Effect of municipal wastewater with manure and fertilizer on yield and quality characteristics of forage in corn

In order to study the effects of wastewater with two kinds of fertilizers (manure and chemical fertilizer) on yield and quality characteristics of forage in corn, a field experiment was conducted in the Universityof Zabol in Iran during 2007 growing season. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications. The treatment were comprised of two levels of irrigation water (W1 = Well water andW2 = Wastewater) in the main plot and five levels of fertilizer (F1 = Control; F2 = Manure, 30 ton/ha; F3 = Manure, 15 ton/ha; F4 = NPK: 350, 200 and 100 kg/ha; and F5 = NPK: 175, 100 and 50 kg/ha) in the subplot. Results showed that irrigation with wastewater significantly increases the fresh and dry forage yield of corn than well water. Treatment of treated wastewater also had a significant influence on crude protein content, ash percentage and macro elements (N, P and K) contents in corn forage (P < 5%). But wastewater had no significant effect on Fe, Mn and Zn elements content. The highest fresh and dry forage yield and the most crude protein content, ash percentage and macro elements (N, P and K) contents were obtained from F4 (NPK: 350, 200 and 100 kg/ha) treatment. However, the highest Fe, Mn and Zn elements content were obtained from F2 (Manure: 30 ton/ha) treatment

Effect of fertilizer in controlling weeds under intercropping of pearl millet and red bean in Sistan region, Iran

This experiment was conducted at the Agriculture Research Center of Zabol University during 2007 cropping season. The experimental design was split plot, using randomized complete block design with three replications. The factors included were, main factors: unfertilized (F1), 100% fertilizer (F2), 100% manure (F3), 50% fertilizer + 50% manure (F4) and five sub factors: sole crop of millet (I1), 75% millet + 25% bean (I2), 50% millet + 50% bean (I3), 25% millet + 75% bean (I4) and sole crop of bean (I5). The plants were planted as replacement method. The results showed that the lowest dry matter for crops and total dry matter of weeds was achieved from 50% fertilizer + 50% manure treatment. Also, the highest total dry matter of millet and bean was obtained from this treatment. The highest dry matter of millet and bean was obtained from the sole crop of millet and bean. Further, the highest total dry matter of millet and bean was achieved from the intercropping treatments. The land equivalent ratio (LER) for most of the intercropping treatments was greater than one which indicated that intercropping had advantage over sole crop. Comparing the performance of sole crop and intercrop treatments, the results indicated that intercropping combinations were more advantageous in terms of weed control.Key words: Intercropping, pearl millet, red bean, weeds, land equivalent ratio, yield

Undulation Instability of Epithelial Tissues

Treating the epithelium as an incompressible fluid adjacent to a viscoelastic stroma, we find a novel hydrodynamic instability that leads to the formation of protrusions of the epithelium into the stroma. This instability is a candidate for epithelial fingering observed in vivo. It occurs for sufficiently large viscosity, cell-division rate and thickness of the dividing region in the epithelium. Our work provides physical insight into a potential mechanism by which interfaces between epithelia and stromas undulate, and potentially by which tissue dysplasia leads to cancerous invasion.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Impact of Health Literacy, Self-efficacy, and Outcome Expectations on Adherence to Self-care Behaviors in Iranians with Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: Diabetic patients with higher health literacy (HL) may feel more confident in their ability to perform self-care behaviors and may have strong beliefs that diabetes-related behaviors will lead to specific outcomes. Our study aimed to document the relationships between HL, self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and diabetes self-care of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Iran. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of 187 patients with T2DM. Participants completed the Functional Communicative and Critical Health Literacy scale, the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities, the Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale, Outcome Expectations Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: Participants who received diabetes education (t = 5.79, p<0.001) and were married (F = 3.04, p<0.050) had better diabetes self-care behavior. There was a significant positive correlation between self-care behaviors and communicative HL (r = 0.455, p<0.010), critical HL (r = 0.297, p<0.010), self-efficacy (r = 0.512, p<0.010) and outcome expectations (r = 0.387, p<0.010). Diabetes education and marital status accounted for 16.9% of the variance in diabetes self-care. Self-efficacy, outcome expectations, communicative, and critical HL explained 28.0%, 1.5%, 3.7%, and 1.4% of the variance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the potential impact of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, communicative, and critical HL should be considered in the education program for patients with diabetes. We found self-efficacy to be the most important predictor of diabetes self-care. Therefore, the use of self-efficacy theory when designing patient education interventions could enhance diabetes self-care. It is essential that health care providers assess patient's HL levels to tailor health-related information specific to a domain of HL. This would fully inform patients and promote empowerment rather than simple compliance

Effect of catalyst layer defects on local membrane degradation in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Aiming at durability issues of fuel cells, this research is dedicated to a novel experimental approach in the analysis of local membrane degradation phenomena in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, shedding light on the potential effects of manufacturing imperfections on this process. With a comprehensive review on historical failure analysis data from field operated fuel cells, local sources of iron oxide contaminants, catalyst layer cracks, and catalyst layer delamination are considered as potential candidates for initiating or accelerating the local membrane degradation phenomena. Customized membrane electrode assemblies with artificial defects are designed, fabricated, and subjected to membrane accelerated stress tests followed by extensive post-mortem analysis. The results reveal a significant accelerating effect of iron oxide contamination on the global chemical degradation of the membrane, but dismiss local traces of iron oxide as a potential stressor for local membrane degradation. Anode and cathode catalyst layer cracks are observed to have negligible impact on the membrane degradation phenomena. Notably however, distinct evidence is found that anode catalyst layer delamination can accelerate local membrane thinning, while cathode delamination has no apparent effect. Moreover, a substantial mitigating effect for platinum residuals on the site of delamination is observed

Discrepancies in the diagnosis of intraductal proliferative lesions of the breast and its management implications: results of a multinational survey

To measure discrepancies in diagnoses and recommendations impacting management of proliferative lesions of the breast, a questionnaire of five problem scenarios was distributed among over 300 practicing pathologists. Of the 230 respondents, 56.5% considered a partial cribriform proliferation within a duct adjacent to unequivocal ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), 37.7% of whom recommended reexcision if it were at a resection margin. Of the 43.5% who diagnosed the partially involved duct as DCIS, 28.0% would not recommend reexcision if the lesion were at a margin. When only five ducts had a partial cribriform proliferation, 35.7% considered it as DCIS, while if ≥20 ducts were so involved, this figure rose to 60.4%. When one duct with a complete cribriform pattern measured 0.5, 1.5, or 4 mm, a diagnosis of DCIS was made by 22.6, 31.3, and 94.8%, respectively. When multiple ducts with flat epithelial atypia were at a margin, 20.9% recommended reexcision. Much of these discrepancies arise from the artificial separation of ADH and low-grade DCIS and emphasize the need for combining these two under the umbrella designation of ductal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (DIN 1) to diminish the impact of different terminologies applied to biologically similar lesions

Serum p53 antibodies: predictors of survival in small-cell lung cancer?

Serum p53 antibodies have been shown to be a poor prognostic marker in resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but studies in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) have been contradictory. We have studied the incidence of p53 antibodies in a large SCLC cohort treated at one oncology centre and correlated the results with survival. 231 patients (63% male, median age 65), diagnosed and treated for SCLC between 1987 and 1994 at The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Trust, had sera stored pretreatment. All samples were tested for p53 antibodies (p53-Ab) using a standardized ELISA technique with a selection of strongly ELISA positive, weakly ELISA positive and negative samples being confirmed with immunoprecipitation. 54 patients were positive for p53-Ab (23%). The presence of a high titre of p53-Ab (titre ratio >5) appears to be associated with a survival advantage with a relative risk of death of 1.71 (95% CI: 1.14–2.58) in those without the antibody (P = 0.02). This study, the largest homogenous group so far looking at p53-Ab in SCLC, suggests that p53 antibody detection may have a role in predicting outcome in this type of cancer. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Adenomyoepithelial tumours and myoepithelial carcinomas of the breast – a spectrum of monophasic and biphasic tumours dominated by immature myoepithelial cells

BACKGROUND: Adenomyoepithelial tumours and myoepithelial carcinomas of the breast are primarily defined by the presence of neoplastic cells with a myoepithelial immunophenotype. Current classification schemes are based on purely descriptive features and an assessment of individual prognosis is still problematic. METHODS: A series of 27 adenomyoepithelial tumours of the breast was analysed immunohistochemically with antibodies directed against various cytokeratins, p63, smooth muscle alpha-actin (SMA) and vimentin. Additionally, double immunofluorescence and comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) was performed. RESULTS: Immunohistochemically, all the tumours showed a constant expression of high molecular weight cytokeratins (Ck) Ck5 and Ck14, p63, SMA and vimentin. With exception of one case diagnosed as myoepithelial carcinoma, all tested tumours expressed low molecular weight cytokeratin Ck18 in variable proportions of cells. Even in monophasic tumours lacking obvious glandular differentiation in conventional staining, a number of neoplastic cells still expressed those cytokeratins. Double immunofluorescence revealed tumour cells exclusively staining for Ck5/Ck14 in the presence of other cell populations that co-expressed high molecular weight Ck5/Ck14 as well as either low molecular weight Ck8/18 or SMA. Based on morphology, we assigned the series to three categories, benign, borderline and malignant. This classification was supported by a stepwise increase in cytogenetic alterations on CGH. CONCLUSION: Adenomyoepithelial tumours comprise a spectrum of neoplasms consisting of an admixture of glandular and myoepithelial differentiation patterns. As a key component SMA-positive cells co-expressing cytokeratins could be identified. Although categorisation of adenomyoepithelial tumours in benign, borderline and malignant was supported by results of CGH, any assessment of prognosis requires to be firmly based on morphological grounds. At present it is not yet clear, if and to what extent proposed Ck5-positive progenitor cells contribute to the immunohistochemical and morphological heterogeneity of these neoplasms of the breast

Mitigation of radiation-induced lung pneumonitis and fibrosis using metformin and melatonin: A histopathological study

Background and objectives: Pneumonitis and fibrosis are the most common consequences of lung exposure to a high dose of ionizing radiation during an accidental radiological or nuclear event, and may lead to death, after some months to years. So far, some anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents have been used for mitigation of lung injury. In the present study, we aimed to detect possible mitigatory effects of melatonin and metformin on radiation-induced pneumonitis and lung fibrosis. Materials and methods: 40 male mice were divided into 4 groups (10 mice in each). For control group, mice did not receive radiation or drugs. In group 2, mice were irradiated to chest area with 18 Gy gamma rays. In groups 3 and 4, mice were first irradiated similar to group 2. After 24 h, treatment with melatonin as well as metformin began. Mice were sacrificed after 100 days for determination of mitigation of lung pneumonitis and fibrosis by melatonin or metformin. Results: Results showed that both melatonin and metformin are able to mitigate pneumonitis and fibrosis markers such as infiltration of inflammatory cells, edema, vascular and alveolar thickening, as well as collagen deposition. Conclusion: Melatonin and metformin may have some interesting properties for mitigation of radiation pneumonitis and fibrosis after an accidental radiation event. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland