Yield and morphology of Nopalea cochenillifera under N fertilization and biological inoculation

Received: August 15th, 2023 ; Accepted: October 30th, 2023 ; Published: November 9th, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] objective was to evaluate the effect of inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and levels of nitrogen fertilization on the productive aspects of the spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera). The experiment was carried in Ribeirão do Largo, Southwest region of the state of Bahia, from April 2019 to April 2020. The experiment was carried out in a 2×4 factorial, in a randomized block design with eight treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of the absence or inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and nitrogen fertilization levels 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg– ¹ of N ha–¹ . There was a positive effect for the use of the bacteria on cladode area index, height, number of secondary, tertiary and total cladodes, total weight for cladodes of all orders and also for final weight per ha–¹ . There was a significant effect of the use of the inoculant for the levels of total soluble sugars and starch, where there was a decrease in the values for the treatments submitted to the use of the bacteria. There was a quadratic effect for the weight of the tertiary cladodes, number of tertiary cladodes and total of spineless cactus when submitted to nitrogen fertilization levels. There was a linear test for cladodes area index when nitrogen fertilization was used. The use of Azospirillum brasilense is positive for the cultivation of spineless cactus, improving development and increasing crop productivity

Carbohydrate and protein metabolism of marandu grass affected by nitrogen fertilisation and number of cuts

Received: June 18th, 2023 ; Accepted: September 30th, 2023 ; Published: October 23rd, 2023 ; Correspondence: [email protected] the metabolism of tropical grasses in response to management practises imposed in pastoral environments allows for improvements in the management and use of mineral fertilisers. This study aimed to quantify metabolite content in different plant parts of Marandu grass (Urochloa brizantha), with a specific focus on the influence of nitrogen fertilisation and its effects following successive cuts. The treatments corresponded to four nitrogen (N) rates (0, 75, 150, and 225 kg N ha-1 ) and the number of cuts (one, two and three cuts). The plants were fractionated into leaves, stems, and roots to assess the content of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), starch, albumin, globulin, prolamin, and glutelin content. N fertilisation influenced the WSC and starch content in different parts of the plant, varying according to the cuts made. In the leaves and roots, fertilisation reduced the content of WSC and starch with one cut, as these were utilised as energy sources for assimilating the excess nitrogen in the soil. There was an increase in the concentration of all protein groups with nitrogen fertilisation in all parts of the plant with one cut. In plants cut two and three times, N fertilisation led to specific increases and decreases in different parts of the plants as an adaptive strategy for allocating resources as the number of cuts increased. Our results broaden our understanding of carbohydrate and protein metabolism in tropical grasses, thereby providing subsidies for the rational use of nitrogen fertilisers

Thermodynamics of Dipolar Chain Systems

The thermodynamics of a quantum system of layers containing perpendicularly oriented dipolar molecules is studied within an oscillator approximation for both bosonic and fermionic species. The system is assumed to be built from chains with one molecule in each layer. We consider the effects of the intralayer repulsion and quantum statistical requirements in systems with more than one chain. Specifically, we consider the case of two chains and solve the problem analytically within the harmonic Hamiltonian approach which is accurate for large dipole moments. The case of three chains is calculated numerically. Our findings indicate that thermodynamic observables, such as the heat capacity, can be used to probe the signatures of the intralayer interaction between chains. This should be relevant for near future experiments on polar molecules with strong dipole moments.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, final versio

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks, 1990-2015: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015

Background: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2015 provides an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for risk factor exposure and the attributable burden of disease. By providing national and subnational assessments spanning the past 25 years, this study can inform debates on the importance of addressing risks in context. Methods: We used the comparative risk assessment framework developed for previous iterations of the Global Burden of Disease Study to estimate attributable deaths, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and trends in exposure by age group, sex, year, and geography for 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks from 1990 to 2015. This study included 388 risk-outcome pairs that met World Cancer Research Fund-defined criteria for convincing or probable evidence. We extracted relative risk and exposure estimates from randomised controlled trials, cohorts, pooled cohorts, household surveys, census data, satellite data, and other sources. We used statistical models to pool data, adjust for bias, and incorporate covariates. We developed a metric that allows comparisons of exposure across risk factors—the summary exposure value. Using the counterfactual scenario of theoretical minimum risk level, we estimated the portion of deaths and DALYs that could be attributed to a given risk. We decomposed trends in attributable burden into contributions from population growth, population age structure, risk exposure, and risk-deleted cause-specific DALY rates. We characterised risk exposure in relation to a Socio-demographic Index (SDI). Findings: Between 1990 and 2015, global exposure to unsafe sanitation, household air pollution, childhood underweight, childhood stunting, and smoking each decreased by more than 25%. Global exposure for several occupational risks, high body-mass index (BMI), and drug use increased by more than 25% over the same period. All risks jointly evaluated in 2015 accounted for 57·8% (95% CI 56·6–58·8) of global deaths and 41·2% (39·8–42·8) of DALYs. In 2015, the ten largest contributors to global DALYs among Level 3 risks were high systolic blood pressure (211·8 million [192·7 million to 231·1 million] global DALYs), smoking (148·6 million [134·2 million to 163·1 million]), high fasting plasma glucose (143·1 million [125·1 million to 163·5 million]), high BMI (120·1 million [83·8 million to 158·4 million]), childhood undernutrition (113·3 million [103·9 million to 123·4 million]), ambient particulate matter (103·1 million [90·8 million to 115·1 million]), high total cholesterol (88·7 million [74·6 million to 105·7 million]), household air pollution (85·6 million [66·7 million to 106·1 million]), alcohol use (85·0 million [77·2 million to 93·0 million]), and diets high in sodium (83·0 million [49·3 million to 127·5 million]). From 1990 to 2015, attributable DALYs declined for micronutrient deficiencies, childhood undernutrition, unsafe sanitation and water, and household air pollution; reductions in risk-deleted DALY rates rather than reductions in exposure drove these declines. Rising exposure contributed to notable increases in attributable DALYs from high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, occupational carcinogens, and drug use. Environmental risks and childhood undernutrition declined steadily with SDI; low physical activity, high BMI, and high fasting plasma glucose increased with SDI. In 119 countries, metabolic risks, such as high BMI and fasting plasma glucose, contributed the most attributable DALYs in 2015. Regionally, smoking still ranked among the leading five risk factors for attributable DALYs in 109 countries; childhood underweight and unsafe sex remained primary drivers of early death and disability in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Interpretation: Declines in some key environmental risks have contributed to declines in critical infectious diseases. Some risks appear to be invariant to SDI. Increasing risks, including high BMI, high fasting plasma glucose, drug use, and some occupational exposures, contribute to rising burden from some conditions, but also provide opportunities for intervention. Some highly preventable risks, such as smoking, remain major causes of attributable DALYs, even as exposure is declining. Public policy makers need to pay attention to the risks that are increasingly major contributors to global burden. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation