Scanning electron microscopy of the developmental stages of the Sultana inflorescence

Development of the inflorescence primordium of Sultana, as observed in the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), is described. The technique is simple and requires no elaborate tissue preparation. Interpretation of inflorescence development is easy and precise because of the resolution and depth of field of the SEM. The first evidence of differentiation of floral parts was observed in spring for Sultana under Australian conditions.Rasterelektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen über die Entwicklungsstadien der Sultana-InfloreszenzDie Entwicklung der Infloreszenzprimordien von Sultana wird aufgrund rasterelektronenmikroskopischer Beobachtungen beschrieben. Die angewandte Technik ist einfach und erfordert keine langwierige Vorbehandlung des Untersuchungsmaterials. Das hohe Auflösungsvermögen und die große Tiefenschärfe des Rasterelektronenmikroskopes erleichtern das Verständnis der genauen Infloreszenzentwicklung. Die ersten Anzeichen für die Differenzierung von Blütenteilen wurden bei Sultana unter australischen Bedingungen im Frühjahr festgestellt

Three-Dimensional Thermoluminescence Spectra and Their Application in the Study of Some Sedimentary Quartz

The intensity of thermoluminescence emission is a function of both temperature and photon energy (or wavelength) and therefore lends itself to a three-dimensional (3-D) display, either in the form of an isometric plot or a contour diagram. The technique of 3-D thermoluminescence spectrometry is briefly reviewed and the advantages and applications are illustrated by reference to the spectral properties of samples of Australian sedimentary quartz drawn from the context of thermoluminescence dating. In this context, the temperature of emission, the photon energy and the ease with which the emission is bleachable by sunlight are of significance. It is suggested that, in one of the samples, the energy of the photon emitted from one of the luminescence centres depends on the temperature of emission

Effect of various combinations of trellis, pruning, and rootstock on vigorous Sultana vines

The combined effects of three trellis, three pruning, and three rootstock treatments were tested on vigorous Sultana vines (Vitis vinifera L.) growing in a lighttextured, nematode- and phylloxera-free, virgin soil of the Australian Murray Valley.Vines on Salt Creek rootstock outyielded vines on 1613 C rootstock or on their own roots by about 40 per cent during the first four cropping seasons after planting, which preceded the experiment, and by about 30 per cent during the four seasons of the experiment, because they had more and larger bunches.A wide, high trellis with two cane-wires 1.2 m apart and 1.5 m above ground level, a narrow, high trellis (0.3 m X 1.5 m) and a narrow, low trellis (0.3 m X 1.0 m) were compared. On the wide trellis, the foliage canopy was divided naturally into two halves. In the season following the trellis conversion, vines on the wide trellis yielded slightly better than those on either of the narrow trellises, possibly because there was less mould damage. In the subsequent seasons, the wide trellis was much more productive. lt produced 40 to 50 per cent more crop because the vines had more bunches with more berries per bunch, while the concentration of sugar or acids remained unaltered. The amount of pruning wood was also somewhat greater. For the three pruning treatments, vines were given 126, 196, or 266 nodes (i. e. 9, 14, or 19 canes of 14 nodes each). In the later years of the experiment, the lightest pruning level could not be maintained on the narrow trellis, and pruning weight tended to become smaller. Yield increased disproportionately with increasing nodenumber; a two-fold increase in the number of nodes led to only a 20 per cent increase in yield.There were few interactions between the trellis, pruning, and rootstock treatments. The beneficial effects of wide trellis, Salt Creek rootstock and of light pruning, at least up to the level of 196 nodes per vine, tended to be additive. Thus lightly pruned Sultana vines on Salt Creek rootstock grown on a wide trellis with split canopy produced twice as much fruit as the conventionally treated Sultana, i. e. an own-rooted vine with 126 nodes grown on a narrow, low trellis.lt is concluded that Sultanas benefit from wide trellis through an effect on bud fruitfulness which leacls to more berries per vine, and through better photosynthetic activity which allows f4ll maturation of this increased crop potential. The economic implications of using wicle trellises and Salt Creek rootstock are discussed.Der Einfluß verschiedener Kombinationen von Drahtrahmen, Rebschnitt und Unterlage auf starkwüchsige Sultana-RebenDer vereinte Einfluß von drei Drahtrahmen-Typen und drei Schnittarten auf wurzelechte Sultana-Reben und auf Sultana, gepfropft auf den Unterlagen Salt Creek und 1613 C, die in einem leichten, Nematoden- und Phylloxerafreien Urboden des australischen Murray-Bewässerungsgebietes wuchsen, wurde untersucht. Alle Resultate wurden der Varianzanalyse unterworfen.In den ersten vier Ertragsjahren nach der Pflanzung, die dem Versuch vorausgingen, war der Ertrag von Sultana auf Salt Creek um 40°/o höher als derjenige von wurzelechten oder auf 1613 C gepfropften Reben. In den folgenden vier Versuchsjahren betrug dieser Unterschied etwa 30°/o. Mehr und größere Trauben waren der Grund hierfür.Die drei Drahtrahmen hatten die folgenden Dimensionen: Ein weiter, hoher Rahmen mit zwei Drähten, die mit 1,2 m Abstand 1,5 m über dem Boden angebracht waren; ein enger, hoher Rahmen (0,3 m X 1,5 m) und ein enger, niedriger Rahmen (0,3 m X 1,0 m) mit einem weiteren Draht für das Blattwerk. Am weiten Drahtrahmen teilte sich das Blattwerk spontan in zwei Hälften. In der ersten Vegetationsperiode nach dem Erstellen der Drahtrahmen war der Ertrag am weiten Rahmen etwas besser, vermutlich wegen des geringeren Fäulnisbefalles. In den folgenden drei Vegetationsperioden brachten die Reben am weiten Drahtrahmen um 40 bis 50°/o höhere Erträge, da mehr und größere Trauben vorhanden waren, während Beerengröße, Zucker- und Säuregehalt unverändert blieben. Auch das Gewicht des Schnittholzes war etwas größer. Die Reben wurden zu 9, 14 oder 19 Tragruten von je 14 Knospen, demnach zu 126, 196 oder 266 Knospen, geschnitten. Am engen Drahtrahmen konnte man die höchste Knospenzahl in den letzten Jahren des Versuches nicht erhalten, und auch das Triebgewicht wurde kleiner. Im allgemeinen hatte die Verdopplung der Knospenzahl nur einen 20prozentigen Anstieg im Ertrag zur Folge.Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Behandlungsarten Drahtrahmen, Schnitt und Unterlage kamen nur vereinzelt vor. Die vorteilhaften Einflüsse von weitem Drahtrahmen, Salt Creek-Unterlage und von höheren Knospenzahlen, wenigstens bis zu 196 Knospen je Rebe, waren additiv. Infolgedessen war der Ertrag der zu 196 Knospen geschnittenen Sultana auf Salt Creek und auf weitem Rahmen zweimal so groß wie derjenige der wurzelechten Sultana auf engem Rahmen mit 126 Knospen.Es wird geschlossen, daß Sultanaknospen am weiten Drahtrahmen fruchtbarer sind und daß folglich im nächsten Jahr die Reben mehr Traubenbeeren tragen, die überdies durch Verbesserung der Photosynthese völlig ausreifen können. Die ökonomischen Verhältnisse für den Gebrauch von weiten Drahtrahmen werden diskutiert

The relationship between vegetative and reproductive development in the mango in northern Australia

Vegetative and reproductive growth was recorded on mature mango trees (cultivar Kensington) over two years in northern Australia. There were four vegetative growth flushes during each year, but not all shoots grew during each flush. Observations on the flowering of shoots of known age showed that the older shoots produced most inflorescences. Microscopic examination of terminal buds showed that floral initiation occurred within a month of the commencement of the flowering flush under these tropical conditions. The main vegetative growth flushes occurred prior to flowering between March and May, and during flowering and early fruit development in July and August. © 1986 CSIRO. All Rights Reserved

The impact of population-based faecal occult blood test screening on colorectal cancer mortality:a matched cohort study

BACKGROUND: Randomised trials show reduced colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality with faecal occult blood testing (FOBT). This outcome is now examined in a routine, population-based, screening programme. METHODS: Three biennial rounds of the UK CRC screening pilot were completed in Scotland (2000–2007) before the roll out of a national programme. All residents (50–69 years) in the three pilot Health Boards were invited for screening. They received a FOBT test by post to complete at home and return for analysis. Positive tests were followed up with colonoscopy. Controls, selected from non-pilot Health Boards, were matched by age, gender, and deprivation and assigned the invitation date of matched invitee. Follow-up was from invitation date to 31 December 2009 or date of death if earlier. RESULTS: There were 379 655 people in each group (median age 55.6 years, 51.6% male). Participation was 60.6%. There were 961 (0.25%) CRC deaths in invitees, 1056 (0.28%) in controls, rate ratio (RR) 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83–0.99) overall and 0.73 (95% CI 0.65–0.82) for participants. Non-participants had increased CRC mortality compared with controls, RR 1.21 (95% CI 1.06–1.38). CONCLUSION: There was a 10% relative reduction in CRC mortality in a routine screening programme, rising to 27% in participants

Peri‐operative cardiac arrest in children as reported to the 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists

The 7th National Audit Project of the Royal College of Anaesthetists studied peri‐operative cardiac arrest. An activity survey estimated UK paediatric anaesthesia annual caseload as 390,000 cases, 14% of the UK total. Paediatric peri‐operative cardiac arrests accounted for 104 (12%) reports giving an incidence of 3 in 10,000 anaesthetics (95%CI 2.2–3.3 per 10,000). The incidence of peri‐operative cardiac arrest was highest in neonates (27, 26%), infants (36, 35%) and children with congenital heart disease (44, 42%) and most reports were from tertiary centres (88, 85%). Frequent precipitants of cardiac arrest in non‐cardiac surgery included: severe hypoxaemia (20, 22%); bradycardia (10, 11%); and major haemorrhage (9, 8%). Cardiac tamponade and isolated severe hypotension featured prominently as causes of cardiac arrest in children undergoing cardiac surgery or cardiological procedures. Themes identified at review included: inappropriate choices and doses of anaesthetic drugs for intravenous induction; bradycardias associated with high concentrations of volatile anaesthetic agent or airway manipulation; use of atropine in the place of adrenaline; and inadequate monitoring. Overall quality of care was judged by the panel to be good in 64 (62%) cases, which compares favourably with adults (371, 52%). The study provides insight into paediatric anaesthetic practice, complications and peri‐operative cardiac arrest

Estimating habitat extent and carbon loss from an eroded northern blanket bog using UAV derived imagery and topography

Peatlands are important reserves of terrestrial carbon and biodiversity, and given that many peatlands across the UK and Europe exist in a degraded state, their conservation is a major area of concern and a focus of considerable research. Aerial surveys are valuable tools for habitat mapping and conservation and provide useful insights into their condition. We investigate how SfM photogrammetry-derived topography and habitat classes may be used to construct an estimate of carbon loss from erosion features in a remote blanket bog habitat. An autonomous, unmanned, aerial, fixed-wing remote sensing platform (Quest UAV 300™) collected imagery over Moor House, in the Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, a site with a high degree of peatland erosion. The images were used to generate point clouds into orthomosaics and digital surface models using SfM photogrammetry techniques, georeferenced and subsequently used to classify vegetation and peatland features. A classification of peatbog feature types was developed using a random forest classification model trained on field survey data and applied to UAV-captured products including the orthomosaic, digital surface model and derived surfaces such as topographic index, slope and aspect maps. Using the area classified as eroded peat and the derived digital surface model, we estimated a loss of 438 tonnes of carbon from a single gully. The UAV system was relatively straightforward to deploy in such a remote and unimproved area. SfM photogrammetry, imagery and random forest modelling obtained classification accuracies of between 42% and 100%, and was able to discern between bare peat, saturated bog and sphagnum habitats. This paper shows what can be achieved with low-cost UAVs equipped with consumer grade camera equipment and relatively straightforward ground control, and demonstrates their potential for the carbon and peatland conservation research community

2019 international consensus on cardiopulmonary resuscitation and emergency cardiovascular care science with treatment recommendations : summary from the basic life support; advanced life support; pediatric life support; neonatal life support; education, implementation, and teams; and first aid task forces

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation has initiated a continuous review of new, peer-reviewed, published cardiopulmonary resuscitation science. This is the third annual summary of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation International Consensus on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care Science With Treatment Recommendations. It addresses the most recent published resuscitation evidence reviewed by International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Task Force science experts. This summary addresses the role of cardiac arrest centers and dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the role of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in adults and children, vasopressors in adults, advanced airway interventions in adults and children, targeted temperature management in children after cardiac arrest, initial oxygen concentration during resuscitation of newborns, and interventions for presyncope by first aid providers. Members from 6 International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation task forces have assessed, discussed, and debated the certainty of the evidence on the basis of the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria, and their statements include consensus treatment recommendations. Insights into the deliberations of the task forces are provided in the Justification and Evidence to Decision Framework Highlights sections. The task forces also listed priority knowledge gaps for further research