A preliminary investigation of the water use efficiency of sweet sorghum for biofuel in South Africa

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) has been recognized globally as a potential biofuel crop for ethanol production. Sweet sorghum is a drought-tolerant crop that is widely adapted to different environmental growing conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the water use efficiency (utilisable yield per unit amount of water used) of drip-irrigated sweet sorghum (variety Sugargraze) under two different climatic conditions in South Africa. The sweet sorghum trials were conducted at Ukulinga research farm (University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg) and Hatfield experimental farm (University of Pretoria, Pretoria), South Africa. Field trials were conducted in two successive seasons, viz., 2010/11 and 2011/12. Seasonal water use was estimated using eddy covariance and surface renewal methods. Fresh and dry aboveground biomass yield, stalk yield and stalk Brix % were measured at final harvest. Theoretical ethanol yield was calculated from fresh stalk yield and Brix %. Water use for the two growing seasons was 415 mm at Ukulinga and 398 mm at Hatfield. The ethanol water use efficiency (WUE) values for the sweet sorghum at Ukulinga were 0.27 and 0.60 L∙m-3 for 2010/11 and 2011/12 growing seasons, respectively. The ethanol WUE estimate of the sweet sorghum at Hatfield was 0.53 L∙m-3 for the 2010/11 season and 0.70 L∙m-3 for the 2011/12 growing season. WUE estimates of the sweet sorghum crop were higher for Hatfield compared to Ukulinga research farm. The results from this study showed that the WUE of sweet sorghum was sensitive to plant density. The WUE values confirm that sweet sorghum has high WUE under different climatic conditions.The research presented in this paper forms part of a solicited research project (Water use of cropping systems adapted to bio-climatic regions in South Africa and suitable for biofuel production) that was initiated by the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa in Key Strategic Area on Water Utilisation in Agriculture).Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africahttp://www.wrc.org.zaam2016Plant Production and Soil Scienc

Conflict in object affordance revealed by grip force

Viewing objects can result in automatic, partial activation of motor plans associated with them—“object affordance”. Here, we recorded grip force simultaneously from both hands in an object affordance task to investigate the effects of conflict between coactivated responses. Participants classified pictures of objects by squeezing force transducers with their left or right hand. Responses were faster on trials where the object afforded an action with the same hand that was required to make the response (congruent trials) compared to the opposite hand (incongruent trials). In addition, conflict between coactivated responses was reduced if it was experienced on the preceding trial, just like Gratton adaptation effects reported in “conflict” tasks (e.g., Eriksen flanker). This finding suggests that object affordance demonstrates conflict effects similar to those shown in other stimulus–response mapping tasks and thus could be integrated into the wider conceptual framework on overlearnt stimulus–response associations. Corrected erroneous responses occurred more frequently when there was conflict between the afforded response and the response required by the task, providing direct evidence that viewing an object activates motor plans appropriate for interacting with that object. Recording continuous grip force, as here, provides a sensitive way to measure coactivated responses in affordance tasks

A Clinical Study Of 77 Patients With Mucopolysaccharidosis Type Ii

Aim: This study aims to assess the clinical features of 77 South American patients (73 Brazilian) with mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II). Methods: Details of the patients and their disease manifestations were obtained from a review of medical records, interviews with the patients and/or their families, and physical examination of the patients. Results: Mean birth weight was 3360 g, median age at onset of symptoms was 18 months and median age at diagnosis was 6 years. For the whole sample (median age, 8.2 years; range, 2.8-53.0 years), neurological degeneration, typical pebbly skin lesions, seizures and extensive dermal melanocytosis were found in 23.3, 13.0, 13.0 and 1.3% of the cases, respectively. The most frequently reported echocardiogram abnormality was mitral valve regurgitation. Refraction errors were the most common ophthalmological manifestation. The following characteristics were found to be associated with the severe form of MPS II: earlier age at biochemical diagnosis, higher levels of urinary glycosaminoglycans, language development delay, behavioural disturbances, poor school performance and mental retardation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is a considerable delay between the onset of signs and symptoms and the diagnosis of MPS II in Brazil (and probably in South America as well), and that many complications of this disease are underdiagnosed and undertreated. Therefore, the implementation of programmes aiming to increase the awareness of the disease, the availability of biochemical diagnostic tests and the provision of better support to affected patients is urgently needed. © 2007 The Author(s).96SUPPL. 4556370Neufeld, E., Muenzer, J., The mucopolysaccharidoses (2001) The metabolic and molecular bases of inherited disease, pp. 3421-3452. , Schriver CR, Beaudet AL, Sly WS, Valle D, editors, New York: McGraw-Hill;Applegarth, D.A., Toone, J.R., Lowry, R.B., Incidence of inborn errors of metabolism in British Columbia, 1969-1996 (2000) Pediatrics, 105, pp. e10Young, I.D., Harper, P.S., Incidence of Hunter's syndrome (1982) Hum Genet, 60, pp. 391-392Machill, G., Barbujani, G., Danieli, G.A., Herrmann, F.H., Segregation and sporadic cases in families with Hunter's syndrome (1991) J Med Genet, 28, pp. 398-401Nelson, J., Incidence of the mucopolysaccharidoses in Northern Ireland (1997) Hum Genet, 101, pp. 355-358Poorthuis, B.J., Wevers, R.A., Kleijer, W.J., Groener, J.E., de Jong, J.G., van Weely, S., The frequency of lysosomal storage diseases in The Netherlands (1999) Hum Genet, 105, pp. 151-156Meikle, P.J., Hopwood, J.J., Clague, A.E., Carey, W.F., Prevalence of lysosomal storage disorders (1999) JAMA, 281, pp. 249-254Nelson, J., Crowhurst, J., Carey, B., Greed, L., Incidence of the mucopolysaccharidoses in Western Australia (2003) Am J Med Genet A, 123, pp. 310-313Baehner, F., Schmiedeskamp, C., Krummenauer, F., Miebach, E., Bajbouj, M., Whybra, C., Cumulative incidence rates of the mucopolysaccharidoses in Germany (2005) J Inherit Metab Dis, 28, pp. 1011-1017Schaap, T., Bach, G., Incidence of mucopolysaccharidoses in Israel: Is Hunter disease a "Jewish disease"? (1980) Hum Genet, 56, pp. 221-223Young, I.D., Harper, P.S., Archer, I.M., Newcombe, R.G., A clinical and genetic study of Hunter's syndrome. 1. Heterogeneity (1982) J Med Genet, 19, pp. 401-407Young, I.D., Harper, P.S., Newcombe, R.G., Archer, I.M., A clinical and genetic study of Hunter's syndrome. 2. Differences between the mild and severe forms (1982) J Med Genet, 19, pp. 408-411Young, I.D., Harper, P.S., Mild form of Hunter's syndrome: Clinical delineation based on 31 cases (1982) Arch Dis Child, 57, pp. 828-836Young, I.D., Harper, P.S., The natural history of the severe form of Hunter's syndrome: A study based on 52 cases (1983) Dev Med Child Neurol, 25, pp. 481-489Muenzer, J., Wraith, J.E., Beck, M., Giugliani, R., Harmatz, P., Eng, C.M., A phase II/III clinical study of enzyme replacement therapy with idursulfase in mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunter syndrome) (2006) Genet Med, 8, pp. 465-473Hamill, P.V., Drizd, T.A., Johnson, C.L., Reed, R.B., Roche, A.F., Moore, W.M., Physical growth: National Center for Health Statistics percentiles (1979) Am J Clin Nutr, 32, pp. 607-629Nellhaus, G., Head circumference from birth to eighteen years. Practical composite international and interracial graphs (1968) Pediatrics, 41, pp. 106-114Nóbrega, F.J., Antropometria, patologias e malformações congênitas do recém-nascido brasileiro e estudos de associação com algumas variáveis maternas (1985) J Pediatr (Rio J), 59, pp. S10-S27Stevenson, R.E., Howell, R.R., McKusick, V.A., Suskind, R., Hanson, J.W., Elliott, D.E., The iduronidase-deficient mucopolysaccharidoses: Clinical and roentgenorgraphic features (1976) Pediatrics, 57, pp. 111-122Carter, C.O., Genetics of common single malformations (1976) Br Med Bull, 32, pp. 21-26Wippermann, C.F., Beck, M., Schranz, D., Huth, R., Michel-Behnke, I., Jüngst, B.K., Mitral and aortic regurgitation in 84 patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (1995) Eur J Pediatr, 154, pp. 98-101Mohan, U.R., Hay, A.A., Cleary, M.A., Wraith, J.E., Patel, R.G., Cardiovascular changes in children with mucopolysaccharide disorders (2002) Acta Paediatr, 91, pp. 799-804Hanson, M., Lupski, J.R., Hicks, J., Metry, D., Association of dermal melanocytosis with lysosomal storage disease: Clinical features and hypotheses regarding pathogenesis (2003) Arch Dermatol, 139, pp. 916-920Sapadin, A.N., Friedman, I.S., Extensive Mongolian spots associated with Hunter syndrome (1998) J Am Acad Dermatol, 39, pp. 1013-1015Ochiai, T., Ito, K., Okada, T., Chin, M., Shichino, H., Mugishima, H., Significance of extensive Mongolian spots in Hunter's syndrome (2003) Br J Dermatol, 148, pp. 1173-1178Muenzer, J., Mucopolysaccharidoses (1986) Adv Pediatr, 33, pp. 269-302Wraith, J.E., The mucopolysaccharidoses: A clinical review and guide to management (1995) Arch Dis Child, 72, pp. 263-267Froissart, R., Moreira da Silva, I., Guffon, N., Bozon, D., Maire, I., Mucopolysaccharidosis type II - genotype/phenotype aspects (2002) Acta Paediatr, 91 (SUPPL. 439), pp. 82-87Parkinson, E.J., Muller, V., Hopwood, J.J., Brooks, D.A., Iduronate-2-sulphatase protein detection in plasma from mucopolysaccharidosis type II patients (2004) Mol Genet Metab, 81, pp. 58-64Gallegos-Arreola, M.P., Machorro-Lazo, M.V., Flores-Martínez, S.E., Zúniga-González, G.M., Figuera, L.E., González-Noriega, A., Urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion in healthy subjects and in patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (2000) Arch Med Res, 31, pp. 505-51

A simulation of the temperature distribution in the SPIRAL target

We developed a model and a computer program to calculate the temperature distribution in the target which will be used in the SPIRAL project a GANIL. The results of the numerical simulation are compared with measurements performed with several types of targets