415 research outputs found
Dependence of potato yield on weed infestation
Results of the research were based on a field experiment carried out in 2007â2009 at
the Experimental Plant of the IHAR-PIB in Jadwisin, on podzolic soil with a granulometric
composition of loamy sand. The experiment was established by means of a random sub-block
method in a dependent split-plot pattern, in triplicate. The first order factor were the potato
cultivars: âIrgaâ and âFiannaâ, the second order factor were the methods of weeds regulation:
1) control â without chemical protection; 2) extensive mechanical treatments (every 2 weeks)
from planting to closing the rows; 3) Sencor 70 WG â 1 kg ha-1 before potato emergence;
4) Sencor 70 WG â 1 kg ha-1 + Titus 25 WG â 40 g ha-1 + Trend 90 EC â 0.1% before potato
emergence; 5) Sencor 70 WG â 0.5 kg ha-1
after potato emergence; 6) Sencor 70 WG â
0.3 kg ha-1 + Titus 25 WG â 30 g ha-1 + Trend 90 EC â 0.1% after potato emergence; 7) Sencor
70 WG â 0.3 kg ha-1 + Fusilade Forte 150 EC â 2 dm3 ha-1
after potato emergence; 8) Sencor
70 WG â 0.3 kg ha-1 + Apyros 75 WG 26.5 g ha-1 + Atpolan 80 SC â 1 dm3 ha-1
after potato
emergence. The number, floristic compositions, fresh weight and dry matter of weeds were
determined. A high, yield-protective effect of herbicides was obtained as a result of limited
competition of weeds. Mechanical care contributed to the increase in the total potato yield by
36.2%, and the marketable yield by 45.7%, as compared to the control object
Farming in and on urban buildings: present practice and specific novelties of Zero-Acreage Farming (ZFarming)
Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugĂ€nglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Considering global trends such as climate change and resource scarcity, a major challenge of future cities will be to reduce urban footprints. Moreover, cities have to become or remain livable for their inhabitants and offer social and economic opportunities. Thus, reconnecting food production and cities offers promising potential. The diffusion of urban farming reflects a rising awareness of how food and farming can shape our cities. A growing number of urban farming projects exist in and on urban buildings, including open rooftop farms, rooftop greenhouses and indoor farming. These projects are characterized by the non-use of land or acreage for farming activities. We use the term âZero-Acreage Farmingâ (ZFarming) to represent these farms. The objective of this paper is to: (1) illustrate and systemize present practices of ZFarming and (2) discuss specific novelties of ZFarming in the wider context of urban agriculture. We analyzed 73 ZFarms in cities of North America, Asia, Australia and Europe using a set of criteria, and developed a typology of ZFarming, complemented by in-depth interviews with pioneers in rooftop farming in New York. The results illustrate that ZFarming generates innovative practices that may contribute to a sustainable urban agriculture. Besides growing food, it produces a range of non-food and non-market goods. It involves new opportunities for resource efficiency, new farming technologies, specific implementation processes and networks, new patterns of food supply and new urban spaces
Transcription activation depends on the length of the RNA polymerase II Câterminal domain
Eukaryotic RNA polymerase II (Pol II) contains a tailâlike, intrinsically disordered carboxyâterminal domain (CTD) comprised of heptadârepeats, that functions in coordination of the transcription cycle and in coupling transcription to coâtranscriptional processes. The CTD repeat number varies between species and generally increases with genome size, but the reasons for this are unclear. Here, we show that shortening the CTD in human cells to half of its length does not generally change preâmRNA synthesis or processing in cells. However, CTD shortening decreases the duration of promoterâproximal Pol II pausing, alters transcription of putative enhancer elements, and delays transcription activation after stimulation of the MAP kinase pathway. We suggest that a long CTD is required for efficient enhancerâdependent recruitment of Pol II to target genes for their rapid activation
Computed Tomography and Ultrasonic Testing of Urania Fuel Pellets
Natural uranium dioxide nuclear fuel for irradiation in CANDU reactors is manufactured by General Electric Canada. To ensure the fuel does not rupture,pellet chipping and cracking is controlled. While not apparent in the green compact stage chips and cracks are readily observed after sintering and are generally located at the ends of the pellets</p
An Aggregated Stakeholder Perspective on Potential Benefits and Challenges
How can buildings be combined with agricultural production and what are the
major potential benefits and challenges for the introduction of zero-acreage
farming (ZFarming) in Berlin from the relevant stakeholdersâ perspectives?
These questions were explored through a series of interviews and stakeholder
workshops held between 2011 and 2013. The aim was to identify the most
suitable building-integrated farming model for the Berlin metropolitan area
and to develop guidelines for the modelâs successful and sustainable
implementation through a stakeholder-driven approach. This paper provides an
aggregated synthesis of the outcomes derived from the qualitative interviews
and stakeholder workshops. As the results reveal, the stakeholders perceive
potential benefits and challenges related to the issue of ZFarming in all
dimensions (economic, social, environmental and political). They largely
agreed on the importance of focusing on local resources, using energy-
efficient productionâincluding social and educational aspectsâand developing
new market structures when introducing ZFarming to the city of Berlin. The
stakeholders identified urban rooftop greenhouses (RTG) as the most promising
farming model for Berlin. In a joint collaboration of all stakeholders, a
manual for RTG was developed within the participatory innovation process that
addresses the identified problems and challenges associated with future
implementation and governance of RTG in Berlin and beyond
Shape Isomerism at N = 40: Discovery of a Proton Intruder in 67Co
The nuclear structure of 67Co has been investigated through 67Fe beta-decay.
The 67Fe isotopes were produced at the LISOL facility in proton-induced fission
of 238U and selected using resonant laser ionization combined with mass
separation. The application of a new correlation technique unambiguously
revealed a 496(33) ms isomeric state in 67Co at an unexpected low energy of 492
keV. A 67Co level scheme has been deduced. Proposed spin and parities suggest a
spherical (7/2-) 67Co ground state and a deformed first excited (1/2-) state at
492 keV, interpreted as a proton 1p-2h prolate intruder state.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, preprint submitted to Physical Review Letter
Emergence of Anti-Cancer Drug Resistance: Exploring the Importance of the Microenvironmental Niche via a Spatial Model
Practically, all chemotherapeutic agents lead to drug resistance. Clinically,
it is a challenge to determine whether resistance arises prior to, or as a
result of, cancer therapy. Further, a number of different intracellular and
microenvironmental factors have been correlated with the emergence of drug
resistance. With the goal of better understanding drug resistance and its
connection with the tumor microenvironment, we have developed a hybrid
discrete-continuous mathematical model. In this model, cancer cells described
through a particle-spring approach respond to dynamically changing oxygen and
DNA damaging drug concentrations described through partial differential
equations. We thoroughly explored the behavior of our self-calibrated model
under the following common conditions: a fixed layout of the vasculature, an
identical initial configuration of cancer cells, the same mechanism of drug
action, and one mechanism of cellular response to the drug. We considered one
set of simulations in which drug resistance existed prior to the start of
treatment, and another set in which drug resistance is acquired in response to
treatment. This allows us to compare how both kinds of resistance influence the
spatial and temporal dynamics of the developing tumor, and its clonal
diversity. We show that both pre-existing and acquired resistance can give rise
to three biologically distinct parameter regimes: successful tumor eradication,
reduced effectiveness of drug during the course of treatment (resistance), and
complete treatment failure
Measurement of psychological entitlement in 28 countries
This article presents the cross-cultural validation of the Entitlement Attitudes Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure three facets of psychological entitlement: active, passive, and revenge entitlement. Active entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect individual rights based on self-worthiness. Passive entitlement was defined as the belief in obligations to and expectations toward other people and institutions for the fulfillment of the individualâs needs. Revenge entitlement was defined as the tendency to protect oneâs individual rights when violated by others and the tendency to reciprocate insults. The 15-item EAQ was validated in a series of three studies: the first one on a general Polish sample (N = 1,900), the second one on a sample of Polish students (N = 199), and the third one on student samples from 28 countries (N = 5,979). A three-factor solution was confirmed across all samples. Examination of measurement equivalence indicated partial metric invariance of EAQ for all national samples. Discriminant and convergent validity of the EAQ was also confirmed
Renal cancer associated with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: a case report and review of the literature
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome is a rare genodermatosis characterized by hair follicle hamartomas, renal tumors and spontaneous pneumothorax. We present the case of a patient with pulmonary cysts and recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. She had typical skin lesions, and was found to have a hybrid oncocytoma which was surgically excised.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 60-year-old Caucasian woman had a 10-year history of cystic lung disease and recurrent spontaneous pneumothoraces. She was noted to have papular lesions over her face and forehead. The result of a biopsy showed these lesions to be fibrofolliculomas. A diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome was made and she was screened for renal tumors since these are a recognized association. A hybrid oncocytoma was detected which was surgically excised by partial nephrectomy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is important to consider a possible diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome in cases of recurrent pneumothorax. Affected individuals must be screened for renal tumors, a potentially lethal consequence of this syndrome.</p
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