Comparison of Water and Temperature Distribution Profiles Under Sand Tube Irrigation

Drip irrigation is one of the most efficient systems in delivering water to the plant root zone. Research has shown that the saturated, or nearly saturated, surface beneath the emitter may increase evaporation thereby reducing the irrigation efficiency. To increase the efficiency of surface applied drip irrigation on permanent tree crops a sand tube irrigation (STI) method was developed and tested. The sand tube method consists of removing a soil core beneath the emitter and filling the void with coarse sand. A weighing lysimeter was designed and instrumented to directly measure temporal evaporation during irrigation and for a period of three days after irrigation ceased. Thermocouples were used throughout the soil profile to detect the temperature variation and also to determine temporal movement of the wetting front. The results indicated that for the surface applied drip irrigation method, approximately 30% of the applied water evaporated during the four-day period after irrigation. The STI method resulted in approximately 4% of the applied water being evaporated. The STI method allowed more water to remain in the soil profile thereby increasing the irrigation efficiency

Evaporation Reduction Potential in an Undisturbed Soil Irrigated with Surface Drip and Sand Tube Irrigation

The efficiency of drip irrigation is highly dependent on evaporation losses occurring from the constantly saturated soil beneath emitters. Advent of subsurface drip irrigation is in part an approach to curb this inefficiency. An irrigation method, Sand Tube Irrigation (STI), is proposed to increase the efficiency of “Normal” surface applied drip Irrigation (NI method) on permanent tree crops without the need for burying the irrigation tubing. The sand tube consists of removing a soil core beneath the emitter and filling the void with coarse sand. A weighing lysimeter was constructed in the laboratory and instrumented to directly measure temporal evaporation from large, undisturbed soil columns, 0.7 m in diameter and 0.8 m in height. Experiments were performed on six replicated soil monoliths to compare the two methods. The results indicated that, for four consecutive days after irrigation, there was a significant difference at the 95% confidence level between evaporation occurring from the NI and STI methods. After four days of evaporation, comparison of water contents indicated that a higher amount of water existed between the depths of 0.2 to 0.55 m in the STI versus the NI method. Although drainage occurred from the macropore structure of the undisturbed soil monoliths, the STI method showed potential in retaining more water in the micropore structure of the lower depths, that would be available for plant use rather than potential evaporation

Designing and construction a DNA vaccine encoding the fusion fragment of cfp10 and Ag85A immunodominant genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Background: Pathogenic mycobacteria are one of major causes of human morbidity and mortality. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) is an etiological agent of human tuberculosis. Designing new vaccines including DNA vaccines may be considered as new approaches for preventing of TB.Materials and Methods: M. tuberculosis H37Rv was grown on Lowenstein Jensen medium for 4 weeks at 37ºC and then DNA was extracted. The cfp10 gene was amplified by PCR. After digesting the PCR product and the plasmid, cfp10 fragment was ligated into the vector using T4 DNA ligase. Then, Ag85A was subcloned into pcDNA/cfp10. Escherichia coli strain JM109 bacteria were transformed by the desired construct. Clone confirmations were performed by colony PCR, restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing. Recombinant vector was transfected into HeLa cells and total RNA was extracted, then cDNA was synthesized using oligo-dT. Finally PCR was performed by cfp10 primers.Results: The cfp10 was amplified by PCR method and the PCR products were visualized by agarose gel electrophoresis. The cfp10 fragments showed 303 bp in length. The cfp10 cloned into pcDNA. Then, Ag85Awas ligated into pcDNA/cfp10 after digestion correctly. Colony-PCR and restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing confirmed the cloning the fusion Ag85A/cfp10 fragment. Finally, after cDNA synthesis, expression of vector was confirmed in eukaryotic system.Conclusion: Cloning of Ag85A/cfp10 genes of M. tuberculosis were performed correctly. It can use as a DNA vaccine for investigation the immune responses in animal models in future studies

Association of TIM-1 5383-5397ins/del and TIM-3-1541C > T polymorphisms with multiple sclerosis in Isfahan population

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease in central nervous system, affecting about 2.5 million people around the world. Probable involvement of two newly identified immunoregulator molecules, TIM-1 and TIM-3, has been reported in autoimmune diseases. In this study, for the first time, the association of TIM-1 5383-5397ins/del and TIM-3 -1541C>T polymorphisms with MS in an Iranian population was considered. The results of our study showed that there is no significant association between TIM-1 5383-5397ins/del and MS (P = 0.38); however, the frequency of CT genotype of TIM-3 -1541C>T in patient group was significantly higher than the control group, and there was a significant association between CT genotype and MS (P = 0.009, OR = 4.08)

Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CRDs and their attributable risks from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence, and incidence of CRDs, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumoconiosis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and other CRDs, from 1990 to 2019 by sex, age, region, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. Deaths and DALYs from CRDs attributable to each risk factor were estimated according to relative risks, risk exposure, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level input. Findings: In 2019, CRDs were the third leading cause of death responsible for 4.0 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 3.6–4.3) with a prevalence of 454.6 million cases (417.4–499.1) globally. While the total deaths and prevalence of CRDs have increased by 28.5% and 39.8%, the age-standardised rates have dropped by 41.7% and 16.9% from 1990 to 2019, respectively. COPD, with 212.3 million (200.4–225.1) prevalent cases, was the primary cause of deaths from CRDs, accounting for 3.3 million (2.9–3.6) deaths. With 262.4 million (224.1–309.5) prevalent cases, asthma had the highest prevalence among CRDs. The age-standardised rates of all burden measures of COPD, asthma, and pneumoconiosis have reduced globally from 1990 to 2019. Nevertheless, the age-standardised rates of incidence and prevalence of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis have increased throughout this period. Low- and low-middle SDI countries had the highest age-standardised death and DALYs rates while the high SDI quintile had the highest prevalence rate of CRDs. The highest deaths and DALYs from CRDs were attributed to smoking globally, followed by air pollution and occupational risks. Non-optimal temperature and high body-mass index were additional risk factors for COPD and asthma, respectively. Interpretation: Albeit the age-standardised prevalence, death, and DALYs rates of CRDs have decreased, they still cause a substantial burden and deaths worldwide. The high death and DALYs rates in low and low-middle SDI countries highlights the urgent need for improved preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Global strategies for tobacco control, enhancing air quality, reducing occupational hazards, and fostering clean cooking fuels are crucial steps in reducing the burden of CRDs, especially in low- and lower-middle income countries

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Effects of Roughness Coefficients and Complex Hillslope Morphology on Runoff Variables under Laboratory Conditions

The geometry of hillslopes (plan and profile) affects soil erosion under rainfall-runoff processes. This issue comprises of several factors, which must be identified and assessed if efficient control measures are to be designed. The main aim of the current research was to investigate the impact of surface Roughness Coefficients (RCs) and Complex Hillslopes (CHs) on runoff variables viz. time of generation, time of concentration, and peak discharge value. A total of 81 experiments were conducted with a rainfall intensity of 7 L min−1 on three types of soils with different RCs (i.e., low = 0.015, medium = 0.016, and high = 0.018) and CHs (i.e., profile curvature and plan shape). An inclination of 20% was used for three replications. The results indicate a significant difference (p-value ≤ 0.001) in the above-mentioned runoff variables under different RCs and CHs. Our investigation of the combined effects of RCs and CHs on the runoff variables shows that the plan and profile impacts are consistent with a variation in RC. This can implicate that at low RC, the effect of the plan shape (i.e., convergent) on runoff variables increases but at high RC, the impact of the profile curvature overcomes the plan shapes and the profile curvature’s changes become the criteria for changing the behavior of the runoff variables. The lowest mean values of runoff generation and time of concentration were obtained in the convex-convergent and the convex-divergent at 1.15 min and 2.68 min, respectively, for the soil with an RC of 0.015. The highest mean of peak discharge was obtained in the concave-divergent CH in the soil with an RC of 0.018. We conclude that these results can be useful in order to design planned soil erosion control measures where the soil roughness and slope morphology play a key role in activating runoff generation

Evaluating Executive Functions in Patients with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Using Frontal Assessment Battery

Objective. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the executive profile of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) patients using the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) as a bedside screening tool and investigate its association with seizure proximity, family history of epilepsy, and polytherapy/monotherapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Background. JME patients have deficits in various aspects of executive functions. FAB has proved to be a useful tool for evaluating executive functions in clinical settings. Methods. Thirty-one JME patients and 110 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. The participants were assessed using six subsets of FAB, including conceptualization, mental flexibility, motor programming, sensitivity to interference, inhibitory control, and environmental autonomy. Results. Compared to HCs, JME patients showed lower scores in conceptualization, mental flexibility, programming, sensitivity to interference, and total FAB. The number of AEDs (polytherapy versus monotherapy) and duration of time since the last seizure had no significant effect on FAB scores in JME patients. We found significant associations between disease duration and conceptualization, mental flexibility, inhibitory control, and total FAB score only in JME patients with recent seizure. Finally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed area under the curve (AUC) of 0.971 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.947–0.994) for FAB total score, 0.933 for conceptualization (95% CI: 0.973-894), and 0.836 for mental flexibility (95% CI: 0.921-751). Conclusions. In summary, JME patients had deficits in different aspects of executive functions. FAB is a useful clinical tool for evaluation of executive functions in JME patients