Growth and yield of 3 hybrid papayas (Carica papaya L.) under mulched and bare ground conditions

At Yarwun (151.3˚E, 23.75˚S), Australia, papaya Hybrid 29 yielded twice as much fruit as Hybrid 11 and 30% more than Hybrid 13. The plots mulched with coarse grass hay yielded 50% more fruit than the plots with bare ground. The highest yielding treatment, Hybrid 29 + mulch, averaged the equivalent of 81 t/ha.year over the 16.5-month harvest period. The yields were achieved in spite of inadequate water supply due to drought and the loss of 877 plants from 1441 plant positions (4 plants per position) due to the 3 phytoplasma diseases; dieback, yellow crinkle and mosaic. Hybrid 29 produced higher yields than the other hybrids by flowering early on shorter plants with thicker stems and setting more fruit that commenced lower down on the stem. Hybrid 13 was intermediate in size and the amount of fruit setting between Hybrid 29 and Hybrid 11 but was the slowest to flower and set fruit. Hybrid 11 had the thinnest and tallest stems, flowered at an intermediate time between the other 2 hybrids and produced fewer flowers and fruit resulting in the lowest yield. Mulching increased stem height and thickness, promoted earlier flowering and increased fruit set, yield and average fruit weigh

Post-ratoon growth and yield of three hybrid papayas (Carica papaya L.) under mulched and bare-ground conditions

At Yarwun (151.3°E, 23.75°S), a trial was conducted to compare 3 papaya hybrids (Hybrid 29, Hybrid 11 and Hybrid 13) under mulching with grass hay or in bare ground. The viability of ratooning a papaya crop was also investigated. After a 16-month cropping season plants were cut to a 750-mm stump (ratooned) about monthly over a 3.5-month period and, following a 4.5-month regrowth period, were harvested for a period of 11 months (post-ratoon). Hybrid 29 yielded (by weight) 54% more than Hybrid 11 and 92% more than Hybrid 13 during the 3.5-month ratooning period. At the commencement of ratooning, Hybrid 29 plants were 41–58 cm shorter than Hybrid 11 and 13 plants, allowing the Hybrid 29 plants to be retained for longer before being ratooned. Hybrid 29 also returned to fruiting more quickly with a greater proportion of plants (97%) with fruit at the first post-ratoon harvest compared with Hybrid 11 (87%). Following regrowth (post-ratoon) the 3 hybrids produced similar yields. All 3 hybrids were equally susceptible to the 3 phytoplasma diseases and to nematodes. The plots mulched with coarse grass hay yielded 70% more during the ratooning period and 116% more post-ratoon than the plots with bare ground. This difference was attributed in part to fewer root-knot nematodes, the roots being more heavily infected with vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza, the use of the complete upper soil profile by the roots, reduced rainfall run off and less soil loss in the mulched treatment. The highest yielding treatment, mulched Hybrid 29, averaged the equivalent of 55 t/ha.year during ratooning, 43 t/ha.year over the 11-month post-ratoon harvest period and 65 t/ha.year over the entire plant–ratoon cycle. These yields were achieved in spite of drought conditions and quite severe outbreaks of the phytoplasma diseases, dieback, yellow crinkle and mosaic, with 60% of plant positions infected with dieback during the post-ratoon period. Theoretical yield estimations using the data from the plant and post-ratoon crops indicated that ratooning may give superior average monthly yields compared with 2 successive plant crops because of the reduced time required for the ratooned crop to return to production. The study demonstrated the benefits of mulching, the superiority of Hybrid 29 and that ratooning may be successfully used in papaya. In environments similar to Yarwun, Hybrid 29, or similar hybrids, with mulching is recommended for commercial production. If land, time or finances are limiting, consideration should be given to ratooning the plant crop based on monthly cut outs over a 3–4-month ratooning period with vacant plant positions replanted during ratooning

Aberrant right subclavian artery syndrome: A case of chronic cough1 1Competition of interest: none.

AbstractA young, otherwise healthy man had chronic cough of 16 months’ duration. Evaluation revealed an aberrant right subclavian artery. Kommerell’s diverticulum without aneurysmal degeneration was present. Imaging studies showed compression of the esophagus but not the trachea. Results of methacholine challenge test were negative for evidence of reactive airway disease, but suggested mild variable intrathoracic obstruction. While aberrant right subclavian artery syndrome most commonly involves dysphagia, our patient’s only symptom was cough. Right subclavian artery to right common carotid artery transposition was performed, with oversewing of the subclavian artery stump to the left of the esophagus through a right supraclavicular incision. This treatment was curative, with complete resolution of symptoms

A general framework for animal density estimation from acoustic detections across a fixed microphone array

Acoustic monitoring can be an efficient, cheap, non‐invasive alternative to physical trapping of individuals. Spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) methods have been proposed to estimate calling animal abundance and density from data collected by a fixed array of microphones. However, these methods make some assumptions that are unlikely to hold in many situations, and the consequences of violating these are yet to be investigated. We generalize existing acoustic SECR methodology, enabling these methods to be used in a much wider variety of situations. We incorporate time‐of‐arrival (TOA) data collected by the microphone array, increasing the precision of calling animal density estimates. We use our method to estimate calling male density of the Cape Peninsula Moss Frog Arthroleptella lightfooti. Our method gives rise to an estimator of calling animal density that has negligible bias, and 95% confidence intervals with appropriate coverage. We show that using TOA information can substantially improve estimate precision. Our analysis of the A. lightfooti data provides the first statistically rigorous estimate of calling male density for an anuran population using a microphone array. This method fills a methodological gap in the monitoring of frog populations and is applicable to acoustic monitoring of other species that call or vocalize

A tale of two cities: The impact of airline mergers and consolidation at London and New York

This paper considers the changes to airline networks, service patterns, and competition that have taken place as a result of recent airline mergers on both sides of the North Atlantic as well as through transatlantic alliances. Capacity, frequency and the competitive position are studied at London and New York with the use of schedule data within different markets in which measures of market concentration are evaluated. International Civil Aviation Organization data is employed to examine load factors on international routes, and UK Civil Aviation Authority data to consider the distribution of traffic between airports in London. It is shown that the effectiveness of the hubs has increased, with enhanced efficiency for surviving airlines, through fewer competitors, an enlarged network and greater control of capacity. Potential concerns are identified however, regarding passenger choice,pricing, and service options that suggest the industry is moving toward an oligopoly. Smaller cities are also seen to be the losers from consolidation with slot divestments favoring increased service in the dense markets, with many regional links being axed altogether. The paper supplements the literature on airline consolidation, with a particular focus on the two biggest markets in the world—London and New York—which demonstrate some similar but also some different issues. Both airline network impacts and choice, and service for local consumers are considered

Numerical simulations of unbounded cyclotron-maser emissions

Numerical simulations have been conducted to study the spatial growth rate and emission topology of the cyclotron-maser instability responsible for stellar/planetary auroral magnetospheric radio emission and intense non-thermal radio emission in other astrophysical contexts. These simulations were carried out in an unconstrained geometry, so that the conditions existing within the source region of some natural electron cyclotron masers could be more closely modelled. The results have significant bearing on the radiation propagation and coupling characteristics within the source region of such non-thermal radio emissions

Statistical Model Checking for Stochastic Hybrid Systems

This paper presents novel extensions and applications of the UPPAAL-SMC model checker. The extensions allow for statistical model checking of stochastic hybrid systems. We show how our race-based stochastic semantics extends to networks of hybrid systems, and indicate the integration technique applied for implementing this semantics in the UPPAAL-SMC simulation engine. We report on two applications of the resulting tool-set coming from systems biology and energy aware buildings.Comment: In Proceedings HSB 2012, arXiv:1208.315

Fluctuating selection models and Mcdonald-Kreitman type analyses

It is likely that the strength of selection acting upon a mutation varies through time due to changes in the environment. However, most population genetic theory assumes that the strength of selection remains constant. Here we investigate the consequences of fluctuating selection pressures on the quantification of adaptive evolution using McDonald-Kreitman (MK) style approaches. In agreement with previous work, we show that fluctuating selection can generate evidence of adaptive evolution even when the expected strength of selection on a mutation is zero. However, we also find that the mutations, which contribute to both polymorphism and divergence tend, on average, to be positively selected during their lifetime, under fluctuating selection models. This is because mutations that fluctuate, by chance, to positive selected values, tend to reach higher frequencies in the population than those that fluctuate towards negative values. Hence the evidence of positive adaptive evolution detected under a fluctuating selection model by MK type approaches is genuine since fixed mutations tend to be advantageous on average during their lifetime. Never-the-less we show that methods tend to underestimate the rate of adaptive evolution when selection fluctuates

Delayed evaluation of combat-related penetrating neck trauma

ObjectiveThe approach to penetrating trauma of the head and neck has undergone significant evolution and offers unique challenges during wartime. Military munitions produce complex injury patterns that challenge conventional diagnosis and management. Mass casualties may not allow for routine exploration of all stable cervical blast injuries. The objective of this study was to review the delayed evaluation of combat-related penetrating neck trauma in patients after evacuation to the United States.MethodFrom February 2003 through April 2005, a series of patients with military-associated penetrating cervical trauma were evacuated to a single institution, prospectively entered into a database, and retrospectively reviewed.ResultsSuspected vascular injury from penetrating neck trauma occurred in 63 patients. Injuries were to zone II in 33%, zone III in 33%, and zone I in 11%. The remaining injuries involved multiple zones, including the lower face or posterior neck. Explosive devices wounded 50 patients (79%), 13 (21%) had high-velocity gunshot wounds, and 19 (30%) had associated intracranial or cervical spine injury. Of the 39 patients (62%) who underwent emergent neck exploration in Iraq or Afghanistan, 21 had 24 injuries requiring ligation (18), vein interposition or primary repair (4), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft interposition (1), or patch angioplasty (1). Injuries occurred to the carotid, vertebral, or innominate arteries, or the jugular vein. After evacuation to the United States, all patients underwent radiologic evaluation of the head and neck vasculature. Computed tomography angiography was performed in 45 patients (71%), including six zone II injuries without prior exploration. Forty (63%) underwent diagnostic arteriography that detected pseudoaneurysms (5) or occlusions (8) of the carotid and vertebral arteries. No occult venous injuries were noted. Delayed evaluation resulted in the detection of 12 additional occult injuries and one graft thrombosis in 11 patients. Management included observation (5), vein or PTFE graft repair (3), coil embolization (2), or ligation (1).ConclusionsPenetrating multiple fragment injury to the head and neck is common during wartime. Computed tomography angiography is useful in the delayed evaluation of stable patients, but retained fragments produce suboptimal imaging in the zone of injury. Arteriography remains the imaging study of choice to evaluate for cervical vascular trauma, and its use should be liberalized for combat injuries. Stable injuries may not require immediate neck exploration; however, the high prevalence of occult injuries discovered in this review underscores the need for a complete re-evaluation upon return to the United States