El cultivar y época de siembra afectan el desempeño de la lechuga en un sistema tropical de producción orgánica

Lettuce is a cool season crop typically grown at high altitudes or during the winter months in tropical climates, but is an important vegetable with potential for increased local production in Puerto Rico. To evaluate year round production potential, eleven lettuce cultivars were grown organically in Lajas under eight environments: winter, spring, summer and fall seasons in 2011 and 2012. All cultivars flowered later in the winter than in other seasons. There was a trend for flowering to be earliest in summer, but in many cultivars bolting occurred equally early in spring or fall. For most cultivars the greatest head weight and harvest yield was observed in the winter or spring season. Fall plantings generally resulted in plants with the smallest heads and lowest yields while summer plantings were intermediate in head weight and yield. ‘Queensland’ was the highest yielder in every season, yielding more than twice the average of all the genotypes in the summer and fall seasons, making it a valuable cultivar for year round production in the tropics. ‘Bergam’s Green’, ‘Jericho’ and ‘Parris Island’ also performed fairly well throughout the year. ‘Black Seeded Simpson’, a locally popular cultivar, performed poorly.  La lechuga es un cultivo de época fresca que típicamente se cultiva en altitud elevada o durante los meses de invierno en climas tropicales, pero es una hortaliza con gran potencial de desarrollo en la producción local en Puerto Rico. Para evaluar el potencial de producción a través del año, se sembraron once cultivares bajo manejo orgánico en Lajas bajo ocho ambientes: las épocas de invierno, primavera, verano y otoño en 2011 y 2012. Todos los cultivares florecieron más tarde en el invierno que en otras épocas. Hubo una tendencia para una florecida más temprana en el verano, pero muchos cultivares florecieron igualmente temprano en primavera u otoño. El mayor peso de cabeza y rendimiento se observó en el invierno o primavera para la mayoría de los cultivares. Las siembras de otoño típicamente resultaron en plantas con las cabezas más pequeñas y los rendimientos más bajos, mientras las siembras de verano fueron intermedias para peso de cabeza y rendimiento. ‘Queensland’ fue el cultivar de mayor rendimiento en todas las épocas, y su rendimiento fue más de dos veces el promedio de todos los genotipos en las épocas de verano y otoño, por lo tanto, es un cultivar valioso para producción todo el año en el trópico. ‘Bergam’s Green’, ‘Jericho’ y ‘Parris Island’ también tuvieron buen rendimiento a través del año. ‘Black Seeded Simpson’, un cultivar comúnmente sembrado en Puerto Rico, tuvo un pobre desempeño. &nbsp

Rendimiento de ocho cultivares de habichuela tierna cultivados bajo un sistema de manejo orgánico en el trópico

Eight snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars and lines were grown under an organic management system in 2011 and 2012 in Lajas, Puerto Rico. Bean genotypes used in the trial were the commercial cultivars 'Contender', 'Festina', 'Fresh Pick', 'Jade', 'Nash' and 'Provider', and two experimental breeding lines PR1018-1 and PR1018-5. In 2011, 'Provider' and PR1018-5had the highest yields, with 11.2 and 11.1 t/ha, respectively, but these were not significantly different from the yields of 'Contender', 'Festina', PR1018-1 or 'Nash'. 'Jade' had the lowest yield, with 6.5 t/ha. In 2012, the highest yielding cultivar was 'Festina', with 14.6 t/ha, which was not significantly different from 'Nash' (13.8 t/ha), PR1018-5 (12.6 t/ha) or 'Jade' (12.5 t/ha). 'Contender' (9 t/ha), 'Provider' (8.4 t/ha) and 'Fresh Pick' (8.4 t/ha) had the lowest yields. This study has shown that snap beans can be successfully grown in Puerto Rico under an organic management system, with yields similar or superior to conventionally produced snap beans.Se llevo a cabo un ensayo con ocho cultivares y líneas de habichuela tierna (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) bajo un sistema de manejo orgánico en 2011 y 2012 en Lajas, Puerto Rico. Los genotipos que se usaron en el ensayo  fueron los cultivares comerciales 'Contender', 'Festina', 'Fresh Pick', 'Jade', 'Nash' y 'Provider', y dos líneas experimentales PR1018-1 y PR1018-5. En el 2011, 'Provider' y PR1018-5 tuvieron los rendimientos más altos, con 11.2 y 11.1 t/ha, respectivamente, pero no fueron significativamente diferentes a los rendimientos de 'Contender', 'Festina', PR1018-1 o 'Nash'. 'Jade' tuvo el rendimiento más bajo, con 6.5 t/ha. En el 2012, el cultivar de mayor rendimiento fue 'Festina', con 14.6 t/ha, lo que no fue significativamente diferente a los rendimientos de 'Nash' (13.8 t/ha), PR1018-5 (12.6 t/ha) o 'Jade' (12.5 t/ha). 'Contender' (9 t/ha), 'Provider' (8.4 t/ha) y 'Fresh Pick' (8.4 t/ha) tuvieron los rendimientos mas bajos. Este estudio ha demostrado que las habichuelas tiernas se pueden cultivar exitosamente bajo un sistema de manejo orgánico en Puerto Rico, obteniendo rendimientos similares o superiores a los de habichuela tierna producida de manera convencional

Rendimiento y calidad de fruta de cultivares de tomate de polinización abierta e híbridos cultivados bajo manejo orgánico en Puerto Rico.

Variety trials were conducted in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate the yield and quality performance of 11 open pollinated and three hybrid tomato (Solarium lycopersicum L.) cultivars grown organically in Lajas, Puerto Rico. In both years, significant differences in marketable fruit yield were observed. Yields in 2010 ranged from 72.1 Mg/ha for 'Roma' to 8.6 Mg/ha for 'Marion'. 'Roma' and 'Neptune' (65.6 Mg/ha) were among the highest yielding cultivars. In 2011, significant yield differences were also observed. Marketable fruit yield ranged from 54.7 Mg/ha for 'Early Girl' to 23.5 Mg/ha for 'Super Sioux'. 'Early Girl', 'Flora Dade' (53.8 Mg/ha), 'BHN 444' (50.8 Mg/ha), 'Roma' (48.6 Mg/ha), 'Eva Purple Ball' (48.4 Mg/ha), 'Traveler 76' (46.4 Mg/ha) and 'Celebrity' (45.9 Mg/ha) were among the highest yielders. 'Early Girl' was consistently among the top cultivars in both seasons for taste, yield, and fruit appearance. Open pollinated cultivars performed with more variability between the two seasons than the hybrids. The open pollinated cultivars which ranked highest during the two-year study for taste, yield, and overall appearance were 'Roma', 'Homestead 24', 'Ozark Pink', and 'Traveler 76'. This study indicates that tomato can be grown successfully under an organic management system in Puerto Rico using either open pollinated cultivars or hybrids.Se llevaron a cabo pruebas de variedades con manejo orgánico en Lajas, Puerto Rico, en el 2010 y 2011 para evaluar el rendimiento y la calidad de 11 cultivares de polinización abierta y tres híbridos de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum L.). En ambos años se observaron diferencias significativas para el rendimiento de frutas mercadeables. El rango de rendimiento en el 2010 fue de 72.1 Mg/ha para 'Roma' a 8.6 Mg/ha para 'Marlon'. 'Roma' y 'Neptune' (65.6 Mg/ha) estuvieron entre los cultivares con mayores rendimientos. En el 2011, el rango en rendimiento fue de 54.7 Mg/ha para 'Early Girl' a 23.5 Mg/ha para 'Super Sioux'. 'Early Girl', 'Flora Dade' (53.8 Mg/ha), 'BHN 444' (50.8 Mg/ha), 'Roma' (48.6 Mg/ha), 'Eva Purple Ball' (48.4 Mg/ha), 'Traveler 76' (46.4 Mg/ha) y 'Celebrity' (45.9 Mg/ha) estuvieron entre los cultivares con los rendimientos más altos. 'Early Girl' estuvo consistentemente entre los mejores cultivares en los dos años para sabor, rendimiento y apariencia. Los cultivares de polinización abierta presentaron mayor variabilidad entre años que los híbridos. Los mejores cultivares de polinización abierta para sabor, rendimiento y apariencia en los dos años fueron 'Roma', 'Homestead 24', 'Ozark Pink' y 'Traveler 76'. Este estudio Indica que se puede cultivar el tomate exitosamente bajo un sistema de manejo orgánico en Puerto Rico usando cultivares de polinización abierta o híbridos

A motor association area in the depths of the central sulcus

Cells in the precentral gyrus directly send signals to the periphery to generate movement and are principally organized as a topological map of the body. We find that movement-induced electrophysiological responses from depth electrodes extend this map three-dimensionally throughout the gyrus. Unexpectedly, this organization is interrupted by a previously undescribed motor association area in the depths of the midlateral aspect of the central sulcus. This \u27Rolandic motor association\u27 (RMA) area is active during movements of different body parts from both sides of the body and may be important for coordinating complex behaviors

Toward a fully implantable ecosystem for adaptive neuromodulation in humans: Preliminary experience with the CorTec BrainInterchange device in a canine model

This article describes initial work toward an ecosystem for adaptive neuromodulation in humans by documenting the experience of implanting CorTec\u27s BrainInterchange (BIC) device in a beagle canine and using the BCI2000 environment to interact with the BIC device. It begins with laying out the substantial opportunity presented by a useful, easy-to-use, and widely available hardware/software ecosystem in the current landscape of the field of adaptive neuromodulation, and then describes experience with implantation, software integration, and post-surgical validation of recording of brain signals and implant parameters. Initial experience suggests that the hardware capabilities of the BIC device are fully supported by BCI2000, and that the BIC/BCI2000 device can record and process brain signals during free behavior. With further development and validation, the BIC/BCI2000 ecosystem could become an important tool for research into new adaptive neuromodulation protocols in humans

Urinary EpCAM in urothelial bladder cancer patients: characterisation and evaluation of biomarker potential

Background: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule is overexpressed in bladder tumours and released from bladder cancer cells in vitro. We test the hypotheses that urinary EpCAM could act as a biomarker for primary bladder cancer detection and risk stratification. Methods: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule was measured by ELISA in urine from 607 patients with primary bladder tumours and in urine from 53 non-cancer controls. Mann–Whitney tests and ROC analyses were used to determine statistical significance and discrimination between non-cancer controls and different stages and grades of disease. Multivariable modelling and Kaplan–Meier analyses were used to determine prognostic significance. The structure of urinary EpCAM was investigated by western blotting and mass spectrometry. Results: Urinary EpCAM levels increase with stage and grade of bladder cancer. Alongside grade and stage, elevated urinary EpCAM is an independent indicator of poor prognosis with a hazard ratio of 1.76 for bladder cancer-specific mortality. The soluble form of EpCAM in urine is the extracellular domain generated by cleavage between ala243 and gly244. Further studies are required to define the influence of other urinary tract malignancies and benign urological conditions on urinary EpCAM. Conclusion: The extracellular domain of EpCAM is shed into urine by bladder tumours. Urinary EpCAM is a strong indicator of bladder cancer-specific survival, and may be useful within a multi-marker panel for disease detection or as a stand-alone marker to prioritise the investigation and treatment of patients. The mechanisms and effects of EpCAM cleavage in bladder cancer are worthy of further investigation, and may identify novel therapeutic targets

Invasion Genetics of the Western Flower Thrips in China: Evidence for Genetic Bottleneck, Hybridization and Bridgehead Effect

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is an invasive species and the most economically important pest within the insect order Thysanoptera. F. occidentalis, which is endemic to North America, was initially detected in Kunming in southwestern China in 2000 and since then it has rapidly invaded several other localities in China where it has greatly damaged greenhouse vegetables and ornamental crops. Controlling this invasive pest in China requires an understanding of its genetic makeup and migration patterns. Using the mitochondrial COI gene and 10 microsatellites, eight of which were newly isolated and are highly polymorphic, we investigated the genetic structure and the routes of range expansion of 14 F. occidentalis populations in China. Both the mitochondrial and microsatellite data revealed that the genetic diversity of F. occidentalis of the Chinese populations is lower than that in its native range. Two previously reported cryptic species (or ecotypes) were found in the study. The divergence in the mitochondrial COI of two Chinese cryptic species (or ecotypes) was about 3.3% but they cannot be distinguished by nuclear markers. Hybridization might produce such substantial mitochondrial-nuclear discordance. Furthermore, we found low genetic differentiation (global FST = 0.043, P<0.001) among all the populations and strong evidence for gene flow, especially from the three southwestern populations (Baoshan, Dali and Kunming) to the other Chinese populations. The directional gene flow was further supported by the higher genetic diversity of these three southwestern populations. Thus, quarantine and management of F. occidentalis should focus on preventing it from spreading from the putative source populations to other parts of China

Alkaline residues and the environment: A review of impacts, management practices and opportunities

Around two billion tonnes of alkaline residues are produced globally each year by industries such as steel production, alumina refining and coal-fired power generation, with a total production estimate of 90 billion tonnes since industrialization. These wastes are frequently stored in waste piles or landfills, and can be an environmental hazard if allowed to generate dust, or if rainwater infiltrates the waste. This review will focus on the environmental impacts associated with alkaline residues, with emphasis on the leachates produced by rainwater ingress. Many alkaline industrial wastes can produce leachates that are enriched with trace metals that form oxyanions (e.g. As, Cr, Mo, Se, V), which can be very mobile in alkaline water. The management options for the residues and their leachates are also discussed, distinguishing active and passive treatment options. Potential reuses of these materials, in construction materials, as agricultural amendments, and in environmental applications are identified. The mechanisms of carbon sequestration by alkaline residues are assessed, and the potential for enhancing its rate as a climate change off-setting measure for the industry is evaluated. The potential for recovery of metals critical to e-technologies, such as vanadium, cobalt, lithium and rare earths, from alkaline residues is considered. Finally research needs are identified, including the need to better understand the biogeochemistry of highly alkaline systems in order to develop predictable passive remediation and metal recovery technologies

Genetic variants for head size share genes and pathways with cancer

The size of the human head is determined by growth in the first years of life, while the rest of the body typically grows until early adulthood1. Such complex developmental processes are regulated by various genes and growth pathways2. Rare genetic syndromes have revealed genes that affect head size3, but the genetic drivers of variation in head size within the general population remain largely unknown. To elucidate biological pathways underlying the growth of the human head, we performed the largest genome-wide association study on human head size to date (N = 79,107). We identified 67 genetic loci, 50 of which are novel, and found that these loci are preferentially associated with head size and mostly independent from height. In subsequent neuroimaging analyses, the majority of genetic variants demonstrated widespread effects on the brain, whereas the effects of 17 variants could be localized to one or two specific brain regions. Through hypothesis-free approaches, we find a strong overlap of head size variants with both cancer pathways and cancer genes. Gene set analyses showed enrichment for different types of cancer and the p53, Wnt and ErbB signalling pathway. Genes overlapping or close to lead variants – such as TP53, PTEN and APC – were enriched for genes involved in macrocephaly syndromes (up to 37-fold) and high-fidelity cancer genes (up to 9-fold), whereas this enrichment was not seen for human height variants. This indicates that genes regulating early brain and cranial growth are associated with a propensity to neoplasia later in life, irrespective of height. Our results warrant further investigations of the link between head size and cancer, as well as its clinical implications in the general population