to large-scale vertical lithospheric movements enhancing the percolation of fluids. Matched with previous works, these results refine the stratigraphic frame for the polymetallic mineralization and clay deposits in the district, confirming the influence of meteoric fluids circulation during the late Cenozoic. As a consequence of the new (U-Th)/He data, we moreover propose a taxonomic and stratigraphic revision of the well-known mammalian fauna from the Fe-rich Douahria locality, suggesting an early Tortonian age for the fossils, i.e., prior to the first episode of meteoric event in the area

Anthropogenic, direct pressures on coastal wetlands

Coastal wetlands, such as saltmarshes and mangroves that fringe transitional waters, deliver important ecosystem services that support human development. Coastal wetlands are complex social-ecological systems that occur at all latitudes, from polar regions to the tropics. This overview covers wetlands in five continents. The wetlands are of varying size, catchment size, human population and stages of economic development. Economic sectors and activities in and around the coastal wetlands and their catchments exert multiple, direct pressures.Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS-YIC) scholarship and SKLECECNU project 111 scholarship<, Natural Resources Canada contribution no. 20200070; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Scientific Employment Stimulus Programme (CEECIND/01635/2017). and (CEECIND/00095/2017), (UID/MAR/00350/2019CIMA) and (UID/MAR/04292/2019)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Noninvasive cardiac output and blood pressure monitoring cannot replace an invasive monitoring system in critically ill patients

Background: Monitoring of cardiac output and blood pressure are standard procedures in critical care medicine. Traditionally, invasive techniques like pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) and arterial catheters are widely used. Invasiveness bears many risks of deleterious complications. Therefore, a noninvasive reliable cardiac output (CO) and blood pressure monitoring system could improve the safety of cardiac monitoring. The aim of the present study was to compare a noninvasive versus a standard invasive cardiovascular monitoring system. Methods: Nexfin HD is a continuous noninvasive blood pressure and cardiac output monitor system and is based on the development of the pulsatile unloading of the finger arterial walls using an inflatable finger cuff. During continuous BP measurement CO is calculated. We included 10 patients with standard invasive cardiac monitoring system (pulmonary artery catheter and arterial catheter) comparing invasively obtained data to the data collected noninvasively using the Nexfin HD. Results: Correlation between mean arterial pressure measured with the standard arterial monitoring system and the Nexfin HD was r2 = 0.67 with a bias of -2 mmHg and two standard deviations of ± 16 mmHg. Correlation between CO derived from PAC and the Nexfin HD was r2 = 0.83 with a bias of 0.23 l/min and two standard deviations of ± 2.1 l/min; the percentage error was 29%. Conclusion: Although the noninvasive CO measurement appears promising, the noninvasive blood pressure assessment is clearly less reliable than the invasively measured blood pressure. Therefore, according to the present data application of the Nexfin HD monitoring system in the ICU cannot be recommended generally. Whether such a tool might be reliable in certain critically ill patients remains to be determined

Constitutive Overexpression of Muscarinic Receptors Leads to Vagal Hyperreactivity

BACKGROUND: Alterations in muscarinic receptor expression and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity have been observed in tissues from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Vagal overactivity has been proposed as a possible cause of SIDS as well as of vasovagal syncopes. The aim of the present study was to seek whether muscarinic receptor overexpression may be the underlying mechanism of vagal hyperreactivity. Rabbits with marked vagal pauses following injection of phenylephrine were selected and crossed to obtain a vagal hyperreactive strain. The density of cardiac muscarinic receptors and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) gene expression were assessed. Blood markers of the observed cardiac abnormalities were also sought. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Cardiac muscarinic M(2) and M(3) receptors were overexpressed in hyperreactive rabbits compared to control animals (2.3-fold and 2.5-fold, respectively) and the severity of the phenylephrine-induced bradycardia was correlated with their densities. A similar overexpression of M(2) receptors was observed in peripheral mononuclear white blood cells, suggesting that cardiac M(2) receptor expression can be inferred with high confidence from measurements in blood cells. Sequencing of the coding fragment of the M(2) receptor gene revealed a single nucleotide mutation in 83% of hyperreactive animals, possibly contributing for the transcript overexpression. Significant increases in AchE expression and activity were also assessed (AchE mRNA amplification ratio of 3.6 versus normal rabbits). This phenomenon might represent a compensatory consequence of muscarinic receptors overexpression. Alterations in M(2) receptor and AchE expression occurred between the 5th and the 7th week of age, a critical period also characterized by a higher mortality rate of hyperreactive rabbits (52% in H rabbits versus 13% in normal rabbits) and preceeded the appearance of functional disorders. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The results suggest that cardiac muscarinic receptor overexpression plays a critical role in the development of vagal hyperreactivity, whereas AchE hyperactivity appears as a compensatory consequence of it. Since similar vagal disorders were observed recently by us in SIDS, muscarinic receptor overexpression could become a marker of risk of vasovagal syncopes and SIDS

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in low- and middle-income countries

Widespread acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines is crucial for achieving sufficient immunization coverage to end the global pandemic, yet few studies have investigated COVID-19 vaccination attitudes in lower-income countries, where large-scale vaccination is just beginning. We analyze COVID-19 vaccine acceptance across 15 survey samples covering 10 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in Asia, Africa and South America, Russia (an upper-middle-income country) and the United States, including a total of 44,260 individuals. We find considerably higher willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine in our LMIC samples (mean 80.3%; median 78%; range 30.1 percentage points) compared with the United States (mean 64.6%) and Russia (mean 30.4%). Vaccine acceptance in LMICs is primarily explained by an interest in personal protection against COVID-19, while concern about side effects is the most common reason for hesitancy. Health workers are the most trusted sources of guidance about COVID-19 vaccines. Evidence from this sample of LMICs suggests that prioritizing vaccine distribution to the Global South should yield high returns in advancing global immunization coverage. Vaccination campaigns should focus on translating the high levels of stated acceptance into actual uptake. Messages highlighting vaccine efficacy and safety, delivered by healthcare workers, could be effective for addressing any remaining hesitancy in the analyzed LMICs