Modeling Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Technology for Seed Planting Depth Detection using Numerical Scheme based on Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) Method

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is an electromagnetic (EM) signal based technology, commonly used as a non-destructive technique to explore subsurface features and identify different depth profiles in materials. The overall goals of this work is to evaluate GPR for non-destructive mapping of seed planting depth. Soils are inherently complex materials and numerous factors affect GPR behavior. The fundamental factors affecting GPR response are dielectric permittivity, magnetic permeability, and electrical conductivity, which are influenced by soil bulk density, texture, salinity, organic matter, volumetric water content, seed properties and physical geometry. To successfully optimize GPR’s ability to detect seed planting depth, the influence of these factors must be evaluated. This paper describes the development of a single dimensional GPR simulation model, based on finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, to evaluate the use of GPR sensing of seed planting depth. The simulation results shows that the EM signal is highly sensitive to high values of the electrical conductivity. High permittivity values decrease the EM signal velocity, wavelength and strength. A combination of these two properties leads to a significant EM signal attenuation ranging from 0 to ~ 800 dBm-1 as the signal traverses through the soil and seed. The lack of sufficient dielectric contrast between soil and seed presents a challenge on the detectability of the reflected signal by the radar receiver, therefore a sufficient dielectric contrast between the soil and seed has to be present to allow the GPR to be a viable tool to map the seed planting depth

CSRD Technical Exchange: ICPAC and National Climate Maprooms – Existing and New Tools for Drought Monitoring and Forecasting in Eastern Africa

In 2005, the International Research Institute for Climate and Society published its assessment of key gaps in the use of climate information for health, agriculture, water and other sectors in countries across Africa. The results from the report were less than stellar. After an extensive review of use of climate information in the development sectors of Africa, the authors concluded that the continent suffered from “market atrophy” – the reinforcing effect of inadequate effective supply of climate information and weak effective demand. Twelve years later, organizations such as the IRI, CSRD program, CCAFS, ICPAC, and UKMO have made enormous strides at increasing both climate information supply and effective demand through the implementation of climate data platforms and the organizing of capacity-building seminars. In order to capitalize on the presence of the many climate and sector experts from across the IGAD region, the organizations above held a joint event, the CSRD Technical Exchange: ICPAC and National Climate Maprooms – Existing and New Tools for Drought Monitoring and Forecasting in Eastern Africa, in Zanzibar on August 23-25, 2017, immediately after the 47th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF47). The workshop was designed to offer potential and existing users a platform to voice their needs for the development and better use of historical, monitored and forecast information for the management of drought across climate-sensitive sectors

Acoustic Compaction Layer Detection

ABSTRACT. The ASAE standardized tool to detect the depth and strength of compaction layers in the field is the cone penetrometer. Since this method is point-to-point, researchers have experimented with on-the-fly alternatives that can be used as, or in combination with, a standard tillage tool. On-the-fly compaction layer sensing also enables adaptive tillage, where the soil is only tilled as deep as necessary, which can lead to significant energy savings and erosion reduction. Wedged tips, strain gauges mounted on a deflecting tine, air bubbles pushed into the soil, as well as ground-penetrating radar have been tested for this purpose. In this research, passive acoustics was used to detect the compaction layer by recording the sound of a cone being drawn through the soil. The premise was that a more compacted layer should cause higher sound levels, which might reveal the depth and strength of the compaction layer. Two experiments were conducted in the soil bins of the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, Alabama. First, constant-depth tests (15 and 30 cm) at three compaction levels (0.72, 2.8, and 3.6 MPa) revealed the relationship of sound amplitude with depth and compaction. Second, to test the detection capability, the cone was gradually inserted in the soil, passing through an artificial compaction layer. A windowed, short-time Fourier transform (STFT) analysis showed that the compaction layer is detectable since the sound amplitude was positively related to depth and compaction levels, but only in the highest frequency range of the spectrum. This led to the conjecture that the soil-cone interface acts as a low-pass filtering mechanism, where the cutoff frequency becomes higher in the compaction layer due to a more intimate contact between sensor and soil

Prevalence of brucellosis and associated risk factors in dairy cattle in Maekel and Debub Regions, Eritrea

IntroductionBrucellosis is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. It is considered endemic in Eritrea, however, the current prevalence status and related risk factors in animals are unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for brucellosis in dairy cattle in Maekel and Debub regions, Eritrea.MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted between August 2021 and February 2022. A total of 2,740 dairy cattle from 214 herds in 10 sub-regions of Eritrea were selected for blood and data collection. Blood samples were tested using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and positive samples were confirmed using competitive (c-ELISA). Data on risk factors was collected using questionnaire and analyzed using logistic regression.ResultsIn total, 34/2740 animals tested positive by RBPT. Of these, 29 were confirmed positive by c-ELISA, giving an apparent and estimated true individual-level prevalence of 1.1% (95% CI: 0.7, 1.5%) and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.9, 1.8%), respectively. Sixteen herds (7.5%) tested positive by RBPT and of these 15 herds (7.0%) were confirmed positive by c-ELISA, giving an estimated true herd-level prevalence of 7.0% (95% CI: 4.0, 10.7). Animal and herd-level apparent prevalence was 1.6 and 9.2% in Maekel, while in Debub it was 0.6 and 5.5%, respectively. Multivariable regression analysis indicated that non-pregnant lactating cows (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.35; p = 0.042) were more likely to be Brucella sero-positive. History of abortion on the farm (aOR = 5.71; p = 0.026) and larger number of cows in the herd (aOR = 1.14; p &amp;lt; 0.001) were associated with brucellosis sero-positivity in herds.ConclusionBrucellosis prevalence was low in the study areas. Nonetheless, this low prevalence may increase if the disease is not controlled. Therefore, testing animals before movement, good farming practices, sanitary measures, and an awareness raising program on brucellosis are recommended.</jats:sec

Perceived Effectiveness of Flirtation Tactics: The Effects of sex, Mating Context and Individual Differences in US and Norwegian Samples

Flirting involves various signals communicated between individuals. To attract potential mates, men and women exhibit flirtatious behavior to get the attention of, and potentially elicit sexual or romantic interest from, a desired partner. In this first large, preregistered study of judgement of the effectiveness of flirtation tactics based on Sexual Strategies Theory, we considered the effects of flirter’s (actor) sex and mating contexts in addition to rater’s (participant) sex across two cultures, Norway and the U.S. Culturally relevant covariates such as sociosexuality, extraversion, mate value, age, and religiosity were examined. Participants from Norway (N=415, 56% women) and the US (N=577, 69% women) responded to one of four different randomized questionnaires representing a factorial design considering either short-term versus long-term mating context and either female or male sex of actor. We found that sexual availability cues were judged more effective when employed by women in short-term mating contexts. Friendly contact, such as hugs or kissing on the cheek, was not. Cues to generosity and commitment were judged more effective when employed by men in long-term mating contexts. Humor was rated as more effective when used by men and in long-term contexts, and least effective when used by women in short term contexts. However, laughing or giggling at someone’s jokes was an effective flirtation tactic for both sexes. Overall, predictions for culturally relevant covariates were not supported, but cultural differences were found in bodily displays, initial contact, and generosity. These findings dovetail neatly with findings from the self-promotion literature, and further support that flirtation is a universal mate signaling strategy

VANGL2 regulates luminal epithelial organization and cell turnover in the mammary gland

The VANGL family of planar cell polarity proteins is implicated in breast cancer however its function in mammary gland biology is unknown. Here, we utilized a panel of Vang1 and Vangl2 mouse alleles to examine the requirement of VANGL family members in the murine mammary gland. We show that Vang1CKOΔ/Δ glands display normal branching while Vangl2flox/flox and Vangl2Lp/Lp tissue exhibit several phenotypes. In MMTV-Cre;Vangl2flox/flox glands, cell turnover is reduced and lumens are narrowed. A Vangl2 missense mutation in the Vangl2Lp/Lp tissue leads to mammary anlage sprouting defects and deficient outgrowth with transplantation of anlage or secondary tissue fragments. In successful Vangl2Lp/Lp outgrowths, three morphological phenotypes are observed: distended ducts, supernumerary end buds, and ectopic acini. Layer specific defects are observed with loss of Vangl2 selectively in either basal or luminal layers of mammary cysts. Loss in the basal compartment inhibits cyst formation, but has the opposite effect in the luminal compartment. Candidate gene analysis on MMTV-Cre;Vangl2flox/flox and Vangl2Lp/Lp tissue reveals a significant reduction in Bmi1 expression, with overexpression of Bmi1 rescuing defects in Vangl2 knockdown cysts. Our results demonstrate that VANGL2 is necessary for normal mammary gland development and indicate differential functional requirements in basal versus luminal mammary compartments

p53 Mediates Cigarette Smoke–Induced Apoptosis of Pulmonary Endothelial Cells: Inhibitory Effects of Macrophage Migration Inhibitor Factor

Exposure to cigarette smoke (CS) is the most common cause of emphysema, a debilitating pulmonary disease histopathologically characterized by the irreversible destruction of lung architecture. Mounting evidence links enhanced endothelial apoptosis causally to the development of emphysema. However, the molecular determinants of human endothelial cell apoptosis and survival in response to CS are not fully defined. Such determinants could represent clinically relevant targets for intervention. We show here that CS extract (CSE) triggers the death of human pulmonary macrovascular endothelial cells (HPAECs) through a caspase 9–dependent apoptotic pathway. Exposure to CSE results in the increased expression of p53 in HPAECs. Using the p53 inhibitor, pifithrin-α (PFT-α), and RNA interference (RNAi) directed at p53, we demonstrate that p53 function and expression are required for CSE-mediated apoptosis. The expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), an antiapoptotic cytokine produced by HPAECs, also increases in response to CSE exposure. The addition of recombinant human MIF prevents cell death from exposure to CSE. Further, the suppression of MIF or its receptor/binding partner, Jun activation domain–binding protein 1 (Jab-1), with RNAi enhances the sensitivity of human pulmonary endothelial cells to CSE via a p53-dependent (PFT-α–inhibitable) pathway. Finally, we demonstrate that MIF is a negative regulator of p53 expression in response to CSE, placing MIF upstream of p53 as an antagonist of CSE-induced apoptosis. We conclude that MIF can protect human vascular endothelium from the toxic effects of CSE via the antagonism of p53-mediated apoptosis