Determining water use of sorghum from two-source energy balance and radiometric temperatures

Estimates of surface actual evapotranspiration (ET) can assist in predicting crop water requirements. An alternative to the traditional crop-coefficient methods are the energy balance models. The objective of this research was to show how surface temperature observations can be used, together with a two-source energy balance model, to determine crop water use throughout the different phenological stages of a crop grown. Radiometric temperatures were collected in a sorghum (<i>Sorghum bicolor</i>) field as part of an experimental campaign carried out in Barrax, Spain, during the 2010 summer growing season. Performance of the Simplified Two-Source Energy Balance (STSEB) model was evaluated by comparison of estimated ET with values measured on a weighing lysimeter. Errors of ±0.14 mm h<sup>−1</sup> and ±1.0 mm d<sup>−1</sup> were obtained at hourly and daily scales, respectively. Total accumulated crop water use during the campaign was underestimated by 5%. It is then shown that thermal radiometry can provide precise crop water necessities and is a promising tool for irrigation management

Estimación de la evaporación/transpiración en un cultivo de viña mediante radiometría térmica

La estimación precisa de la evapotranspiración de cultivo (ETc), así como su partición en las componentes evaporativa (E) y transpirativa (T), resultan fundamentales para mejorar la eficacia en la gestión del riego de cultivos en hilera en regiones áridas y semiáridas. El objetivo de este trabajo es contribuir a un mejor entendimiento de la partición E/T sobre viña llevando a cabo un balance de energía por separado para las componentes de suelo y de vegetación. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de un experimento llevado a cabo en la finca de Las Tiesas, Albacete, de junio a octubre de 2013. Se instalaron un conjunto de radiómetros de infrarrojo térmico, apuntando directamente a las plantas y al suelo entre hileras. Se tomaron medidas de las cuatro componentes de la radiación neta, del flujo de calor en el suelo, además de variables meteorológicas y parámetros biofísicos. Todas las medidas se almacenaron en intervalos de 15 minutos, y se promediaron después a escala horaria y diaria. El valor medio observado de ETc fue de 3,1 mm día-1. La evaporación se estimó en torno al 30%. Los resultados presentados en este trabajo ofrecen una primera impresión de la partición E/T, y muestran el potencial de la caracterización térmica de la viña con este finAn accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and its partition into both components, soil evaporation (E) and canopy transpiration (T), is known to be critical for a more effective irrigation scheduling of row-crops in arid and semi-arid environments. Vineyards are the best example in Mediterranean countries. The aim of this work is to improve our understanding of the E/T partition in vineyards by establishing a separate energy balance for soil and canopy components. An experiment was conducted in Las Tiesas experimental farm, Albacete (Spain), from June to October of 2013. A set of thermal-infrared radiometers were assembled pointing directly to the plants and the soil between rows. Measurements of the four components of the net radiation over the canopy and soil heat fluxes, as well as meteorological variables and biophysical parameters were all collected and stored every 15-min. Hourly and daily averages were then computed and analyzed. An average daily ETc value of 3.1 mm day-1 was observed in both sites. Interrow soil evaporation reached as much as 30% of the total ETc. These results provide a first insight into the partition E/T and show the potential of the vine thermal characterization with this aim.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2013-46862-C2-1/2-PUnión Europea, AGL2014-54201-C4-4-RInstituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias RTA 2011-00100-C05-04Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agrarias RTA 2014-00049-C05-03Generalitat Valenciana PROMETEOII/2014/08

Analgesic effect and side effects of celecoxib and meloxicam in canine hip osteoarthritis

Objective. To evaluate the pharmacological, clinical and toxicological effects of celecoxib and meloxicam for analgesia for 30 days in dogs with hip osteoarthritis. Materials and methods. Twenty-four patients were evaluated, 75% were females with an average age of 7.16 ± 2.06 years and twenty five percent were males with an average age of 7.83 ± 2.22 years. All patients had hip osteoarthritis and they were randomized into two groups; one group received oral celecoxib 5 mg/kg every 12 hours during one month and the second group received oral meloxicam 0.2 mg/kg every 24 hours during 1 month. The patients were evaluated for analgesia, and hematological, renal, liver, and coagulation tests on days 0, 10th and 30th after treatment initiation, and a gastric endoscopy on day 30. Statistical analysis was performed using a HSD Tukey test and c2 with a 5% level of statistical significance. Results. Both drugs reduced articular pain according to the Melbourne scale during the 30 days of treatment (p≤0.05). Hematological, renal, hepatic and coagulation tests were normal in both treatment groups. All patients presented chronic gastritis on endoscopy on day 30th. Conclusions. Both drugs decreased pain at day 30th without causing alterations in hematological, renal, hepatic or coagulation tests after 30 days of treatment. However, both drugs induced chronic gastritis

The challenges of containing SARS-CoV-2 via test-trace-and-isolate

Without a cure, vaccine, or proven long-term immunity against SARS-CoV-2, test-trace-and-isolate (TTI) strategies present a promising tool to contain the viral spread. For any TTI strategy, however, a major challenge arises from pre- and asymptomatic transmission as well as TTI-avoiders, which contribute to hidden, unnoticed infection chains. In our semi-analytical model, we identified two distinct tipping points between controlled and uncontrolled spreading: one, at which the behavior-driven reproduction number of the hidden infections becomes too large to be compensated by the available TTI capabilities, and one at which the number of new infections starts to exceed the tracing capacity, causing a self-accelerating spread. We investigated how these tipping points depend on realistic limitations like limited cooperativity, missing contacts, and imperfect isolation, finding that TTI is likely not sufficient to contain the natural spread of SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, complementary measures like reduced physical contacts and improved hygiene probably remain necessary

ESTIMACIÓN DE LA EVAPORACIÓN/TRANSPIRACIÓN EN UN CULTIVO DE TRIGO MEDIANTE RADIOMETRÍA TÉRMICA

[EN] This work shows the application of a two-source energy balance model, together with surface temperature measurements, to derive hourly and daily values of land surface energy fluxes of wheat, crop evapotranspiration (ETc) included. An experiment was carried out during the spring of 2014 in a wheat field located in the experimental farm of “Las Tiesas” in Barrax, Albacete. Soil and canopy radiometric temperatures were measured, as well as meteorological variables and biophysical parameters, from plantation to senescence. Results were compared to measurements in a weighing lysimeter installed within the wheat field. Estimation errors of ±0.10 mm h-1 and ±0.9 mm d-1 were obtained at hourly and daily scales, respectively. Cumulated value of ETc for the whole campaign was only 4% over that registered in the lysimeter. Furthermore, a percentage 30% - 70% between evaporation (E) and transpiration (T) components was obtained for the full campaign. Modeled values of the wheat crop coefficients were also retrieved and compared to those proposed by FAO56.[ES] En este trabajo se propone la aplicación de un modelo de balance de energía de dos fuentes que, junto con medidas de la temperatura de la superficie, proporcione valores horarios y diarios de los flujos energéticos en superficie, incluyendo la evapotranspiración real del cultivo de trigo (ETc). Para mostrar la aplicación y utilidad del método se realizó un experimento en la primavera de 2014 sobre una plantación de trigo situada dentro de la finca experimental “Las Tiesas” en el término de Barrax, Albacete. Se midieron temperaturas del suelo y de la vegetación, además de variables meteorológicas y parámetros biofísicos, desde el momento de la siembra hasta la recolección. Los resultados se compararon con las medidas de un lisímetro de pesada instalado en la parcela, obteniendo unos errores de estimación de ±0,10 mm h-1 y ±0,9 mm d-1 a escalas horaria y diaria, respectivamente. Por su parte el valor de ETc acumulado para toda la campaña fue solo el 4% mayor que el valor medido en el lisímetro. Además, el porcentaje entre la componente evaporativa (E) y transpirativa (T) fue de 30%-70% para el total de la campaña. El modelo también permite estimar los coeficientes de cultivo del trigo, y compararlos con los propuestos por FAO56.Sánchez, J.; López-Urrea, R.; Doña, C.; Caselles, V.; González-Piqueras, J. (2015). ESTIMACIÓN DE LA EVAPORACIÓN/TRANSPIRACIÓN EN UN CULTIVO DE TRIGO MEDIANTE RADIOMETRÍA TÉRMICA. En XXXIII CONGRESO NACIONAL DE RIEGOS. Valencia 16-18 junio de 2015. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/CNRiegos.2015.1504OCS

Manejo exitoso de macroadenoma hipofisario no funcionante con cabergolina

Los adenomas hipofisarios no funcionantes (AHNF) son aquellos que no se acompañan de ninguna manifestación de hipersecreción hormonal. Sus síntomas se deben al efecto compresivo por crecimiento tumoral, y la cirugía transesfenoidal es el tratamiento de elección como terapia inicial, mientras que en aquellos en los cuales no se presente sintomatología se sugiere el manejo expectante. No existe en el momento un tratamiento farmacológico estandarizado para el manejo de los AHNF. Sin embargo, se ha postulado el uso de agonistas dopaminérgicos en la reducción del tamaño de los AHNF. Se presenta el caso de una paciente con un hallazgo incidental de AHNF en contacto con el quiasma óptico, sin manifestaciones clínicas, quien rechazó la intervención quirúrgica, por lo cual se realizó una prueba terapéutica con cabergolina. Después de 6 meses de tratamiento, se realizó una resonancia magnética en la que se evidenció la reducción del volumen tumoral del 73 % sin contacto con el quiasm

Experiment design and bacterial abundance control extracellular H2O2 concentrations during four series of mesocosm experiments

The extracellular concentration of H2O2 in surface aquatic environments is controlled by a balance between photochemical production and the microbial synthesis of catalase and peroxidase enzymes to remove H2O2 from solution. In any kind of incubation experiment, the formation rates and equilibrium concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) such as H2O2 may be sensitive to both the experiment design, particularly to the regulation of incident light, and the abundance of different microbial groups, as both cellular H2O2 production and catalase–peroxidase enzyme production rates differ between species. Whilst there are extensive measurements of photochemical H2O2 formation rates and the distribution of H2O2 in the marine environment, it is poorly constrained how different microbial groups affect extracellular H2O2 concentrations, how comparable extracellular H2O2 concentrations within large-scale incubation experiments are to those observed in the surface-mixed layer, and to what extent a mismatch with environmentally relevant concentrations of ROS in incubations could influence biological processes differently to what would be observed in nature. Here we show that both experiment design and bacterial abundance consistently exert control on extracellular H2O2 concentrations across a range of incubation experiments in diverse marine environments. During four large-scale (>1000 L) mesocosm experiments (in Gran Canaria, the Mediterranean, Patagonia and Svalbard) most experimental factors appeared to exert only minor, or no, direct effect on H2O2 concentrations. For example, in three of four experiments where pH was manipulated to 0.4–0.5 below ambient pH, no significant change was evident in extracellular H2O2 concentrations relative to controls. An influence was sometimes inferred from zooplankton density, but not consistently between different incubation experiments, and no change in H2O2 was evident in controlled experiments using different densities of the copepod Calanus finmarchicus grazing on the diatom Skeletonema costatum (<1 % change in [H2O2] comparing copepod densities from 1 to 10 L−1). Instead, the changes in H2O2 concentration contrasting high- and low-zooplankton incubations appeared to arise from the resulting changes in bacterial activity. The correlation between bacterial abundance and extracellular H2O2 was stronger in some incubations than others (R2 range 0.09 to 0.55), yet high bacterial densities were consistently associated with low H2O2. Nonetheless, the main control on H2O2 concentrations during incubation experiments relative to those in ambient, unenclosed waters was the regulation of incident light. In an open (lidless) mesocosm experiment in Gran Canaria, H2O2 was persistently elevated (2–6-fold) above ambient concentrations; whereas using closed high-density polyethylene mesocosms in Crete, Svalbard and Patagonia H2O2 within incubations was always reduced (median 10 %–90 %) relative to ambient waters

Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection Increases B.1.1.7 Cross-Neutralization by Vaccinated Individuals

With the spread of new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is a need to assess the protection conferred by both previous infections and current vaccination. Here we tested the neutralizing activity of infected and/or vaccinated individuals against pseudoviruses expressing the spike of the original SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan-Hu-1 (WH1), the D614G mutant and the B.1.1.7 variant. Our data show that parameters of natural infection (time from infection and nature of the infecting variant) determined cross-neutralization. Uninfected vaccinees showed a small reduction in neutralization against the B.1.1.7 variant compared to both the WH1 strain and the D614G mutant. Interestingly, upon vaccination, previously infected individuals developed more robust neutralizing responses against B.1.1.7, suggesting that vaccines can boost the neutralization breadth conferred by natural infection

POZylation: a new approach to enhance nanoparticle diffusion through mucosal barriers

The increasing use of nanoparticles in the pharmaceutical industry is generating concomitant interest in developing nanomaterials that can rapidly penetrate into, and permeate through, biological membranes to facilitate drug delivery and improve the bioavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Here, we demonstrate that the permeation of thiolated silica nanoparticles through porcine gastric mucosa can be significantly enhanced by their functionalization with either 5 kDa poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) or poly(ethylene glycol). Nanoparticle diffusion was assessed using two independent techniques; Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, and fluorescence microscopy. Our results show that poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(ethylene glycol) have comparable abilities to enhance diffusion of silica nanoparticles in mucin dispersions and through the gastric mucosa. These findings provide a new strategy in the design of nanomedicines, by surface modification or nanoparticle core construction, for enhanced transmucosal drug delivery