Effects of Drip Irrigation and Cultivation Methods on Establishment of Seeded Tall Fescue

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) is becoming increasingly popular for maintaining turfgrass, in part because it conserves water. However, turf managers considering SDI may wonder if SDI is effective in establishing seeded turfgrass, should the need arise. Also, can verticutting or core aeration be used to establish the seedbed without damaging the buried driplines? Is one of those two cultivation methods better than the other? These questions were evaluated in this study. An aboveground drip irrigation system (AGD) was also evaluated because it has been suggested as a portable method for establishing turfgrass planted along roadsides. Results indicated seeded tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.] turf was successfully established with SDI in fine-textured soil in a transition zone climate. Seeded turf established faster with SDI than AGD or overhead sprinkler irrigation. With SDI, establishment was faster when water was applied 2× than 3× or 1× per day (the same amount of water per day was applied in each, but was split into one, two, or three applications). Core aerification and verticutting for seedbed preparation were equally successful in establishing seeded tall fescue using SDI. Buried driplines were not damaged under the conditions of this study, but depths of cultivation and driplines must always be considered to avoid SDI damage

Establishing Seeded Tall Fescue with Covers and Drip Irrigation Methods

The use of covers may improve establishment of seeded turfgrass but their use in combination with drip irrigation techniques has not been evaluated. We investigated the effects of two cover types and three irrigation methods on establishment of seeded tall fescue turfgrass. For spring seeding of tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.], turf establishment was successful with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) and aboveground drip irrigation (AGD) in fine textured soil in the transition zone. With SDI, AGD, or sprinkler irrigation, both polyester mesh (Poly) and straw blanket (Straw) covers improved turf establishment in the order of Poly \u3e Straw \u3e No Cover, but turf establishment in Poly and Straw became similar over time. Soil surface temperature averaged higher in Poly (14°C [57°F]) than Straw (9.5°C [49°F]) and No Cover (8.6°C [47.5°F]) during the first 12 days after seeding when covers were installed. Results indicate that covers improved spring establishment of seeded, cool-season turfgrass in a fine-textured soil and in a US transition zone climate by mitigating low temperature extremes and reducing erosion during rainfall. Establishment was similar between drip (SDI and AGD) and sprinkler irrigation, but the use of protective covers is recommended when establishing turfgrass from seed

Comparative analysis of inflamed and non-inflamed colon biopsies reveals strong proteomic inflammation profile in patients with ulcerative colitis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Accurate diagnostic and monitoring tools for ulcerative colitis (UC) are missing. Our aim was to describe the proteomic profile of UC and search for markers associated with disease exacerbation. Therefore, we aimed to characterize specific proteins associated with inflamed colon mucosa from patients with acute UC using mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Biopsies were sampled from rectum, sigmoid colon and left colonic flexure from twenty patients with active proctosigmoiditis and from four healthy controls for proteomics and histology. Proteomic profiles of whole colonic biopsies were characterized using 2D-gel electrophoresis, and peptide mass fingerprinting using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was applied for identification of differently expressed protein spots.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 597 spots were annotated by image analysis and 222 of these had a statistically different protein level between inflamed and non-inflamed tissue in the patient group. Principal component analysis clearly grouped non-inflamed samples separately from the inflamed samples indicating that the proteomic signature of colon mucosa with acute UC is strong. Totally, 43 individual protein spots were identified, including proteins involved in energy metabolism (triosephosphate isomerase, glycerol-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase, alpha enolase and L-lactate dehydrogenase B-chain) and in oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, thioredoxins and selenium binding protein).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A distinct proteomic profile of inflamed tissue in UC patients was found. Specific proteins involved in energy metabolism and oxidative stress were identified as potential candidate markers for UC.</p

Effect of Hookworm Infection on Wheat Challenge in Celiac Disease – A Randomised Double-Blinded Placebo Controlled Trial

Background and Aims: The association between hygiene and prevalence of autoimmune disease has been attributed in part to enteric helminth infection. A pilot study of experimental infection with the hookworm Necator americanus was undertaken among a group of otherwise healthy people with celiac disease to test the potential of the helminth to suppress the immunopathology induced by gluten

Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease, 1990–2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Health system planning requires careful assessment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemiology, but data for morbidity and mortality of this disease are scarce or non-existent in many countries. We estimated the global, regional, and national burden of CKD, as well as the burden of cardiovascular disease and gout attributable to impaired kidney function, for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017. We use the term CKD to refer to the morbidity and mortality that can be directly attributed to all stages of CKD, and we use the term impaired kidney function to refer to the additional risk of CKD from cardiovascular disease and gout. Methods The main data sources we used were published literature, vital registration systems, end-stage kidney disease registries, and household surveys. Estimates of CKD burden were produced using a Cause of Death Ensemble model and a Bayesian meta-regression analytical tool, and included incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability, mortality, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). A comparative risk assessment approach was used to estimate the proportion of cardiovascular diseases and gout burden attributable to impaired kidney function. Findings Globally, in 2017, 1·2 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 1·2 to 1·3) people died from CKD. The global all-age mortality rate from CKD increased 41·5% (95% UI 35·2 to 46·5) between 1990 and 2017, although there was no significant change in the age-standardised mortality rate (2·8%, −1·5 to 6·3). In 2017, 697·5 million (95% UI 649·2 to 752·0) cases of all-stage CKD were recorded, for a global prevalence of 9·1% (8·5 to 9·8). The global all-age prevalence of CKD increased 29·3% (95% UI 26·4 to 32·6) since 1990, whereas the age-standardised prevalence remained stable (1·2%, −1·1 to 3·5). CKD resulted in 35·8 million (95% UI 33·7 to 38·0) DALYs in 2017, with diabetic nephropathy accounting for almost a third of DALYs. Most of the burden of CKD was concentrated in the three lowest quintiles of Socio-demographic Index (SDI). In several regions, particularly Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, the burden of CKD was much higher than expected for the level of development, whereas the disease burden in western, eastern, and central sub-Saharan Africa, east Asia, south Asia, central and eastern Europe, Australasia, and western Europe was lower than expected. 1·4 million (95% UI 1·2 to 1·6) cardiovascular disease-related deaths and 25·3 million (22·2 to 28·9) cardiovascular disease DALYs were attributable to impaired kidney function. Interpretation Kidney disease has a major effect on global health, both as a direct cause of global morbidity and mortality and as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease. CKD is largely preventable and treatable and deserves greater attention in global health policy decision making, particularly in locations with low and middle SDI

Thermographic imaging in sports and exercise medicine: a Delphi study and consensus statement on the measurement of human skin temperature

The importance of using infrared thermography (IRT) to assess skin temperature (tsk) is increasing in clinical settings. Recently, its use has been increasing in sports and exercise medicine; however, no consensus guideline exists to address the methods for collecting data in such situations. The aim of this study was to develop a checklist for the collection of tsk using IRT in sports and exercise medicine. We carried out a Delphi study to set a checklist based on consensus agreement from leading experts in the field. Panelists (n = 24) representing the areas of sport science (n = 8; 33%), physiology (n = 7; 29%), physiotherapy (n = 3; 13%) and medicine (n = 6; 25%), from 13 different countries completed the Delphi process. An initial list of 16 points was proposed which was rated and commented on by panelists in three rounds of anonymous surveys following a standard Delphi procedure. The panel reached consensus on 15 items which encompassed the participants’ demographic information, camera/room or environment setup and recording/analysis of tsk using IRT. The results of the Delphi produced the checklist entitled “Thermographic Imaging in Sports and Exercise Medicine (TISEM)” which is a proposal to standardize the collection and analysis of tsk data using IRT. It is intended that the TISEM can also be applied to evaluate bias in thermographic studies and to guide practitioners in the use of this technique