Vine and Fruit Responses to Supplementary Irrigation and Canopy Management

Drip irrigation at 0.0, 0.2 or 0.4 of weekly Class A Pan evaporation was applied to grapevines cv. Shiraz in the Barossa Valley of South Australia. Irrigation resulted in a significant increase in yield and vegetative growth but also significantly changed wine composition and wine spectral measures. Canopy management by shoot positioning and treatment with ethephon, both designed to increase fruit exposure to sunlight, resulted in significant but small changes in wine quality measures. The implications of these treatments for the improvement of wine quality from irrigated vines are discussed

Virus thermotherapy effects on the performance of a Muscadelle selection

Virus thermotherapy of a clonally selected, high yielding but leaf-roll infected Muscadelle selection resulted in significantly greater yield and vegetative growth. There were more berries per bunch and heavier bunches in each year and a greater weight of annual prunings of heat treated propagules in 3 of the 4 years reported. No consistent differences in selected maturity components were observed

Robotic Versus Open Kidney Transplantation from Deceased Donors : A Prospective Observational Study

Background: While robot-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) from living donors has been shown to achieve favourable outcomes, there is a lack of evidence on the safety and efficacy of RAKT as compared with the gold standard open kidney transplantation (OKT) in the setting of deceased donors, who represent the source of most grafts worldwide. Objective: To compare the intraoperative, perioperative, and midterm outcomes of RAKT versus OKT from donors after brain death (DBDs). Design, setting, and participants: Data from consecutive patients undergoing RAKT or OKT from DBDs at a single academic centre between October 2017 and December 2020 were prospectively collected. Intervention: RAKT or OKT. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis: The primary outcomes were intraoperative adverse events, postoperative surgical complications, delayed graft function (DGF), and midterm functional outcomes. A multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed the independent predictors of DGF, trifecta, and suboptimal graft function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <45 ml/min/1.73 m) at the last follow-up. Results and limitations: Overall, 138 patients were included (117 [84.7%] OKTs and 21 [15.3%] RAKTs). The yearly proportion of RAKT ranged between 10% and 18% during the study period. The OKT and RAKT cohorts were comparable regarding all graft-related characteristics, while they differed regarding a few donor- and recipient-related factors. The median second warm ischaemic time, ureterovesical anastomosis time, postoperative complication rate, and eGFR trajectories did not differ significantly between the groups. A higher proportion of patients undergoing OKT experienced DGF; yet, at a median follow-up of 31 mo (interquartile range 19-44), there was no difference between the groups regarding the dialysis-free and overall survival. At the multivariable analysis, donor- and/or recipient-related factors, but not the surgical approach, were independent predictors of DGF, trifecta, and suboptimal graft function at the last follow-up. The study is limited by its nonrandomised nature and the small sample size. Conclusions: Our study provides preliminary evidence supporting the noninferiority of RAKT from DBDs as compared with the gold standard OKT in carefully selected recipients. Patient summary: Kidney transplantation using kidneys from deceased donors is still being performed with an open surgical approach in most transplant centres worldwide. In fact, no study has compared the outcomes of open and minimally invasive (robotic) kidney transplantation from deceased donors. In this study, we evaluated whether robotic kidney transplantation using grafts from deceased donors was not inferior to open kidney transplantation regarding the intraoperative, postoperative, and midterm functional outcomes. We found that, in experienced hands and provided that there was a time-efficient organisation of the transplantation pathway, robotic kidney transplantation from deceased donors was feasible and achieved noninferior outcomes as compared with open kidney transplantation

ESPRESSO: The next European exoplanet hunter

The acronym ESPRESSO stems for Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations; this instrument will be the next VLT high resolution spectrograph. The spectrograph will be installed at the Combined-Coud\'e Laboratory of the VLT and linked to the four 8.2 m Unit Telescopes (UT) through four optical Coud\'e trains. ESPRESSO will combine efficiency and extreme spectroscopic precision. ESPRESSO is foreseen to achieve a gain of two magnitudes with respect to its predecessor HARPS, and to improve the instrumental radial-velocity precision to reach the 10 cm/s level. It can be operated either with a single UT or with up to four UTs, enabling an additional gain in the latter mode. The incoherent combination of four telescopes and the extreme precision requirements called for many innovative design solutions while ensuring the technical heritage of the successful HARPS experience. ESPRESSO will allow to explore new frontiers in most domains of astrophysics that require precision and sensitivity. The main scientific drivers are the search and characterization of rocky exoplanets in the habitable zone of quiet, nearby G to M-dwarfs and the analysis of the variability of fundamental physical constants. The project passed the final design review in May 2013 and entered the manufacturing phase. ESPRESSO will be installed at the Paranal Observatory in 2016 and its operation is planned to start by the end of the same year.Comment: 12 pages, figures included, accepted for publication in Astron. Nach

Multicenter evaluation of use of dried blood spot compared to conventional plasma in measurements of globotriaosylsphingosine (LysoGb3) concentration in 104 Fabry patients.

Abstract Objectives Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder, resulting from a deficiency of the enzyme α-galactosidase A, responsible for breaking down glycolipids such as globotriaosylceramide and its deacylated derivative, globotriaosylsphingosine (LysoGb3). Here, we compare the levels of LysoGb3 in dried blood spots (DBS) and plasma in patients with classic and late-onset phenotypes. Methods LysoGb3 measurements were performed in 104 FD patients, 39 males and 65 females. Venous blood was collected. A portion was spotted onto filter paper and another portion separated to obtain plasma. The LysoGb3 concentrations in DBS and plasma were determined by highly sensitive electrospray ionization liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Agreement between different matrices was assessed using linear regression and Bland Altman analysis. Results The method on DBS was validated by evaluating its precision, accuracy, matrix effect, recovery, and stability. The analytical performances were verified by comparison of a total of 104 paired DBS and plasma samples from as many FD patients (representing 46 GLA variants). There was a strong correlation between plasma and the corresponding DBS LysoGb3 concentrations, with few exceptions. Discrepancies were observed in anemic patients with typically low hematocrit levels compared to the normal range. Conclusions The method proved to be efficient for the rapid analysis of LysoGb3. DBS provides a convenient, sensitive, and reproducible method for measuring LysoGb3 levels for diagnosis, initial phenotypic assignment, and therapeutic monitoring in patients with FD

Light Isotope Abundances in Solar Energetic Particles measured by the Space Instrument NINA

This article reports nine Solar Energetic Particle events detected by the instrument NINA between October 1998 and April 1999. NINA is a silicon-based particle detector mounted on-board the Russian satellite Resurs-01-N4, which has flown at an altitude of about 800 km in polar inclination since July 1998. For every solar event the power-law He4 spectrum across the energy interval 10--50 MeV/n was reconstructed, and spectral indexes, gamma, from 1.8 to 6.8 extracted. Data of He3 and He4 were used to determine the He3/He4 ratio, that for some SEP events indicated an enrichment in He3. For the 1998 November 7 event the ratio reached a maximum value of 0.33+- 0.06, with spectral indexes of gamma = 2.5 +- 0.6 and gamma = 3.7 +- 0.3 for He3 and He4, respectively. The He3/He4 ratio averaged over the remaining events was 0.011 +- 0.004. For all events the deuterium-to-proton ratio was determined. The average value over all events was (3.9+-1.4) 10^{-5} across the energy interval 9--12 MeV/n. For one event (1998 November 24) this ratio yielded approximately 10 times higher than normal coronal values. Upper limits on the H3/H1 counting ratio for all events were determined. For the 1998 November 14 SEP event the high flux of heavy particles detected made it possible to reconstruct the carbon and oxygen flux.Comment: 42 pages, 14 figures, submitted to Journal of Geophysical Researc

In-Orbit Performance of the Space Telescope NINA and GCR Flux Measurements

The NINA apparatus, on board the Russian satellite Resurs-01 n.4, has been in polar orbit since 1998 July 10, at an altitude of 840 km. Its main scientific task is to study the galactic, solar and anomalous components of cosmic rays in the energy interval 10--200 MeV/n. In this paper we present a description of the instrument and its basic operating modes. Measurements of Galactic Cosmic Ray spectra will also be shown.Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in the ApJ

THE SPACE TELESCOPE NINA: RESULTS OF A BEAM TEST CALIBRATION

Abstract In June 1998 the telescope NINA will be launched in space on board of the Russian satellite Resource-01 n.4. The main scientific objective of the mission is the study of the anomalous, galactic and solar components of the cosmic rays in the energy interval 10–200 MeV/n. The core of the instrument is a silicon detector whose performances have been tested with a particle beam at the GSI Laboratory in Germany in 1997; we report here on the results obtained during the beam calibration