Efficient rates of nitrogenous fertiliser for irrigated sweet sorghum cultivation during the post-rainy season in the semi-arid tropics

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is a multipurpose crop with high tolerance to environmental stresses. To meet the increased demand for food and biofuel, current agricultural practices rely on the excessive use of inorganic nitrogen (N) fertiliser. However, excessive N fertiliser has resulted in negative environmental effects. In view of the varied N use efficiency (NUE) of plants under different environmental conditions, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficient rates of N fertiliser in semi-arid tropics for sweet sorghum cultivation during post-rainy season by maximising NUE without compromising yield. Field experiments were conducted on two sweet sorghum cultivars with four different N fertilisation rates (0, 63, 90 and 150 kg N ha−1) during the post-rainy season in India. Grain and stalk yields increased with N fertiliser, but significantly only up to 90 kg N ha−1. The observed increases in grain yield were attributed by increases in kernel numbers. Corresponding with the differences in biomass, both relative growth rate (RGR) and crop growth rate (CGR) increased with N fertilisation rate up to 90 kg N ha−1. Component analyses of RGR and CGR revealed that both net assimilation rate (NAR) and leaf area index (LAI) significantly contributed with increasing rates of N fertiliser applications. Furthermore, studies of NUE indices showed that agronomic N use efficiency (ANUE, indicating yield production per unit of fertiliser N) responded comparably up to 90 kg N ha−1, and decreased significantly thereafter. Analysis of ANUE components showed that the decline in ANUE at 150 kg N ha−1 was due to a decrease in physiological N use efficiency (PNUE), indicating that the absorbed N was not utilised efficiently for biomass and yield production, but merely accumulated. These results together suggest that 90 kg N ha−1 is an efficient N fertilisation rate suggested among the tested treatments for sustainable sweet sorghum cultivation during the post-rainy season in the semi-arid tropics

Pharmacogenetic profiling and cetuximab outcome in patients with advanced colorectal cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We analyzed the influence of 8 germinal polymorphisms of candidate genes potentially related to EGFR signalling (<it>EGFR</it>, <it>EGF</it>, <it>CCND1</it>) or antibody-directed cell cytotoxicity (<it>FCGR2A </it>and <it>FCGR3A</it>) on outcome of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients receiving cetuximab-based therapy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-eight advanced CRC patients treated with cetuximab-irinotecan salvage therapy between 2001 and 2007 were analyzed (mean age 60; 50 PS 0-1). The following polymorphisms were analyzed on blood DNA: <it>EGFR </it>(CA repeats in intron 1, -216 G > T, -191C > A, R497K), <it>EGF </it>(A61G), <it>CCND1 </it>(A870G), <it>FCGR2A </it>(R131H), <it>FCGR3A </it>(F158V). Statistical analyses were conducted on the total population and on patients with wt KRas tumors. All SNPs were considered as ternary variables (wt/wt <it>vs </it>wt/mut <it>vs </it>mut/mut), with the exception of -191C > A <it>EGFR </it>polymorphism (AA patient merged with CA patients).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Analysis of skin toxicity as a function of EGFR intron 1 polymorphism showed a tendency for higher toxicity in patients with a low number of CA-repeats (p = 0.058). <it>CCND1 </it>A870G polymorphism was significantly related to clinical response, both in the entire population and in KRas wt patients, with the G allele being associated with a lack of response. In wt KRas patients, time to progression (TTP) was significantly related to <it>EGFR </it>-191C > A polymorphism with a longer TTP in CC patients as compared to others, and to <it>CCND1 </it>A870G polymorphism with the G allele being associated with a shorter TTP; a multivariate analysis including these two polymorphisms only retained <it>CCND1 </it>polymorphism. Overall survival was significantly related to <it>CCND1 </it>polymorphism with a shorter survival in patients bearing the G allele, and to <it>FCGR3A </it>F158V polymorphism with a shorter survival in VV patients (in the entire population and in KRas wt patients). <it>FCGR3A </it>F158V and <it>CCND1 </it>A870G polymorphisms were significant independent predictors of overall survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Present original data obtained in wt KRas patients corresponding to the current cetuximab-treated population clearly suggest that <it>CCND1 </it>A870G polymorphism may be used as an additional marker for predicting cetuximab efficacy, TTP and overall survival. In addition, <it>FCGR3A </it>F158V polymorphism was a significant independent predictor of overall survival.</p

APOM and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are associated with lung function and per cent emphysema

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is linked to cardiovascular disease; however, there are few studies on the associations of cardiovascular genes with COPD

Money buys financial security and psychological need satisfaction: testing need theory in affluence

The most prominent theory to explain the curvilinear relationship between income and subjective well-being (SWB) is need theory, which proposes that increased income and wealth can lead to increased well-being in poverty because money is used to satisfy basic physiological needs. The present study tests the tenets of need theory by proposing that money can buy happiness beyond poverty if the money satisfies higher-order needs. Findings indicate that in older adults (n = 1,284), as economic standing rises, so do individual perceptions of financial security (a safety need), which in turn increases overall life satisfaction. Further, a path model tested the degree to which financial security and psychological need satisfaction mediated the path from economic standing to life satisfaction and demonstrated the complete mediation through higher-order needs—there was a 66% reduction in the direct link through financial security and a 34% reduction through psychological need satisfaction. Discussion focuses on how these mediation and path models extend need theory