A LADM-based temporal cadastral information system for modelling of easement rights – A case study of Turkey

Type people to land relations are dynamic and, as a consequence, the nature of land title and cadastral data is of a dynamic nature. Land title and cadastral data are core components for a lot of property applications (e.g. taxation, valuation, mortgage). Those applications require up to date, complete and reliable data–including temporal data as in use in application forms and transactions. In this paper, the modelling of Rights, Restrictions and Responsibilities (RRR) is discussed with a focus on the modelling of easement rights in a case study in Turkey. Functional requirements with respect to the characteristics of easement rights are investigated based upon interviews with professional experts in the public and private sector. Then a prototype model was built based on a simple implementation of the Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) RRR classes and by conforming to the national cadastral data management standards related to land registration systems. This new proposed model includes temporal cadastral attributes related to easements. This is materialised in the ‘Administrative Package’ and illustrated in the Turkey LADM country profile. We show that the LADM can be used to describe for the time dimension of cadastral information in Turkey, but that there are semantic differences, similarities and mismatches of classes and attributes between the LADM and the cadastral information system in Turkey. Proposed LADM-based model for the time dimension of cadastral information will be of immense advantage to land administrators, the governments and land users in Turkey

Prognostic value of bcl-2 expression in invasive breast cancer.

Expression of the bcl-2 proto-oncogene was studied immunohistochemically in 251 invasive ductal breast carcinomas (median follow-up time 91 months, range 24-186 months) and the results were correlated with clinicopathological data and prognostic variables. Sixty-three (25%) tumours were scored bcl-2 negative and 188 (75%) tumours were bcl-2 positive. No relationship could be observed between bcl-2 status and tumour grade, pTNM staging or menopausal status. A strong positive relationship was demonstrated between bcl-2 immunoreactivity and oestrogen receptor status (P < 0.001) and progesterone receptor status (P < 0.001). No prognostic value was demonstrated for bcl-2 expression on disease-free survival and overall survival in axillary node-negative breast cancer patients. However, in axillary node-positive breast cancer patients multivariate analysis demonstrated absence of bcl-2 expression to be independently related to shortened disease-free survival (P = 0.003) and shortened overall survival (P < 0.001). Our results suggest a potential important role for bcl-2 expression as a modulator of response to adjuvant therapy in breast cancer

Simulating growth, development, and yield of tillering pearl millet I. Leaf area profiles on main shoots and tillers

Pearl millet (Pennisteum americanum L.) is an essential crop in farming systems of the dry areas of the semi-arid tropics and its tillering habit is an important adaptive feature. This is the first paper in a series aiming at developing and validating a pearl millet simulation model that recognises tillers as functional entities, analogous to intercrops. The objective of this paper is to quantify the effects of total leaf number per axis (TLN), cultivar, plant density and axis number on parameters that are used to simulate potential leaf area per plant. Four cultivars with different phenology and tillering habit were grown under well-watered and well-fertilised conditions at two locations in India, covering a range of daylengths and plant densities. For selected plants, the area of fully expanded leaves was measured non-destructively. A bell-shaped function adequately described the relationship between individual leaf area and leaf position on an axis. Its shape was determined by the position (X0) and area (Y0) of the largest leaf and by the breadth and skewness of the leaf area profile curve. TLN affected all four parameters, although the association with Y0 was weak. Cultivar only affected Y0, suggesting that parameterising new cultivars is straightforward. The observed density effect confirmed that competition for light between axes started during stem elongation. The results highlighted the consistent differences between leaf area profiles of main shoots and tillers. For a high-tillering crop like pearl millet, modelling leaf area dynamics through individual leaves is justified, as this approach can potentially deal with cultivar and environmental effects on tillering

Integrating Genotype by Environment Interaction Analysis, Characterization of Drought Patterns, and Farmer Preferences to Identify Adaptive Plant Traits for Pearl Millet

The efficiency of crop improvement for variable stress environments can be enhanced if adaptive plant traits (morpho-physiological and developmental) can be identified. The desirability of a plant trait in an environment depends on the expected patterns of drought stress, the attitude of farmers towards risk, and on the specific requirements of the local farming system. The aim of this chapter is to identify plant traits for pearl millet that enhance adaptation to the harsh environments of Rajasthan (India), by combining analyses of drought patterns, genotype by environment (GxE) interactions, and farmers' preferences for plant traits. For environments covering the range of rainfall regimes in Rajasthan, we identified drought patterns by estimating plant-available soil water from long-term rainfall data. Environmental and genotypic causes of the GxE interactions were obtained from a multi-environment trial. Village studies provided information on farmers' responses to rainfall patterns and their preference for plant traits. A decline in rainfall in Rajasthan from east to west was associated with a shorter rainy season and increased, more unpredictable, occurrence of drought stress. The GxE interaction showed that phenology was an effective escape mechanism under terminal drought, but that developmental plasticity is required if the dress occurrence is unpredictable. Early flowering of pearl millet was of interest to many farmers across Rajasthan, but the preferred yield component ranged from a large panicle size in wet areas to high tillering (plasticity) in drier areas. This indicates the need for contrasting plant types across rainfall regimes. High tillering was said to improve the fodder value and to stabilize yield in dry seasons. This perception of risk avoidance in dry years was also evident in the practice of replacing pearl millet by a long-duration fodder legume and a short-duration dual-purpose legume for late plantings when drought is expected. Short-duration pearl millet varieties may provide farmers with more opportunities to adjust to the variability in the onset of the rains

Diallel Analysis of the Stay-Green Trait and Its Components in Sorghum

Stay-green in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] is an important component of post-flowering drought tolerance. This research was conducted to describe (i) stay-green as post-flowering green leaf area duration (GLAD) and its components [green leaf area (GLA) flowering, timing for onset of senescence, and senescence rate] and (ii) the expression of heterosis for stay-green in terms of heterosis for its components. The study was conducted during the 1992 to 1993 and 1993 to 1994 post-rainy season at ICRISAT headquarters near Hyderabad, India. It involved a nine-parent complete diallel, in two experiments differing in soil-water availability after flowering. Weekly estimations of % GLA were made on 36 leaves per plot. Relative (%days) and absolute (m2 days) GLAD and their components were derived from a fitted logistic function. The variances in both relative and absolute GLAD were each fully (R2 > 0.96) accounted for by their components. In spite of significant genotype × environment interactions for the component traits, the expression of heterosis for non-senescence as related to the stay-green trait was stable across experiments. The inheritance of the onset of senescence was additive, but a slow senescence rate was dominant over a fast rate. Consequently, a large relative GLAD (slow senescence) was partially dominant over a small relative GLAD. Because of the dominance of a large leaf area at flowering, the partial dominance in relative GLAD translated into overdominance for a large absolute GLAD. These results offer an opportunity for improving drought tolerance of sorghum in environments with post-flowering drought stress

U-SPECT-BioFluo: an integrated radionuclide, bioluminescence, and fluorescence imaging platform

Background: In vivo bioluminescence, fluorescence, and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging provide complementary information about biological processes. However, to date these signatures are evaluated separately on individual preclinical systems. In this paper, we introduce a fully integrated bioluminescence-fluorescence-SPECT platform. Next to an optimization in logistics and image fusion, this integration can help improve understanding of the optical imaging (OI) results. Methods: An OI module was developed for a preclinical SPECT system (U-SPECT, MILabs, Utrecht, the Netherlands). The applicability of the module for bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging was evaluated in both a phantom and in an in vivo setting using mice implanted with a 4 T1-luc + tumor. A combination of a fluorescent dye and radioactive moiety was used to directly relate the optical images of the module to the SPECT findings. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was compared to the localization of the fluorescence signal in the tumors. Results: Both the phantom and in vivo mouse studies showed that superficial fluorescence signals could be imaged accurately. The SPECT and bioluminescence images could be used to place the fluorescence findings in perspective, e.g. by showing tracer accumulation in non-target organs such as the liver and kidneys (SPECT) and giving a semi-quantitative read-out for tumor spread (bioluminescence). Conclusions: We developed a fully integrated multimodal platform that provides complementary registered imaging of bioluminescent, fluorescent, and SPECT signatures in a single scanning session with a single dose of anesthesia. In our view, integration of these modalities helps to improve data interpretation of optical findings in relation to radionuclide images

A physiological framework to explain genetic and environmental regulation of tillering in sorghum

Tillering determines the plant size of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and an understanding of its regulation is important to match genotypes to prevalent growing conditions in target production environments. The aim of this study was to determine the physiological and environmental regulation of variability in tillering among sorghum genotypes, and to develop a framework for this regulation. * Diverse sorghum genotypes were grown in three experiments with contrasting temperature, radiation and plant density to create variation in tillering. Data on phenology, tillering, and leaf and plant size were collected. A carbohydrate supply/demand (S/D) index that incorporated environmental and genotypic parameters was developed to represent the effects of assimilate availability on tillering. Genotypic differences in tillering not explained by this index were defined as propensity to tiller (PTT) and probably represented hormonal effects. * Genotypic variation in tillering was associated with differences in leaf width, stem diameter and PTT. The S/D index captured most of the environmental effects on tillering and PTT most of the genotypic effects. * A framework that captures genetic and environmental regulation of tillering through assimilate availability and PTT was developed, and provides a basis for the development of a model that connects genetic control of tillering to its phenotypic consequences