Can new organic cropping systems produce vegetables with lower use of resources and losses of nitrate?

To secure a sustainable production of plant foods for the future, there is a need to develop new cropping systems. These systems should have reduced needs of external resources and reduced environmental impact, while product yields are maintained at high level. Therefore, field trials were performed in Italy, Slovenia, Germany and Denmark with the aim to study new organic cropping systems for production of vegetable crops; and the systems’ effect on labor and energy consumption and the risk of losing nitrate to the water environment. The cropping systems included an in-season living mulch to exploit ecosystem services by attracting beneficial insects, suppressing weeds, and taking up excess nitrogen during production of two high-value crops of leek and cauliflower. The first year results show that high yields and quality were maintained if the living mulches were properly managed e.g. by sowing date or root pruning to control plant competition. The systems including living mulches changed the costs from +22 to -2% and total energy consumption from +14 to -4% compared to sole cropping depending on the change of management techniques in each country. The proportion between human power and fossil fuel consumption was changed. The risk of nitrate leaching was affected to a minor degree depending on the spatial layout of living mulch and crop rows. The study indicates that new cropping systems can be developed based on in-season living mulches for organic production with high yields, weed suppression and reduction of the risk of nitrate leaching. However, the management of the living mulches in terms of machinery, agronomic techniques and timing needs to be developed to optimize outcomes for food security, energy use and environmental impact. The study is part of the INTERVEG project

Size-Dependence of the Wavefunction of Self-Assembled Quantum Dots

The radiative and non-radiative decay rates of InAs quantum dots are measured by controlling the local density of optical states near an interface. From time-resolved measurements we extract the oscillator strength and the quantum efficiency and their dependence on emission energy. From our results and a theoretical model we determine the striking dependence of the overlap of the electron and hole wavefunctions on the quantum dot size. We conclude that the optical quality is best for large quantum dots, which is important in order to optimally tailor quantum dot emitters for, e.g., quantum electrodynamics experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and cardiovascular outcomes according to diabetes status in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction. A report from the Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Trial (I-Preserve)

Background—In patients with HF and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), little is known about the characteristics of and outcomes in those with and without diabetes. Methods—We examined clinical and echocardiographic characteristics and outcomes in the Irbesartan in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction trial (I-Preserve), according to history of diabetes. Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for cardiovascular outcomes adjusted for known predictors, including age, sex, natriuretic peptides, and comorbidity. Echocardiographic data were available in 745 patients and were additionally adjusted for in supplementary analyses. Results—Overall, 1134 of 4128 patients (27%) had diabetes. Compared to those without diabetes, they were more likely to have a history of myocardial infarction (28% vs. 22%), higher BMI (31kg/m2 vs. 29kg/m2), worse Minnesota living with HF score (48 vs. 40), higher median NT-proBNP concentration (403 vs 320 pg/ml; all p<0.01), more signs of congestion but no significant difference in LVEF. Patients with diabetes had a greater left ventricular (LV) mass and left atrial area than patients without diabetes. Doppler E wave velocity (86 vs 76 cm/sec, p<0.0001) and the ratio of E/e' (11.7 vs 10.4, p=0.010) were higher in patients with diabetes. Over a median follow-up of 4.1 years, cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization occurred in 34% of patients with diabetes vs. 22% of those without diabetes; adjusted HR 1.75 (95% CI 1.49-2.05) and 28% vs. 19% of patients with and without diabetes died; adjusted HR 1.59 (1.33-1.91). Conclusions—In HFpEF, patients with diabetes have more signs of congestion, worse quality of life, higher NT-proBNP levels, and a poorer prognosis. They also display greater structural and functional echocardiographic abnormalities. Further investigation is needed to determine the mediators of the adverse impact of diabetes on outcomes in HFPEF, and whether they are modifiable

EFFECT OF LIVING MULCH ON PEST/BENEFICIAL INTERACTION

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cover crops on pest/beneficial dynamics and to test the potential of living mulch on enhancing biological control against insect pests. The research, carried out in the frame of the InterVeg (Core Organic II) project, involved four European countries: Germany, Slovenia, Denmark and Italy. Three crops were tested: cauliflower, leek and artichoke. The preliminary results obtained in Italy on cauliflower, indicated that the living mulch did not affect the infestation of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris brassicae, showing no detrimental effect of this technique on pest dynamics. A very high level of parasitization against cabbage butterfly was detected either in the living mulch crop (88%) and in the sole one (63%). Living mulch showed to increase the spider and rove beetle activity density, while the carabid activity density was slightly higher in the sole crop

EFFECT OF LIVING MULCH ON PEST/BENEFICIAL INTERACTION

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of cover crops on pest/beneficial dynamics and to test the potential of living mulch on enhancing biological control against insect pests. The research, carried out in the frame of the InterVeg (Core Organic II) project, involved four European countries: Germany, Slovenia, Denmark and Italy. Three crops were tested: cauliflower, leek and artichoke. The preliminary results obtained in Italy on cauliflower, indicated that the living mulch did not affect the infestation of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris brassicae, showing no detrimental effect of this technique on pest dynamics. A very high level of parasitization against cabbage butterfly was detected either in the living mulch crop (88%) and in the sole one (63%). Living mulch showed to increase the spider and rove beetle activity density, while the carabid activity density was slightly higher in the sole crop

Counterregulatory hormone and symptom responses to hypoglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes or without diabetes:the Hypo-RESOLVE hypoglycaemic clamp study

Aim: The sympathetic nervous and hormonal counterregulatory responses to hypoglycaemia differ between people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and may change along the course of diabetes, but have not been directly compared. We aimed to compare counterregulatory hormone and symptom responses to hypoglycaemia between people with type 1 diabetes, insulin-treated type 2 diabetes and controls without diabetes, using a standardised hyperinsulinaemic-hypoglycaemic clamp. Materials: We included 47 people with type 1 diabetes, 15 with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, and 32 controls without diabetes. Controls were matched according to age and sex to the people with type 1 diabetes or with type 2 diabetes. All participants underwent a hyperinsulinaemic–euglycaemic-(5.2 ± 0.4 mmol/L)-hypoglycaemic-(2.8 ± 0.13 mmol/L)-clamp. Results: The glucagon response was lower in people with type 1 diabetes (9.4 ± 0.8 pmol/L, 8.0 [7.0–10.0]) compared to type 2 diabetes (23.7 ± 3.7 pmol/L, 18.0 [12.0–28.0], p &lt; 0.001) and controls (30.6 ± 4.7, 25.5 [17.8–35.8] pmol/L, p &lt; 0.001). The adrenaline response was lower in type 1 diabetes (1.7 ± 0.2, 1.6 [1.3–5.2] nmol/L) compared to type 2 diabetes (3.4 ± 0.7, 2.6 [1.3–5.2] nmol/L, p = 0.001) and controls (2.7 ± 0.4, 2.8 [1.4–3.9] nmol/L, p = 0.012). Growth hormone was lower in people with type 2 diabetes than in type 1 diabetes, at baseline (3.4 ± 1.6 vs 7.7 ± 1.3 mU/L, p = 0.042) and during hypoglycaemia (24.7 ± 7.1 vs 62.4 ± 5.8 mU/L, p = 0.001). People with 1 diabetes had lower overall symptom responses than people with type 2 diabetes (45.3 ± 2.7 vs 58.7 ± 6.4, p = 0.018), driven by a lower neuroglycopenic score (27.4 ± 1.8 vs 36.7 ± 4.2, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Acute counterregulatory hormone and symptom responses to experimental hypoglycaemia are lower in people with type 1 diabetes than in those with long-standing insulin-treated type 2 diabetes and controls.</p

Lack of cardioprotection from subcutaneously and preischemic administered Liraglutide in a closed chest porcine ischemia reperfusion model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) analogues are promising new treatment options for patients with type 2 diabetes, but may have both potentially beneficial and harmful cardiovascular effects. This may also be the case for the analogues of GLP1 for clinical use. The present study examined the effect of treatment with Liraglutide, a long-acting GLP1 analogue, on myocardial ischemia and reperfusion in a porcine model.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Danish Landrace Pigs (70–80 kg) were randomly assigned to Liraglutide (10 μg/kg) or control treatment given daily for three days before ischemia-reperfusion. Ischemia was induced by balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending artery for 40 minutes followed by 2.5 hours of reperfusion. The primary outcome parameter was infarct size in relation to the ischemic region at risk. Secondary endpoints were the hemodynamic parameters mean pulmonary pressure, cardiac output, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure as measured by a Swan-Ganz catheter as well as arterial pressure and heart rate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The infarct size in relation to ischemic risk region in the control versus the Liraglutide group did not differ significantly: 0.46 ± 0.14 and 0.54 ± 0.12) (mean and standard deviation (SD), p = 0.21). Heart rate was significantly higher in the Liraglutide group during the experiment, while the other hemodynamic parameters did not differ significantly.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Liraglutide has a neutral effect on myocardial infarct size in a porcine ischemia-reperfusion model.</p