Hydraulic simulations to evaluate and predict design and operation of the Chashma Right Bank Canal

Irrigation systems / Irrigation canals / Flow control / Velocity / Canal regulation techniques / Hydraulics / Simulation models / Design / Operations / Crop-based irrigation / Distributary canals / Water delivery / Policy / Protective irrigation / Water allocation / Water requirements / Sedimentation / Water distribution / Equity / Water conveyance / Pakistan / Chashma Right Bank Canal

Effects of cadmium on morphological structure of sperm in Caspiomyzon wagneri (Kessler, 1870) (Petromyzontiformes : Petromyzontidae)

The present study aimed to investigate effects of the heavy metal Cd on the sperm morphological indices of Caspimyzon wagneri. The sperm were exposed to 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 and 1000 mg.L-1 Cd for three minutes, three and 36 hours. The sperms exposed to Cd showed an increase in the length, width and surface of the head, flagella degradation and slightly flagella breakage. With increase of Cd concentration or the exposure duration, the damages found in sperms increased. But when exposure to contaminant exceeds than certain period of time,damage effects caused changes in the sperm structure as head length reduction and head width increasing and thereby reducing the sperm’s head surface, complete cutting of flagella at all samples and deformation of the sperm’s head from oval to circular, which these changes became visible during 36 hours of exposure to cadmium.Therefore, the results revealed that the arrival of pollutants including cadmium to the natural reproduction ground of this species due to induction the harmful effects on sperm morphology factors will have adverse effects on sperm function and fertilization rate and reduce them, and as such will be considered a serious threat to the survival generation of this rare species

Acesso ao desempenho de irrigação na cultura da mangueira na região semi-árida do Nordeste do Brasil.

Parâmetros hídricos foram estimados em um cultivo comercial de mangueira durante dois ciclos produtivos. A evapotranspiração atual ( ET) foi obtida pelo método das correlações turbulentas, enquanto para a de referência ( ET0), a equação de Penman Monteith (FAO 56) foi aplicada. O valor acumulado médio de ET para os dois ciclos foi de 1333 mm, correspondendo a uma taxa diária de 3,5 mm dia ­1 e coeficientes de cultura baseados na evapotranspiração ( Kc) e transpiração ( Kcb) de 0,87 e 0,78, respectivamente. A fração média de depleção de água ( FD) no solo foi de 0,80 e o déficit hídrico médio ( DH) médio foi de 118 mm, representando em geral um bom desempenho de irrigação. A produtividade de água ( PA) foi em torno de 4.5, 3,4 e 5 kg m ­3 quando baseada na irrigação, evapotranspiração e transpiração, respectivamente. Os valores monetários correspondentes foram 4,60, 3,50 e 5,20 US$ m ­3, o que indicou um elevado rendimento com o cultivo irrigado da cultura da mangueira na região semiárida do Brasil

Severe Acute Pharyngitis Caused by Group C Streptococcus

INTRODUCTION: Adult group C beta-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis has a prevalence of approximately 5%. It can present with a broad spectrum of severity. CASE REPORT: We report a 30-year-old woman who presented with severe Group C streptococcal pharyngitis. DISCUSSION: She presented with a 9-day history of progressive symptoms, including fever, sore throat, neck swelling, and recent onset of hoarseness. In the 9 days before the emergency room (ER) presentation, the patient had visited the ER twice complaining of a sore throat. At both visits, the physicians performed rapid antigen strep testing. Each time her test was negative and the physicians recommended symptomatic therapy. Her symptoms continued to worsen leading to her repeat presentation. At this time she had severe pharyngitis with markedly enlarged tonsils. Neck CT excluded peritonsillar abscess. Rapid strep testing was again negative, but her throat culture grew group C beta-hemolytic streptococcus. CONCLUSION: This presentation illustrates the importance of a systematic approach to evaluating patients with negative rapid strep tests and worsening pharyngitis

Comparison of different tools to assess the water distribution in secondary canals with ungated outlets

Irrigation canals / Distributary canals / Water distribution / Models / Equity / Flow control / Silt / Discharges / Weirs / Flumes / Pakistan / Punjab / Fordwah Distributary / Masood Distributary

Investigating centering, scan length, and arm position impact on radiation dose across 4 countries from 4 continents during pandemic: mitigating key radioprotection issues

Purpose: Optimization of CT scan practices can help achieve and maintain optimal radiation protection. The aim was to assess centering, scan length, and positioning of patients undergoing chest CT for suspected or known COVID-19 pneumonia and to investigate their effect on associated radiation doses. Methods: With respective approvals from institutional review boards, we compiled CT imaging and radiation dose data from four hospitals belonging to four countries (Brazil, Iran, Italy, and USA) on 400 adult patients who underwent chest CT for suspected or known COVID-19 pneumonia between April 2020 and August 2020. We recorded patient demographics and volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP). From thin-section CT images of each patient, we estimated the scan length and recorded the first and last vertebral bodies at the scan start and end locations. Patient mis-centering and arm position were recorded. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The extent and frequency of patient mis-centering did not differ across the four CT facilities (>0.09). The frequency of patients scanned with arms by their side (11–40% relative to those with arms up) had greater mis-centering and higher CTDIvol and DLP at 2/4 facilities (p = 0.027–0.05). Despite lack of variations in effective diameters (p = 0.14), there were significantly variations in scan lengths, CTDIvol and DLP across the four facilities (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Mis-centering, over-scanning, and arms by the side are frequent issues with use of chest CT in COVID-19 pneumonia and are associated with higher radiation doses

Salinity management alternatives for the Rechna Doab, Punjab, Pakistan. Volume 4 - Field data collection and processing

Irrigation management / Soil salinity / Agricultural development / Water quality / Data processing / Groundwater / Crop production / Intensive cropping / Models / Farm surveys / Pakistan / Punjab / Rechna Doab

Direct targets of the transcription factors ABA-Insensitive(ABI)4 and ABI5 reveal synergistic action by ABI4 and several bZIP ABA response factors

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) is a key regulator of seed development. In addition to promoting seed maturation, ABA inhibits seed germination and seedling growth. Many components involved in ABA response have been identified, including the transcription factors ABA insensitive (ABI)4 and ABI5. The genes encoding these factors are expressed predominantly in developing and mature seeds, and are positive regulators of ABA mediated inhibition of seed germination and growth. The direct effects of ABI4 and ABI5 in ABA response remain largely undefined. To address this question, plants over-expressing ABI4 or ABI5 were used to allow identification of direct transcriptional targets. Ectopically expressed ABI4 and ABI5 conferred ABA-dependent induction of slightly over 100 genes in 11 day old plants. In addition to effector genes involved in seed maturation and reserve storage, several signaling proteins and transcription factors were identified as targets of ABI4 and/or ABI5. Although only 12% of the ABA- and ABI-dependent transcriptional targets were induced by both ABI factors in 11 day old plants, 40% of those normally expressed in seeds had reduced transcript levels in both abi4 and abi5 mutants. Surprisingly, many of the ABI4 transcriptional targets do not contain the previously characterized ABI4 binding motifs, the CE1 or S box, in their promoters, but some of these interact with ABI4 in electrophoretic mobility shift assays, suggesting that sequence recognition by ABI4 may be more flexible than known canonical sequences. Yeast one-hybrid assays demonstrated synergistic action of ABI4 with ABI5 or related bZIP factors in regulating these promoters, and mutant analyses showed that ABI4 and these bZIPs share some functions in plants