Real-time irrigation scheduling of maize using Degrees Above Non-Stressed (DANS) index in semi-arid environment

Irrigation scheduling methods have been used to determine the timing and amount of water applied to crops. Scheduling techniques can include measurement of soil water content, quantification of crop water use, and monitoring of crop physiological response to water stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of a simplified crop canopy temperature measurement (CTM) method as Irrigation Principles. Soil and Water Conservation Engineera technique to schedule irrigation for maize. Specifically, the Degrees Above Non-Stressed (DANS) index, which suggests water stress when canopy temperature exceeds the non-stressed canopy temperature (Tcns), was determined by estimating Tcns from a weather based multilinear regression model. The modeled Tcns had a strong correlation with observed Tcns with a pooled R2 values of 0.94 across the 2018, 2019, and 2020 growing seasons. This DANS index was also highly correlated with the conventionally used Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) with R2 values of 0.67, 0.59, and 0.76 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. Furthermore, DANS had a strong linear relationship with soil water depletion above 60% in the 0.60 m soil profile with an R2 of 0.78. The CTM method was also compared to more commonly used scheduling methods namely: soil moisture monitoring (SMM) and crop evapotranspiration modeling (ETM). Grain yield was significantly lower for the CTM method than for the ETM method in 2018 and 2020 but not in 2019. No significant differences were observed in Irrigation Water Productivity (IWP) in 2018; however, all treatments were significantly different with the CTM method having the greatest IWP in 2020. For attempting to trigger full irrigation with the CTM method, a fixed DANS threshold of 0.5 ◦C was found to be more appropriate than the literature value of 1.0 ◦C, but consideration of crop growth stage would further improve scheduling

The Stride program: Feasibility and pre-to-post program change of an exercise service for university students experiencing mental distress

Rates of mental illness are disproportionately high for young adult and higher education (e.g., university student) populations. As such, universities and tertiary institutions often devote significant efforts to services and programs that support and treat mental illness and/or mental distress. However, within that portfolio of treatment approaches, structured exercise has been relatively underutilised and greater research attention is needed to develop this evidence base. The Stride program is a structured 12-week exercise service for students experiencing mental distress. We aimed to explore the feasibility of the program and assess pre- and post-program change, through assessments of student health, lifestyle, and wellbeing outcomes. Drawing from feasibility and effectiveness-implementation hybrid design literatures, we conducted a non-randomised feasibility trial of the Stride program. Participants were recruited from the Stride program (N = 114, Mage = 24.21 years). Feasibility results indicated the program was perceived as acceptable and that participants reported positive perceptions of program components, personnel, and sessions. Participants’ pre-to-post program change in depressive symptomatology, physical activity levels, mental health-related quality of life, and various behavioural outcomes were found to be desirable. Our results provide support for the feasibility of the Stride program, and more broadly for the delivery and potential effectiveness of structured exercise programs to support university students experiencing mental distress

Coronavirus Occurrence and Transmission Over 8 Years in the HIVE Cohort of Households in Michigan

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156082/1/jiaa161.pdfSEL

Differential association of the Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor (NHERF) family of adaptor proteins with the raft- and the non-raft brush border membrane fractions of NHE3

Background/Aims: Trafficking, brush border membrane (BBM) retention, and signal-specific regulation of the Na+/H+ exchanger NHE3 is regulated by the Na+/H+ Exchanger Regulatory Factor (NHERF) family of PDZ-adaptor proteins, which enable the formation of multiprotein complexes. It is unclear, however, what determines signal specificity of these NHERFs. Thus, we studied the association of NHE3, NHERF1 (EBP50), NHERF2 (E3KARP), and NHERF3 (PDZK1) with lipid rafts in murine small intestinal BBM. Methods: Detergent resistant membranes ('lipid rafts') were isolated by floatation of Triton X-incubated small intestinal BBM from a variety of knockout mouse strains in an Optiprep step gradient. Acid-activated NHE3 activity was measured fluorometrically in BCECF-loaded microdissected villi, or by assessment of CO2/HCO3 - mediated increase in fluid absorption in perfused jejunal loops of anethetized mice. Results: NHE3 was found to partially associate with lipid rafts in the native BBM, and NHE3 raft association had an impact on NHE3 transport activity and regulation in vivo. NHERF1, 2 and 3 were differentially distributed to rafts and non-rafts, with NHERF2 being most raft-associated and NHERF3 entirely non-raft associated. NHERF2 expression enhanced the localization of NHE3 to membrane rafts. The use of acid sphingomyelinase-deficient mice, which have altered membrane lipid as well as lipid raft composition, allowed us to test the validity of the lipid raft concept in vivo. Conclusions: The differential association of the NHERFs with the raft-associated and the non-raft fraction of NHE3 in the brush border membrane is one component of the differential and signal-specific NHE3 regulation by the different NHERFs

Phase II randomised discontinuation trial of brivanib in patients with advanced solid tumours

Background: Brivanib is a selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signalling. We performed a phase II randomised discontinuation trial of brivanib in 7 tumour types (soft-tissue sarcomas [STS], ovarian cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer [NSCLC], gastric/esophageal cancer and transitional cell carcinoma [TCC]). Patients and methods: During a 12-week open-label lead-in period, patients received brivanib 800 mg daily and were evaluated for FGF2 status by immunohistochemistry. Patients with stable disease at week 12 were randomised to brivanib or placebo. A study steering committee evaluated week 12 response to determine if enrolment in a tumour type would continue. The primary objective was progression-free survival (PFS) for brivanib versus placebo in patients with FGF2-positive tumours. Results: A total of 595 patients were treated, and stable disease was observed at the week 12 randomisation point in all tumour types. Closure decisions were made for breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, NSCLC, gastric cancer and TCC. Criteria for expansion were met for STS and ovarian cancer. In 53 randomised patients with STS and FGF2-positive tumours, the median PFS was 2.8 months for brivanib and 1.4 months for placebo (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.58, p Z 0.08). For all randomised patients with sarcomas, the median PFS was 2.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4e4.0) for those treated with brivanib compared with 1.4 months (95% CI: 1.3e1.6) for placebo (HR Z 0.64, 95% CI: 0.38e1.07; p Z 0.09). In the 36 randomised patients with ovarian cancer and FGF2-positive tumours, the median PFS was 4.0 (95% CI: 2.6e4.2) months for brivanib and 2.0 months (95% CI: 1.2e2.7) for placebo (HR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.26e1.22). For all randomised patients with ovarian cancer, the median PFS in those randomised to brivanib was 4.0 months (95% CI: 2.6e4.2) and was 2.0 months (95% CI: 1.2e2.7) in those randomised to placebo (HR Z 0.54, 95% CI: 0.25e1.17; p Z 0.11). Conclusion: Brivanib demonstrated activity in STS and ovarian cancer with an acceptable safety profile. FGF2 expression, as defined in the protocol, is not a predictive biomarker of the efficacy of brivanib

Benthic foraminifera living in Gulf of Mexico bathyal and abyssal sediments : community analysis and comparison to metazoan meiofaunal biomass and density

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2008. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography 55 (2008): 2617-2626, doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.07.011.Benthic foraminiferal biomass, density, and species composition were determined at ten sites in the Gulf of Mexico. During June 2001 and June 2002, sediment samples were collected with a GoMex boxcorer. A 7.5-cm diameter subcore was taken from a box core collected at each site and sliced into 1-cm or 2-cm sections to a depth of 2 or 3 cm; the >63-mm fraction was examined shipboard for benthic foraminifera. Individual foraminifers were extracted for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) using a luciferin-luciferase assay, which indicated the total ATP content per specimen; that data was converted to organic carbon. Foraminiferal biomass and density varied substantially (~2-53 mg C m-2; ~3,600-44,500 individuals m-2, respectively) and inconsistently with water depth. For example, although two ~1000-m deep sites were geographically separated by only ~75 km, the foraminiferal biomass at one site was relatively low (~9 mg C m-2) while the other site had the highest foraminiferal biomass (~53 mg C m-2). Although most samples from Sigsbee Plain (>3000 m) had low biomass, one Sigsbee site had >20 mg foraminiferal C m-2. The foraminiferal community from all sites (i.e., bathyal and abyssal locales) was dominated by agglutinated, rather than calcareous or tectinous, species. Foraminiferal density never exceeded that of metazoan meiofauna at any site. Foraminiferal biomass, however, exceeded metazoan meiofaunal biomass at five of the ten sites, indicating that foraminifera constitute a major component of the Gulf’s deep-water meiofaunal biomass.Funded by Minerals Management Service contract 1435-01-99-CT-30991 to G.T. Rowe (Texas A&M University)

Habits of Mind: Designing Courses for Student Success

Although content knowledge remains at the heart of college teaching and learning, forward-thinking instructors recognize that we must also provide 21st-century college students with transferable skills (sometimes called portable intellectual abilities) to prepare them for their futures (Vazquez, 2020; Ritchhart, 2015; Venezia & Jaeger, 2013; Hazard, 2012). To “grow their capacity as efficacious thinkers to navigate and thrive in the face of unprecedented change” (Costa et al., 2023), students must learn and improve important study skills and academic dispositions throughout their educational careers. If we do not focus on skills-building in college courses, students will not be prepared for the challenges that await them after they leave institutions of higher education. If students are not prepared for these postsecondary education challenges, then it is fair to say that college faculty have failed them

Vascular disrupting agents in clinical development

Growth of human tumours depends on the supply of oxygen and nutrients via the surrounding vasculature. Therefore tumour vasculature is an attractive target for anticancer therapy. Apart from angiogenesis inhibitors that compromise the formation of new blood vessels, a second class of specific anticancer drugs has been developed. These so-called vascular disrupting agents (VDAs) target the established tumour vasculature and cause an acute and pronounced shutdown of blood vessels resulting in an almost complete stop of blood flow, ultimately leading to selective tumour necrosis. As a number of VDAs are now being tested in clinical studies, we will discuss their mechanism of action and the results obtained in preclinical studies. Also data from clinical studies will be reviewed and some considerations with regard to the future development are given

Internet of Things in Agricultural Innovation and Security

The agricultural Internet of Things (Ag-IoT) paradigm has tremendous potential in transparent integration of underground soil sensing, farm machinery, and sensor-guided irrigation systems with the complex social network of growers, agronomists, crop consultants, and advisors. The aim of the IoT in agricultural innovation and security chapter is to present agricultural IoT research and paradigm to promote sustainable production of safe, healthy, and profitable crop and animal agricultural products. This chapter covers the IoT platform to test optimized management strategies, engage farmer and industry groups, and investigate new and traditional technology drivers that will enhance resilience of the farmers to the socio-environmental changes. A review of state-of-the-art communication architectures and underlying sensing technologies and communication mechanisms is presented with coverage of recent advances in the theory and applications of wireless underground communications. Major challenges in Ag-IoT design and implementation are also discussed