Unbalanced fertilizer use in the Eastern Gangetic Plain: The influence of Government recommendations, fertilizer type, farm size and cropping patterns

Intensive cropping systems with diverse cropping patterns present a challenge for nutrient management on smallholder farms. Government-endorsed recommendations for crop fertilizer use are designed to assist farmers achieve profitable and balanced nutrient inputs, but it is unclear how closely farmers follow these recommendations. We identified farmers’ current nutrient use gaps (overuse or underuse) relative to the Government-endorsed recommended nutrient doses in two cropping patterns in three representative Agro-ecological Zones of Bangladesh. A total of 330 farms were surveyed in 2019 from three farm size categories (referred to as large-, medium and small-scale) and their gaps in nutrient use were assessed relative to Government-endorsed Fertilizer Recommendation Guides (FRG) published in 2012 and in 2018: FRG-2012 and FRG-2018. The large- and medium-scale farms used 11–16%, 80–90% and 21–30%, respectively, over-doses of NPK in the cropping season under fully rice-based cropping pattern relative to FRG-2012 recommendations, while the over-dose levels were much lower for small-scale farms. Small-scale farms used much less than recommended S, Mg, Zn, B and organic manure (OM) rates relative to FRG-2012. The FRG-2018, which increased N and K recommendations but decreased the P recommendation for rice crops relative to FRG-2012, shows that all farms can decrease the dose of P (by 50%) while small-scale farms need to increase the dose of N (7%), K (16%), S (20%) and to apply Zn in the fully rice-based cropping pattern. On the other hand, the farms could greatly reduce NPK (19%, 86% and 44%, respectively) use while increasing S (14%), Mg, Zn, B and OM use relative to FRG-2018 in the pattern with the high-value potato crop. To increase crop profitability, enhance food security and save Government treasury in the Eastern Gangetic Plain enabling approaches are needed to effectively communicate the benefits of balanced nutrient use practices to farmers

Evaluation of a short RNA within Prostate Cancer Gene 3 in the predictive role for future cancer using non-malignant prostate biopsies.

BACKGROUND: Prostate Cancer 3 (PCA3) is a long non-coding RNA (ncRNA) upregulated in prostate cancer (PCa). We recently identified a short ncRNA expressed from intron 1 of PCA3. Here we test the ability of this ncRNA to predict the presence of cancer in men with a biopsy without PCa. METHODS: We selected men whose initial biopsy did not identify PCa and selected matched cohorts whose subsequent biopsies revealed PCa or benign tissue. We extracted RNA from the initial biopsy and measured PCA3-shRNA2, PCA3 and PSA (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: We identified 116 men with and 94 men without an eventual diagnosis of PCa in 2-5 biopsies (mean 26 months), collected from 2002-2008. The cohorts were similar for age, PSA and surveillance period. We detected PSA and PCA3-shRNA2 RNA in all samples, and PCA3 RNA in 90% of biopsies. The expression of PCA3 and PCA3-shRNA2 were correlated (Pearson's r = 0.37, p<0.01). There was upregulation of PCA3 (2.1-fold, t-test p = 0.02) and PCA3-shRNA2 (1.5-fold) in men with PCa on subsequent biopsy, although this was not significant for the latter RNA (p = 0.2). PCA3 was associated with the future detection of PCa (C-index 0.61, p = 0.01). This was not the case for PCA3-shRNA2 (C-index 0.55, p = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: PCA3 and PCA3-shRNA2 expression are detectable in historic biopsies and their expression is correlated suggesting co-expression. PCA3 expression was upregulated in men with PCa diagnosed at a future date, the same did not hold for PCA3-shRNA2. Futures studies should explore expression in urine and look at a time course between biopsy and PCa detection

SARS-CoV-2-specific nasal IgA wanes 9 months after hospitalisation with COVID-19 and is not induced by subsequent vaccination

BACKGROUND: Most studies of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 focus on circulating antibody, giving limited insights into mucosal defences that prevent viral replication and onward transmission. We studied nasal and plasma antibody responses one year after hospitalisation for COVID-19, including a period when SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was introduced. METHODS: In this follow up study, plasma and nasosorption samples were prospectively collected from 446 adults hospitalised for COVID-19 between February 2020 and March 2021 via the ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. IgA and IgG responses to NP and S of ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta and Omicron (BA.1) variants were measured by electrochemiluminescence and compared with plasma neutralisation data. FINDINGS: Strong and consistent nasal anti-NP and anti-S IgA responses were demonstrated, which remained elevated for nine months (p < 0.0001). Nasal and plasma anti-S IgG remained elevated for at least 12 months (p < 0.0001) with plasma neutralising titres that were raised against all variants compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Of 323 with complete data, 307 were vaccinated between 6 and 12 months; coinciding with rises in nasal and plasma IgA and IgG anti-S titres for all SARS-CoV-2 variants, although the change in nasal IgA was minimal (1.46-fold change after 10 months, p = 0.011) and the median remained below the positive threshold determined by pre-pandemic controls. Samples 12 months after admission showed no association between nasal IgA and plasma IgG anti-S responses (R = 0.05, p = 0.18), indicating that nasal IgA responses are distinct from those in plasma and minimally boosted by vaccination. INTERPRETATION: The decline in nasal IgA responses 9 months after infection and minimal impact of subsequent vaccination may explain the lack of long-lasting nasal defence against reinfection and the limited effects of vaccination on transmission. These findings highlight the need to develop vaccines that enhance nasal immunity. FUNDING: This study has been supported by ISARIC4C and PHOSP-COVID consortia. ISARIC4C is supported by grants from the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council. Liverpool Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre provided infrastructure support for this research. The PHOSP-COVD study is jointly funded by UK Research and Innovation and National Institute of Health and Care Research. The funders were not involved in the study design, interpretation of data or the writing of this manuscript

Large-scale phenotyping of patients with long COVID post-hospitalization reveals mechanistic subtypes of disease

One in ten severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infections result in prolonged symptoms termed long coronavirus disease (COVID), yet disease phenotypes and mechanisms are poorly understood1. Here we profiled 368 plasma proteins in 657 participants ≥3 months following hospitalization. Of these, 426 had at least one long COVID symptom and 233 had fully recovered. Elevated markers of myeloid inflammation and complement activation were associated with long COVID. IL-1R2, MATN2 and COLEC12 were associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms, fatigue and anxiety/depression; MATN2, CSF3 and C1QA were elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms and C1QA was elevated in cognitive impairment. Additional markers of alterations in nerve tissue repair (SPON-1 and NFASC) were elevated in those with cognitive impairment and SCG3, suggestive of brain–gut axis disturbance, was elevated in gastrointestinal symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) was persistently elevated in some individuals with long COVID, but virus was not detected in sputum. Analysis of inflammatory markers in nasal fluids showed no association with symptoms. Our study aimed to understand inflammatory processes that underlie long COVID and was not designed for biomarker discovery. Our findings suggest that specific inflammatory pathways related to tissue damage are implicated in subtypes of long COVID, which might be targeted in future therapeutic trials

Dimethyl fumarate in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) inhibits inflammasome-mediated inflammation and has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 (NCT04381936, ISRCTN50189673). In this assessment of DMF performed at 27 UK hospitals, adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enroled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients received corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.86-1.47; p = 0.40). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome

Farmers’ fertilizer use gaps relative to government recommendations in the saline coastal zone of the Ganges Delta

Overuse or underuse of nutrients relative to recommendations is a likely cause of crop yield gaps and an impediment to the achievement of food security. Government-endorsed recommendations are developed to deliver the best evidence-based advice on balanced fertilizer; however, deviations of farmers’ nutrient use from the recommendations are rarely examined. This study chose the salt-affected coastal zone of the Ganges Delta, where low crop productivity and cropping intensity by smallholders limit their income, to determine current nutrient use gaps for the first time of three cropping patterns in two representative districts of Bangladesh. A total of 246 farms were surveyed from three farm sizes. Farmers’ nutrient use gaps were compared with Fertilizer Recommendation Guides published in 2012 (FRG-2012) and 2018 (FRG-2018). Relative to FRG-2012 recommendations, farmers used 12%, 70%, and 11% overdoses of N, P, and K, respectively, under two fully rice-based cropping patterns, but the level of overdoses increased with farm size. Rates of K (14%), S (28%), and Zn use were below the FRG-2012 recommendations, especially for the smallest category of farms. However, the FRG-2018, increased recommended N (5%), K (62%), S (12%), and Zn rates but reduced P (25%) rates for fully rice-based cropping patterns. In contrast with rice, regardless of farm size, farmers applied overdose nutrients to watermelon but compensated with underdoses in the subsequent monsoon rice implying that farmers prioritized fertilizer expenditure on the most profitable crop. For the cropping pattern with watermelon, farmers could reduce the use of N (69%) and P (46%) and increase the use of K (48%), S (5%), and B. Reducing NPK use gaps can save treasury for both the farmers and the governments by 39.1 and 73.8 USD ha-1, respectively, under fully rice-based cropping patterns. Finally, our findings suggest there is scope to promote crop yields and sustainable intensification through balanced fertilizer use in a vulnerable saline region

Durability of Ordinary Concrete after Heating at High Temperature

International audienceAfter a fire, the concrete structures are usually repaired. This repair requires a diagnosis so as to know the areas to be preserved and the areas to be demolished. In this analysis, the load-bearing capacity is often the primary endpoint. However, the question of the durability of the structure must also be asked. This experimental study aims to assess the durability of one ordinary concretes after heating at high temperature (up to 600 °C). The ordinary concrete have a compressive strength at 28 days of about 40 MPa. Five characteristics were determined for each target temperature (20, 120, 250, 400 and 600 °C): the compressive strength, the water porosity, the nitrogen permeability, the pore distribution by mercury porosimetry and the absorption coefficient. The evolution of the characteristics with temperature are evaluated. Their evolution with compressive strength is analysed and durability index are detailed. The results show that some correlation exist between the characteristics in particular between nitrogen permeability and water porosity. The evolution of durability index shows that the compressive strength is not sufficient to evaluate the durability of concrete after heating

Climate resilience technology for year round vegetable production in northeastern Bangladesh

A study was carried out to investigate climate resilience vegetable production prospect using tower gardening technology during the period of July 2017 to December 2017 in low-lying areas of northeastern Bangladesh (Sylhet and Moulvibazar). Total 24 participants of DFID and EU funded Suchana program (January-December’2017) were involved in the study. Two sizes of tower (a) medium size (4.5 feet diameter and 5.0 feet height) (b) small size (3.0 feet diameter and 4.0 feet height) and two types growing media protecting material (i.e. plastic bag & bamboo mat) were used separately to perform the study. To prepare the growing media (50%) soil, (40%) cow dung/compost and (10%) decomposed water hyacinth were used. Mainly two types of vegetables, climbers (i.e. bottle gourd and bitter gourd) and herbaceous (i.e. kangkong, Indian spinach, red amaranth and okra) were planted to conduct the study. The vegetable production was significantly influenced by tower size & growing media protecting materials and the highest vegetable production (84.35 kg tower-1 and 42.17 t ha-1) was recorded in medium size tower with plastic bag whose sold value was BDT 1968.50 tower-1 and BDT 98.43 Lac ha-1, respectively. In addition, the lowest vegetables production (42.08 kg tower-1 and 21.04 t ha-1) was recorded in small tower with bamboo mat that’s sold value was BDT 955.92 tower-1 and BDT 45.99 Lac ha-1, respectively. Cost-benefit ratio (2.85) was recorded in medium tower and 1.73 in small tower. In disposal pattern of vegetables major portion was used for family consumption (80% and 90%), distribution (15% and 10%) and sold (5% and 0%) in medium and small tower garden, respectively. From the result it may say that both size of tower garden were technically feasible to grow vegetable in inundated situation but medium size tower made of plastic bags performed better than bamboo mat due to less nutrient loss through leaching. The study found tower gardening on medium size tower with plastic bag could be a potential and effective option for year round vegetable production in climate vulnerable communities of Bangladesh