Root zone salinity management using fractional skimming wells with pressurized irrigation: Inception report

Wells / Aquifers / Pumping / Groundwater irrigation / Water quality / Salinity control / Irrigation programs / Climate / Waterlogging / Drainage / Soils / Land use / Cropping systems / Farm income

Influence of Edible Coatings on Biochemical Fruit Quality and Storage Life of Bell Pepper cv. “Yolo Wonder”

The present study was carried out to investigate the influence of food grade coatings on fruit quality and storage life of bell pepper cv. “Yolo Wonder” at 8±1°C with 90–95% RH for 24 days. Coating treatments were given to bell pepper fruits by dipping in aqueous solutions of gum arabic (6, 9, and 12%), Aloe vera gel (4, 5, and 6%), and cinnamon oil (0.5, 0.75, and 1%). Physicochemical characteristics as well as quality of bell pepper fruits improved in all coating treatments. Results revealed that 12% gum arabic coating exhibited significantly reduced weight loss, membrane leakage, chilling injury, and decay incidence with less increase in pH, total soluble solids, and sugar percentage, whereas appealing fruit color (L⁎, a⁎, and b⁎) along with higher values of ascorbic acid (1.84 mg/100 g), titratable acidity (0.19%), and firmness (4 N) was observed in cold storage environment. Our results clearly suggested that coating of bell pepper fruits with 12% gum arabic can maintain postharvest storage quality of bell pepper fruits

Monitoring and evaluation of irrigation and drainage facilities for pilot distributaries in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Volume 4 - Heran Distributary, Sanghar District

Irrigation management / Monitoring / Evaluation / Irrigation canals / Distributary canals / Drainage / Irrigation practices / Water delivery / Watercourses / Maintenance / Water table / Groundwater / Water quality / Pakistan / Sindh Province / Sanghar District / Heran Distributary

Effect of IoT capabilities and energy consumption behavior on green supply chain integration

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the next generation of internet-connected information communication technologies (ICT). IoT typically integrates supply chain activities to enhance green supply chain performance (GSCP). Since every organization has different IoT capabilities in comparison with other organizations, GSCP can enable supply chain integration activities for enhanced performance. The implementation of an IoT system can reduce the consumption of organizational resources like energy, electricity, and time and can increase the operational speed to gain better logistics and, ultimately, improved supply chain performance. This study has developed and empirically tested the relationship between IoT capabilities, energy consumption behavior (ECB), supply chain integration, green training (GT), and supply chain practices. Such a multidisciplinary relationship has not previously been established in the literature. The proposed study can fulfill the literature gap and opens new horizons for interdisciplinary research. Data used in this study are collected through offline and online survey methods. A total number of 250 out of 400 respondents participated in the survey. Data has been analyzed through partial least square-structure equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. The results of this study empirically test the developed model. IoT has a positive effect on supplier integration (SI), and customer integration (CI). Furthermore, SI and CI have a mediating role between IoT and GSCP, and GT has a positive impact on GSCP. It is concluded that the implementation of IoT can integrate CI and SI to increase GSCP. GT and ECB can ultimately improve GSCP. Additionally, the use of technology and GT can motivate employees to save energy and protect the environment to increase GSCP

Women and Networking: A Systematic Literature Review (1985-2021)

This report analyses literature on women and networking between 1985 and 2021, as published in women and gender studies journals. Authors analysed a total of 78 articles published in European Journal of Women’s Studies, Feminist Review, Women’s Studies International Forum, Feminist Theory, Gender & Society, Journal of Gender Studies, Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, Signs, Women Studies Quarterly, Feminist Economics, Gender in Management: An International Journal (previously called Women in Management Review,), Gender, Work & Organization, Feminist Studies, Hypatia and International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. Thematic analysis and three-tier coding have been used in analysing available articles. Findings reveal that organisational cultures did not change during the four decades of research as boys clubs still exist and take men ahead much more than women’s networks take women ahead. Old boys clubs remain persistent and more powerful than women’s networks and women do not report benefits from networking even when they engage with this, often seen, masculine practice. Women also report exclusion from important professional networks and this is a theme that consistently runs through research, and additionally, many women cannot join networks due to the social expectation that women will look after families. Networking thus presents a structural barrier and this is visible throughout decades of analysed research, with recurring and repeating themes of networking as a structural barrier, exclusion of women and persistent power and influence of old boys clubs

β-Catenin is a pH sensor with decreased stability at higher intracellular pH.

β-Catenin functions as an adherens junction protein for cell-cell adhesion and as a signaling protein. β-catenin function is dependent on its stability, which is regulated by protein-protein interactions that stabilize β-catenin or target it for proteasome-mediated degradation. In this study, we show that β-catenin stability is regulated by intracellular pH (pHi) dynamics, with decreased stability at higher pHi in both mammalian cells and Drosophila melanogaster β-Catenin degradation requires phosphorylation of N-terminal residues for recognition by the E3 ligase β-TrCP. While β-catenin phosphorylation was pH independent, higher pHi induced increased β-TrCP binding and decreased β-catenin stability. An evolutionarily conserved histidine in β-catenin (found in the β-TrCP DSGIHS destruction motif) is required for pH-dependent binding to β-TrCP. Expressing a cancer-associated H36R-β-catenin mutant in the Drosophila eye was sufficient to induce Wnt signaling and produced pronounced tumors not seen with other oncogenic β-catenin alleles. We identify pHi dynamics as a previously unrecognized regulator of β-catenin stability, functioning in coincidence with phosphorylation

Monitoring and evaluation of irrigation and drainage facilities for pilot distributaries in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Volume 3 - Dhoro Naro Minor, Nawabshah District. Interim report

Irrigation management / Monitoring / Evaluation / Irrigation canals / Distributary canals / Drainage / Groundwater / Tube wells / Crop production / Land use / Irrigation practices / Flow discharge / Watercourses / Water delivery / Measurement / Maintenance / Water quality / Pakistan / Sindh Province / Nawabshah District / Dhoro Naro Minor