Influence of cracks on the soil-atmosphere interaction: numerical coupled model of thermo- atmosphereporous media

Soil shrinks as it desiccates, and the magnitude of shrinkage can be large for clayey soils. The drying of soil leads to cracks formation, causing high suctions to develop within. Cracks expose the deep soil and more evaporation can be expected in dry periods. To illustrate the effect of cracking, a numerical model of soil-atmosphere interaction has been developed taking into account the thermo-fluid coupling of an unsaturated clay soil. The model is used to simulate the evolution of evaporation during the drying process. The main results show a significant influence of the presence of cracks on the evaporation. This study also offers a simple method for taking into account the presence of cracks in the soil-atmosphere exchange

Pregnancy in multiple system atrophy: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Multiple system atrophy is a late, adult-onset α-synucleinopathy with no data on the effect of pregnancy on the disease course. Early stage multiple system atrophy can be difficult to distinguish from Parkinson's disease.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe the case of an Irish woman with parkinsonism starting at age 31, initially diagnosed as having dopa-responsive, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, who successfully delivered a full-term child at age 35. Her pregnancy was complicated by severe orthostatic hypotension and motor fluctuations. Two years post-partum, she underwent bilateral subthalamic nuclei deep brain stimulation for intractable motor fluctuations and disabling dyskinesia. After this treatment course she experienced deterioration of motor symptoms and death eight years after disease onset. Post-mortem neuropathological examination revealed striatonigral degeneration and α-synuclein-positive glial cytoplasmic inclusions in brain stem nuclei, basal ganglia and white matter tracts, consistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of multiple system atrophy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Multiple system atrophy can affect women of child-bearing age and pregnancy may be associated with marked disease progression.</p

High-throughput mutational analysis of TOR1A in primary dystonia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although the c.904_906delGAG mutation in Exon 5 of <it>TOR1A </it>typically manifests as early-onset generalized dystonia, DYT1 dystonia is genetically and clinically heterogeneous. Recently, another Exon 5 mutation (c.863G>A) has been associated with early-onset generalized dystonia and some ΔGAG mutation carriers present with late-onset focal dystonia. The aim of this study was to identify <it>TOR1A </it>Exon 5 mutations in a large cohort of subjects with mainly non-generalized primary dystonia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>High resolution melting (HRM) was used to examine the entire <it>TOR1A </it>Exon 5 coding sequence in 1014 subjects with primary dystonia (422 spasmodic dysphonia, 285 cervical dystonia, 67 blepharospasm, 41 writer's cramp, 16 oromandibular dystonia, 38 other primary focal dystonia, 112 segmental dystonia, 16 multifocal dystonia, and 17 generalized dystonia) and 250 controls (150 neurologically normal and 100 with other movement disorders). Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were evaluated in an additional 8 subjects with known ΔGAG DYT1 dystonia and 88 subjects with ΔGAG-negative dystonia.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HRM of <it>TOR1A </it>Exon 5 showed high (100%) diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. HRM was rapid and economical. HRM reliably differentiated the <it>TOR1A </it>ΔGAG and c.863G>A mutations. Melting curves were normal in 250/250 controls and 1012/1014 subjects with primary dystonia. The two subjects with shifted melting curves were found to harbor the classic ΔGAG deletion: 1) a non-Jewish Caucasian female with childhood-onset multifocal dystonia and 2) an Ashkenazi Jewish female with adolescent-onset spasmodic dysphonia.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>First, HRM is an inexpensive, diagnostically sensitive and specific, high-throughput method for mutation discovery. Second, Exon 5 mutations in <it>TOR1A </it>are rarely associated with non-generalized primary dystonia.</p

Farm-level effects of irrigation system design and operation problems

In Hydraulics Research Limited, IIMI, Overseas Development Administration, and Sri Lanka, Irrigation Department, Irrigation Design for Management - Asian Regional Symposium, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 16-18 February 1987 (pp. 1-20). Wallingford, UK: Hydraulics Research LimitedThe paper discusses the interrelationship of design (and construction), operation, and performance of irrigation systems. Specifically, it (1) describes the farm-level effects of design (and construction) and operation on the performance of irrigation systems; (2) identifies the factors leading to ineffective use of farm-level facilities by farmers; and (3) recommends additional criteria for the design and operation of irrigation systems. Arguments from Philippine case studies that evaluated alternative designs of farm-level facilities and approaches to improve equity in water allocation and distribution in a modern traditionally designed run-of-the-river, reservoir-backed, and pump-based irrigation systems are used.The general conclusion is that in both the traditional and modern systems, improvements in water management at the main system can improve water distribution equity and increase irrigated area as well as crop yield. But improved management in the main system often becomes difficult, if not impossible, because of some technical inadequacies due to deficient irrigation system design and construction

Influence of cracks on the soil-atmosphere interaction: numerical coupled model of thermo- atmosphereporous media

Soil shrinks as it desiccates, and the magnitude of shrinkage can be large for clayey soils. The drying of soil leads to cracks formation, causing high suctions to develop within. Cracks expose the deep soil and more evaporation can be expected in dry periods. To illustrate the effect of cracking, a numerical model of soil-atmosphere interaction has been developed taking into account the thermo-fluid coupling of an unsaturated clay soil. The model is used to simulate the evolution of evaporation during the drying process. The main results show a significant influence of the presence of cracks on the evaporation. This study also offers a simple method for taking into account the presence of cracks in the soil-atmosphere exchange