Sampling system for wheat (Triticum aestivum L) area estimation using digital LANDSAT MSS data and aerial photographs

A procedure to estimate wheat (Triticum aestivum L) area using sampling technique based on aerial photographs and digital LANDSAT MSS data is developed. Aerial photographs covering 720 square km are visually analyzed. To estimate wheat area, a regression approach is applied using different sample sizes and various sampling units. As the size of sampling unit decreased, the percentage of sampled area required to obtain similar estimation performance also decreased. The lowest percentage of the area sampled for wheat estimation with relatively high precision and accuracy through regression estimation is 13.90% using 10 square km as the sampling unit. Wheat area estimation using only aerial photographs is less precise and accurate than those obtained by regression estimation

Resource recovery from desalination, the case of small islands

This work explores resource recovery coupled to seawater desalination in small islands. As small islands depend on seawater desalination for water access, they make an excellent ground for exploring the trade-offs associated to resource recovery, like potential economic gains, energy use, and environmental impacts. Here, we investigated these tensions in the context of Lampedusa, in Italy. We then developed and evaluated scenarios for the recovery of additional water, Mg, and other resources from brines, to identify if and how resource recovery is an interesting approach for the island vis-`a-vis these tensions. We have found that the potential to increase water production with water recovery from brine is an interesting alternative for small islands, especially when harnessing waste heat. However, while some technologies offer possibilities for recovering additional resources, in places like small islands the potential benefits from additional recovery do not seem to justify the costs to the local system

Interphase chromosome positioning in in vitro porcine cells and ex vivo porcine tissues

Copyright @ 2012 The Authors. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and 85 reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. The article was made available through the Brunel University Open Access Publishing Fund.BACKGROUND: In interphase nuclei of a wide range of species chromosomes are organised into their own specific locations termed territories. These chromosome territories are non-randomly positioned in nuclei which is believed to be related to a spatial aspect of regulatory control over gene expression. In this study we have adopted the pig as a model in which to study interphase chromosome positioning and follows on from other studies from our group of using pig cells and tissues to study interphase genome re-positioning during differentiation. The pig is an important model organism both economically and as a closely related species to study human disease models. This is why great efforts have been made to accomplish the full genome sequence in the last decade. RESULTS: This study has positioned most of the porcine chromosomes in in vitro cultured adult and embryonic fibroblasts, early passage stromal derived mesenchymal stem cells and lymphocytes. The study is further expanded to position four chromosomes in ex vivo tissue derived from pig kidney, lung and brain. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that porcine chromosomes are also non-randomly positioned within interphase nuclei with few major differences in chromosome position in interphase nuclei between different cell and tissue types. There were also no differences between preferred nuclear location of chromosomes in in vitro cultured cells as compared to cells in tissue sections. Using a number of analyses to ascertain by what criteria porcine chromosomes were positioned in interphase nuclei; we found a correlation with DNA content.This study is partly supported by Sygen International PLC

Toxic myopathy in experimentally intoxicated pigs due to consumption of Senna occidentalis pods and seeds

Se describen los hallazgos clínicos y patológicos del envenenamiento experimental por Senna occidentalis en cerdos. Seis cerdos se distribuyeron en dos grupos, uno de los cuales se alimentó con una ración que contenía 10% de vainas y semillas de S. occidentalis por 30 días y el otro grupo permaneció como grupo control. Los animales intoxicados mostraron letargia, ataxia, temblores musculares, emaciación y recumbencia. La enzima creatina fosfoquinasa aumentó significativamente en los cerdos intoxicados con S. occidentalis (p<0.05). La histopatología reveló que los cerdos intoxicados mostraron principalmente degeneración de las fibras musculares y fibrosis en los músculos esqueléticos. La microscopía electrónica reveló lesiones mitocondriales. Los resultados confirman el efecto miotóxico de la intoxicación crónica por S. occidentalis en cerdos.The clinical and pathological findings of the experimental poisoning by Senna occidentalis in pigs are described. Six pigs were distributed into two groups, one of which was fed a ration containing 10% pods and seeds of S. occidentalis for 30 days and the other group remained as a control group. The intoxicated animals showed lethargy, ataxia, muscular tremors, emaciation and recumbency. The enzyme creatine phosphokinase increased significantly in pigs intoxicated with S. occidentalis (p<0.05). The histopathology revealed that the intoxicated pigs mainly had degeneration of the muscle fibres and fibrosis in the skeletal muscles. Electron microscopy revealed mitochondrial lesions. The results confirm the myotoxic effect of chronic poisoning by S.occidentalis in pigs

Cretaceous intraplate contraction in Southern Patagonia: A far-field response to changing subduction dynamics?

The origin, extent, and timing of intraplate contraction in Patagonia are among the least understood geological processes of southern South America. Particularly, the intraplate Deseado fold-thrust belt (FTB), located in the Patagonian broken foreland (47°–48°300 S), is one of the most enigmatic areas. In this belt, time constraints on tectonic events are limited and synorogenic deposits have not been documented so far. Furthermore, the driving mechanism for intraplate contraction remains unknown. In this study, we carried out a structural and sedimentological analysis. We report the first syntectonic deposits in this area in the Baqueró (Aptian) and Chubut (Cenomanian/Campanian) groups and a newly found unit referred to as the Albian beds (109.9 ± 1.5 Ma). Thus, several contractional stages in late Aptian, Albian, and Cenomanian-Campanian are then inferred. We suggest that the Deseado FTB constituted the southernmost expression of the early Patagonian broken foreland in Cretaceous times. Additionally, we analyzed the spatiotemporal magmatic arc behavior as a proxy of dynamic changes in the Andean subduction during determined stages of intraplate contraction. We observe a significant arc broadening from ~121 to 82 Myr and magmatic quiescence after ~67 Ma. This is interpreted as a slab shallowing to flattening process. Far-field tectonic forces would have been produced by increased plate coupling linked to the slab flattening as indirectly indicated by the correlation between Cretaceous arc expansion and intraplate contraction. Finally, the tectonic evolution of the Deseado FTB favors studies supporting inception of Andean shortening since Cretaceous times.Fil: Gianni, Guido Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Geofísico Sismológico Volponi; ArgentinaFil: Navarrete Granzotto, César Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Liendo, Ingrid Florencia. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; ArgentinaFil: Díaz, Marianela Ximena Yasmin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Geología; ArgentinaFil: Gimenez, Mario Ernesto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Geofísico Sismológico Volponi; ArgentinaFil: Encinas, Alfonso. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Folguera Telichevsky, Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Estudios Andinos "Don Pablo Groeber"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas; Argentin

The Msi Family of RNA-Binding Proteins Function Redundantly as Intestinal Oncoproteins

Members of the Msi family of RNA-binding proteins have recently emerged as potent oncoproteins in a range of malignancies. MSI2 is highly expressed in hematopoietic cancers, where it is required for disease maintenance. In contrast to the hematopoietic system, colorectal cancers can express both Msi family members, MSI1 and MSI2. Here, we demonstrate that, in the intestinal epithelium, Msi1 and Msi2 have analogous oncogenic effects. Further, comparison of Msi1/2-induced gene expression programs and transcriptome-wide analyses of Msi1/2-RNA-binding targets reveal significant functional overlap, including induction of the PDK-Akt-mTORC1 axis. Ultimately, we demonstrate that concomitant loss of function of both MSI family members is sufficient to abrogate the growth of human colorectal cancer cells, and Msi gene deletion inhibits tumorigenesis in several mouse models of intestinal cancer. Our findings demonstrate that MSI1 and MSI2 act as functionally redundant oncoproteins required for the ontogeny of intestinal cancers

Bullying behaviors and victimization experiences among adolescent students: the role of resilience

The role of resilience in the relationship between bullying behaviours, victimisation experiences, and self-efficacy was examined. Three hundred and 93 (191 male, 202 female) adolescents (mean age = 15.88, SD = .64) from schools in Coimbatore, India completed scales to assess bullying behaviours and victimisation experiences, resilience, and self-efficacy. Multigroup SEM, with separate groups created according to participant sex, revealed that resilience mediated the relationship between bullying behaviours and self-efficacy in males. Males engaged in bullying behaviours and experienced victimisation more frequently than females. The findings of the study have implication for designing intervention programs to enhance resilience among adolescents and young adults to enable them to manage bullying behaviours