Assessment of Precise Land Levelling on Surface Irrigation Development. Impacts on MaizeWater Productivity and Economics

The new technologies of surface irrigation require the adoption of effective Laser-controlled precision land levelling (PLL) to reach the high irrigation performance standards, with significant benefits on water saving, salinity control, crop productivity, and farmer’s income. This study aimed to assess the performance and the impacts of PLL on surface irrigation systems, focusing the maize crop on the irrigation districts Hetao (China) and Lower-Mondego (Portugal). The experimental study at field scale assessed the PLL and evaluated the on-farm irrigation under precise levelled fields and well management practices. PLL operators have been inquired to improve the knowledge about hiring services. The design of surface irrigation scenarios allowed to explain the effects of field size and slope on irrigation and land levelling performance. The best practice to manage the PLL maintenance is an important issue to guarantee a high effectiveness of irrigation performance. The optimization of PLL appeals the application of best soil tillage practices and the monitoring of soil surface elevations with newest information technologies. Efficient operational guidelines to support the PLL planning, schedule, and operation, well trained operators and carefully adjusted equipment, are key factors to the improvementinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Searching for natural conductive fibrous structures via a green sustainable approach based on jute fibers and silver nanoparticles

This paper provides new insights regarding jute fibers functionalization with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) with improved conductivity values and highlights the sustainability of the processes involved. These NPs were applied onto jute fabrics by two different sustainable methods: ultraviolet (UV) photoreduction and by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reducing agent and stabilizer. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) images demonstrated that the Ag NPs were incorporated on the jute fibers surface by the two different approaches, with sizes ranging from 70 to 100 nm. Diffuse reflectance spectra revealed the plasmon absorption band, corresponding to the formation of metallic Ag NPs, in all samples under study. Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used to characterize the obtained samples, demonstrating NPs adsorption to the surface of the fibers. The resistivity value obtained by the two-point probe method of the jute fabric without functionalization is about 1.5 × 107 Ω·m, whereas, after NPs functionalization, it decreased almost 15,000 times, reaching a value of 1.0 × 103 Ω·m. Further research work is being undertaken for improving these values, however, 1000 Ω·m of resistivity (conductivity = 0.001 S/m) is already a very reasonable value when compared with those obtained with other developed systems based on natural fibers. In summary, this work shows that the use of very simple methodologies enabled the functionalization of jute fibers with reasonable values of conductivity. This achievement has a huge potential for use in smart textile composites.The authors are thankful to TSSiPRO project, operation code NORTE 01-0145-FEDER-000015, supportedbythe“ProgramaOperacionalRegionaldoNorte”numberNORTE-45-2015-02andtheFCT(Portuguese Science Foundation) for Armando Ferreira grant: SFRH/BPD/102402/2014. Pedro Souto and Vitor Gomes are acknowledged for performing the jute fabric corona treatment.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rethinking the ‘Social’ in ‘Social Media’: Insights into Topology, Abstraction, and Scale on the Mastodon Social Network

Online interactions are often understood through the corporate social media (CSM) model where social interactions are determined through layers of abstraction and centralization that eliminate users from decision-making processes. This study demonstrates how alternative social media (ASM)—namely Mastodon—restructure the relationship between the technical structure of social media and the social interactions that follow, offering a particular type of sociality distinct from CSM. Drawing from a variety of qualitative data, this analysis finds that 1) the decentralized structure of Mastodon enables community autonomy, 2) Mastodon’s open-source protocol allows the internal and technical development of the site to become a social enterprise in and of itself, and 3) Mastodon’s horizontal structure shifts the site’s scaling focus from sheer number of users to quality engagement and niche communities. To this end, Mastodon helps us rethink ‘the social’ in social media in terms of topology, abstraction, and scale

β[beta]-Catenin and FGFR2 regulate postnatal rosette-based adrenocortical morphogenesis

Rosettes are widely used in epithelial morphogenesis during embryonic development and organogenesis. However, their role in postnatal development and adult tissue maintenance remains largely unknown. Here, we show zona glomerulosa cells in the adult adrenal cortex organize into rosettes through adherens junction-mediated constriction, and that rosette formation underlies the maturation of adrenal glomerular structure postnatally. Using genetic mouse models, we show loss of beta-catenin results in disrupted adherens junctions, reduced rosette number, and dysmorphic glomeruli, whereas beta-catenin stabilization leads to increased adherens junction abundance, more rosettes, and glomerular expansion. Furthermore, we uncover numerous known regulators of epithelial morphogenesis enriched in beta-catenin-stabilized adrenals. Among these genes, we show Fgfr2 is required for adrenal rosette formation by regulating adherens junction abundance and aggregation. Together, our data provide an example of rosette-mediated postnatal tissue morphogenesis and a framework for studying the role of rosettes in adult zona glomerulosa tissue maintenance and function

Tumor innate immunity primed by specific interferon-stimulated endogenous retroviruses.

Mesenchymal tumor subpopulations secrete pro-tumorigenic cytokines and promote treatment resistance1-4. This phenomenon has been implicated in chemorefractory small cell lung cancer and resistance to targeted therapies5-8, but remains incompletely defined. Here, we identify a subclass of endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) that engages innate immune signaling in these cells. Stimulated 3 prime antisense retroviral coding sequences (SPARCS) are oriented inversely in 3' untranslated regions of specific genes enriched for regulation by STAT1 and EZH2. Derepression of these loci results in double-stranded RNA generation following IFN-γ exposure due to bi-directional transcription from the STAT1-activated gene promoter and the 5' long terminal repeat of the antisense ERV. Engagement of MAVS and STING activates downstream TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1 signaling, sustaining a positive feedback loop. SPARCS induction in human tumors is tightly associated with major histocompatibility complex class 1 expression, mesenchymal markers, and downregulation of chromatin modifying enzymes, including EZH2. Analysis of cell lines with high inducible SPARCS expression reveals strong association with an AXL/MET-positive mesenchymal cell state. While SPARCS-high tumors are immune infiltrated, they also exhibit multiple features of an immune-suppressed microenviroment. Together, these data unveil a subclass of ERVs whose derepression triggers pathologic innate immune signaling in cancer, with important implications for cancer immunotherapy

Sulfur-rich polymers with heating/UV light-responsive shape memory and temperature-modulated self-healing

Synthesis of an inverse vulcanised polymer with bended mono- and di-olefins, adjusting the ratio of which allows control of the shape memory response and self-healing temperatures.</jats:p

Isolasi Dan Identifikasi Bakteri Aerob Yang Berpotensi Menjadi Sumber Penularan Infeksi Nosokomial Di Irina a Rsup Prof. Dr. R. D. Kandou Manado

: Nosocomial infection or Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) is an infection caused by bacteria, parasite, or virus in the hospital, infection occur at least 72 hours since hospitalized. This infection occurs due to lack of hygiene of the environment causing microorganism infection from environment to human, infection can also occur due to transmission of microorganism from one patient to other patients. Inpatients potentially have very high risk of nosocomial infection occur due to continuous requiring treatment for more than 24 hours. Purpose: To determine the existence of aerobic bacteria that could potentially be the source of transmission of nosocomial infection in Irina A RSUP Prof. Dr. R. D. Kandou Manado. Method: This research was descriptive with cross sectional approach. Fourteen samples were taken from the surface of medical equipment, bed, floor, and wall of the treatment room and eight samples were taken from the air. Identification of bacteria was performed by culture on agar medium, staining gram, and biochemical test. Result: Bacillus subtilis found in nine samples (41%), Serratia liquefaciens found in five samples (22,7%), Lactobacillus found in two samples (9,1%), Staphylococcus found in two samples (9,1%), Coccus Gram negative found in two samples (9,1%), Enterobacter aerogenes found in one sample (4,5%), and Enterobacter agglomerans found in one sample (4,5%). Conclusion: Bacillus subtilis is the most bacteria which had been found in this research

A Genome Wide Meta-Analysis Study for Identification of Common Variation Associated with Breast Cancer Prognosis

Non peer reviewe

Current Opinions on Optimal Management of Basilar Artery Occlusion: After the BEST of BASICS Survey

Background The best management of basilar artery occlusion (BAO) remains uncertain. The BASICS (Basilar Artery International Cooperation Study) and the BEST (Basilar Artery Occlusion Endovascular Intervention Versus Standard Medical Treatment) trials reported neutral results. We sought to understand physicians’ approaches to BAOs and whether further BAO randomized controlled trials were warranted. Methods We conducted an online international survey from January to March 2022 to stroke neurologists and neurointerventionalists. Survey questions were designed to examine clinical and imaging parameters under which clinicians would offer (or rescind) a patient with BAO to endovascular therapy (EVT) or best medical management versus enrollment into a randomized clinical trial. Results Of >3002 invited participants, 1245 responded (41.4% response rate) from 73 countries, including 54.7% stroke neurologists and 43.6% neurointerventionalists. More than 95% of respondents would offer EVT to patients with BAO, albeit in various clinical circumstances. There were 70.0% of respondents who indicated that the BASICS and BEST trials did not change their practice. Only 22.1% of respondents would perform EVT according to anterior circulation occlusion criteria. The selection of patients for BAO EVT by clinical severity, timing, and imaging modality differed according to geography, specialty, and country income level. Over 80% of respondents agreed that further randomized clinical trials for BAO were warranted. Moreover, 45.6% of respondents indicated they would find it acceptable to enroll all trial‐eligible patients into the medical arm of a BAO trial, whereas 26.3% would not enroll. Conclusion Most stroke physicians continue to believe in the efficacy of EVT in selected patients with BAO in spite of BEST and BASICS. There is no consensus on which selection criteria to use, and few clinicians would use anterior circulation occlusion criteria for BAOs. Further randomized clinical trials for BAO are warranted