Analysis of water application techniques for growing tomatoes in small pots on different substrates. Note 2

The response of the tomato plants to the irrigation regimes compared in the previous study, particularly when compared with the response to the peat fraction in the mixture, was modest, often irregular and subject to complex interactions with the former factor. This result could depend partially on the fact that the parameters for the water regime applied during the trials were chosen to prevent exposing the plants to excessive stress through lack of water or excess water. This note analyses the technique used to apply the water. Two main water application parameters were identified parameter a expressing the mean moisture level of the pot during growing, and parameter b expressing the amplitude of the variation in moisture level between the irrigation threshold and the level to which the water was topped up at each watering. The actual mean volume of irrigation during the cultivation period was compared with the theoretically predicted value and the discrepancy explained. The role of parameter a and b are proposed to define the irrigation regime applied and the water regime as such can be defined by these two parameters a and b, as a general composite index. Furthermore the effect on the biological performance of both parameters a and b were studied obtaining a clearer picture of the effect of the water regime. The role of both parameters, a and b were synthesized in a specific composite index for each individual characteristic of the plant after taking in account the principal causes of their variations

Growing Tomato Plantlets on Various Mixtures of Peat and Sand or Peat and Perlite. Note 1

Given the considerable interest in use of substrates derived from various mixtures in the nursery sector and in light of the enormous variety of possibilities offered by this technique, in contrast with the still small number of researches dedicated to this theme, this study was set out to examine in-depth the growing of tomato plantlets on peat-based substrates. Two series of peat mixtures were produced, one with sand and the other with perlite, with a volume ratio of the other two components with respect to the peat of 1:0, 2.5:1, 1:1 and 1:2.5. Tomato seedlings were cultivated for 30 or 25 days in small perforated pots containing these mixtures. The irrigation was calculated by weighing each pot daily, measuring the water lost by evaporation-transpiration, then just past an established lower threshold value bringing the water back up to a defined upper threshold. Two water regimes were compared in the sand series and three in the perlite series

EVALUATION OF CRUSTING APTITUDE ON SIEVED SOILS. ANEWAPPARATUS

Soil surface crusting has severe agricultural and environmental effects. The action of beating rains can destroy soil surface structure and in some cases lead to surface sealing and crusting which, in turn, reduce soil conductivity, seed emergence and increase the runoff hazard. The susceptibility of different soils to crusting was studied by a new experimental apparatus and model. A micro rain – simulator mounted on a rotating disc sprinkles water on soil sample and after a certain time (or revolutions of the disc) the water ponded on soil surface completely percolates and water is again applied to the soil surface. The model was used to follow the variation of soil hydraulic conductivity as a function of time or total water applied during the crust formation. The effects of soil sieved crumbs and duration of pre-saturation were investigated during the crust formation. For some soils crusting decreases along the sprinkling events, with the diameter of aggregates presenting high values; sometimes significant structural deterioration in the aggregate of higher diameter occurs after a initial resistance to crusting as evidenced by a sharp reduced hydraulic conductivity. The role of the pre-saturation time seem more important for less resistant soils

Telerehabilitation proposal of mind-body technique for physical and psychological outcomes in patients with fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia (FM) syndrome is characterized by the close correlation of chronic widespread pain and other non-pain related symptoms. Aim of this study was to investigate whether telerehabilitation that provides physical and psychological support services of the mind-body techniques can affect the clinical profile and pain relief of FM patients. The study included twenty-eight female FM patients, mean aged 56.61 +/- 8.56 years. All patients underwent a rehabilitation treatment (8 sessions, 1/week, 1 h/each) through Zoom platform, with the following principles of rehabilitation treatment: Anchoring to a positive emotion; listen and perceive your own body; conscious breathing; improve interoceptive awareness; relax. All patients then underwent clinical assessment of the physical distress and fear of movement for the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS); the Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS); the Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ); with measures of physical and mental disability for the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ); the 12-Items Short Form Survey; the Resilience Scale for Adults and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire-Revised. The evaluations were performed at T0 (baseline), T1 (after 8 weeks of treatment), and T2 (after 1 month of follow-up). The main finding was that telerehabilitation reduced physical and mental distress, fear, and disability (p < 0.001). Resilience and coping ability were less affected by the rehabilitative treatment. Our attempt of mind-body technique telerehabilitation has shown good results in the improvement of painful symptoms and quality of life for the FM patients but showed fewer positive impacts for the resilience and coping abilities aspects

Biological Effect of Licochalcone C on the Regulation of PI3K/Akt/eNOS and NF-κB/iNOS/NO Signaling Pathways in H9c2 Cells in Response to LPS Stimulation

Polyphenols compounds are a group molecules present in many plants. They have antioxidant properties and can also be helpful in the management of sepsis. Licochalcone C (LicoC), a constituent of Glycyrrhiza glabra, has various biological and pharmacological properties. In saying this, the effect of LicoC on the inflammatory response that characterizes septic myocardial dysfunction is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether LicoC exhibits anti-inflammatory properties on H9c2 cells that are stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Our results have shown that LicoC treatment represses nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) translocation and several downstream molecules, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). Moreover, LicoC has upregulated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signaling pathway. Finally, 2-(4-Morpholinyl)-8-phenyl-1(4H)-benzopyran-4-one hydrochloride (LY294002), a specific PI3K inhibitor, blocked the protective effects of LicoC. These findings indicate that LicoC plays a pivotal role in cardiac dysfunction in sepsis-induced inflammation.The Italian Ministry for University and Research is acknowledged for financial support

Astaxanthin Treatment Reduced Oxidative Induced Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Secretion in U937: SHP-1 as a Novel Biological Target

It has been suggested that oxidative stress activates various intracellular signaling pathways leading to secretion of a variety of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. SHP-1 is a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) which acts as a negative regulator of immune cytokine signaling. However, intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), generated endogenously upon stimulation and exogenously from environmental oxidants, has been known to be involved in the process of intracellular signaling through inhibiting various PTPs, including SHP-1. In this study, we investigated the potential role of astaxanthin, an antioxidant marine carotenoid, in re-establishing SHP-1 negative regulation on pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in U-937 cell line stimulated with oxidative stimulus. ELISA measurement suggested that ASTA treatment (10 µM) reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) induced through H2O2, (100 µM). Furthermore, this property is elicited by restoration of basal SHP-1 protein expression level and reduced NF-κB (p65) nuclear expression, as showed by western blotting experiments

Dysregulation of chemo-cytokine production in schizophrenic patients versus healthy controls

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The exact cause of schizophrenia is not known, although several aetiological theories have been proposed for the disease, including developmental or neurodegenerative processes, neurotransmitter abnormalities, viral infection and immune dysfunction or autoimmune mechanisms. Growing evidence suggests that specific cytokines and chemokines play a role in signalling the brain to produce neurochemical, neuroendocrine, neuroimmune and behavioural changes. A relationship between inflammation and schizophrenia was supported by abnormal cytokines production, abnormal concentrations of cytokines and cytokine receptors in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenia. Since the neuropathology of schizophrenia has recently been reported to be closely associated with microglial activation we aimed to determined whether spontaneous or LPS-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell chemokines and cytokines production is dysregulated in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects. We enrolled 51 untreated first-episode schizophrenics (SC) and 40 healthy subjects (HC) and the levels of MCP-1, MIP-1α, IL-8, IL-18, IFN-γ and RANTES were determined by Elisa method in cell-free supernatants of PBMC cultures.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the simultaneous quantification we found significantly higher levels of constitutively and LPS-induced MCP-1, MIP-1α, IL-8 and IL-18, and lower RANTES and IFNγ levels released by PBMC of SC patients compared with HC. In ten SC patients receiving therapy with risperidone, olanzapine or clozapine basal and LPS-induced production of RANTES and IL-18 was increased, while both basal and LPS-induced MCP-1 production was decreased. No statistically significant differences were detected in serum levels after therapy.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The observation that in schizophrenic patients the PBMC production of selected chemo-cytokines is dysregulated reinforces the hypothesis that the peripheral cyto-chemokine network is involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These preliminary, but promising data are supportive of the application of wider profiling approaches to the identification of biomarker as diagnostic tools for the analysis of psychiatric diseases.</p

Variation in neurosurgical management of traumatic brain injury

Background: Neurosurgical management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is challenging, with only low-quality evidence. We aimed to explore differences in neurosurgical strategies for TBI across Europe. Methods: A survey was sent to 68 centers participating in the Collaborative European Neurotrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. The questionnaire contained 21 questions, including the decision when to operate (or not) on traumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) and intracerebral hematoma (ICH), and when to perform a decompressive craniectomy (DC) in raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Results: The survey was completed by 68 centers (100%). On average, 10 neurosurgeons work in each trauma center. In all centers, a neurosurgeon was available within 30 min. Forty percent of responders reported a thickness or volume threshold for evacuation of an ASDH. Most responders (78%) decide on a primary DC in evacuating an ASDH during the operation, when swelling is present. For ICH, 3% would perform an evacuation directly to prevent secondary deterioration and 66% only in case of clinical deterioration. Most respondents (91%) reported to consider a DC for refractory high ICP. The reported cut-off ICP for DC in refractory high ICP, however, differed: 60% uses 25 mmHg, 18% 30 mmHg, and 17% 20 mmHg. Treatment strategies varied substantially between regions, specifically for the threshold for ASDH surgery and DC for refractory raised ICP. Also within center variation was present: 31% reported variation within the hospital for inserting an ICP monitor and 43% for evacuating mass lesions. Conclusion: Despite a homogeneous organization, considerable practice variation exists of neurosurgical strategies for TBI in Europe. These results provide an incentive for comparative effectiveness research to determine elements of effective neurosurgical care

IL COMPORTAMENTO DI SUOLI AGRARI RIGONFIABILI

The feature of single domains of a shrinkage curve (ShC) for a swelling soil are recalled. The relationship between ShC and water retention curve (WRC) with special reference to the findings of Boiven, Garnier and Vauclin are shown and a short comment is given for the case of the basic domain. The contribution of the soil swelling process to the distribution of the total mechanical stress between solid and liquid phase according to a load factor is recalled for field conditions. Special attention is given to the cracking problems using the transformations of Bronswijk and Chertkov and after the theories of Yule and Ritchie and of Mc Intyre. Some considerations are expressed for the use of oedometers. The results of Cabidoche and Ruy on a cultivated vertisol open the possibility of a wider approach to these problems

FIRST RESULTS FROM OEDOTENSIOMETRIC TESTS

An oedotensiometer was used to examine to examine the behaviour of sieved sample of a swelling soil (a vertisol) as well as of the same soils treated with solution of Na+ + Ca2+ to simulate the soil changes from excessive irrigation with brackish water. The oedometer test consisted in an infiltration of water from below through a ceramic porous plate at a feeding pressure of +10 cm water and successive drainage under a depression mostly of -112 cm of water. The rate of water entry as well as the swelling rate of the sample were monitored. Preliminary considerations regards the domains in which the shrinkage curve of a swelling soil is subdivided and make hypothesis on the swelling process expected when the infiltration from below of the sample is applied. The results support the hypothesis that when the water pressure is applied some water enters rather rapidly in the larger structural pores and is followed later by the swelling in the smaller pores, responsible for the basic domain. This first conclusion demonstrates that the assumption of a simultaneous movement of solid and liquid components in the sample, which is the base of most theoretical developments for swelling soils, cannot be accepted for the tested samples. Some cases with water clogging on the sample surface confirm a late final swelling of the soil and permitted to evaluate the hydraulic conductivity of the swollen soil. These manifestations are more evident in sodicated soils. The loading of the sample reduces the swelling of the sample and seems to reduce its permeability. The reduction of the feeding water pressure further reduces the sample swelling. The draining process from saturated soil sample shows that most of the process occurs in the large pores of the structural domain. This gives the possibility to evaluate the water diffusivity coefficient for the structural domain of the sample. In draining the soil with the highest sodication there was a variation of soil volume practically equal to the water lost, demonstrating that in this case the shrinking state of the soil was in the basic domain and the soil was in a biphasic condition (no air phase in the wetted soil part). This was the only case in which material coordinate arguments could be applied and the soil completely obeys to swelling properties in quasi equilibrium conditions