Perceptions of Precision Agriculture Technologies in the U.S. Fresh Apple Industry

Advances in precision agriculture technologies provide opportunities to improve the efficiency of agricultural production systems, especially for high-value specialty crops such as fresh apples (Malus domestica). We distributed an online survey to apple growers in Washington, New York, and Michigan to elicit stakeholder perceptions of precision agriculture technologies. Findings from this study demonstrated that growers are willing to adopt precision agriculture technologies when they receive results from applied research projects and are engaged with active extension programs. The availability of customized services and purchasing and rental options may minimize the effects of the economies of size that create barriers to adopting increasing access to technologies. Finally, respondents deemed collaborative efforts between industry and academic institutions crucial for adapting the innovation to better address the needs of growers

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

Results of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery in Acromegaly

Objective. Single-session radiosurgery with Gamma Knife (GK) may be a potential adjuvant treatment in acromegaly. We analyzed the safety and efficacy of GK in patients who had previously received maximal surgical debulking at our hospital. Methods. The study was a retrospective analysis of hormonal, radiological, and ophthalmologic data collected in a predefined protocol from 1994 to 2009. The mean age at treatment was 42.3 years (range 22–67 yy). 103 acromegalic patients participated in the study. The median follow-up was 71 months (IQ range 43–107). All patients were treated with GK for residual or recurrent GH-secreting adenoma. Results. Sixty-three patients (61.2%) reached the main outcome of the study. The rate of remission was 58.3% at 5 years (95% CI 47.6–69.0%). Other 15 patients (14.6%) were in remission after GK while on treatment with somatostatin analogues. No serious side effects occurred after GK. Eight patients (7.8%) experienced a new deficit of pituitary function. New cases of hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, and hypoadrenalism occurred in 4 of 77 patients (5.2%), 3 of 95 patients (3.2%), and 6 of 100 patients at risk (6.0%), respectively. Conclusion. In a highly selected group of acromegalic patients, GK treatment had good efficacy and safety

Biofertilizer in leaf and drip applications: an alternative to increase tomato productivity

The tomato is a species of undetermined growth and extremely demanding in nutrients Therefore, the search of new ways to maximize the use and supply of fertilizers sources and their application mechanisms are important to improve the tomato culture management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application methods of liquid biofertilizer (BF) and the harvest times throughout cultivation. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, in a 3x6 factorial with subdivided plot and seven replications. The treatments were foliar and drip BF application and a control, without application of BF, and harvesting time (85; 92; 99; 106; 113; 120 days after transplanting-DAT). Leaf application resulted in a class I production increase in the second week of harvest (92 DAT), while drip application reflected higher class II and III production in the fourth week (106 DAT). In all treatments, at 92 DAT higher production of large fruits (class I) was observed. Production of average fruits (class II) occurred at 92 and 113 DAT and small fruit (class III) production was concentrated at 113 DAT. The adoption of BF, regardless of the application form, provides an increase in total productivity, with an income up to 35% higher. Therefore, biofertilizer is a good source for nutrition implementation aiming at yields and returns in the tomato production chain.The tomato is a species of undetermined growth and extremely demanding in nutrients Therefore, the search of new ways to maximize the use and supply of fertilizers sources and their application mechanisms are important to improve the tomato culture management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application methods of liquid biofertilizer (BF) and the harvest times throughout cultivation. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design, in a 3x6 factorial with subdivided plot and seven replications. The treatments were foliar and drip BF application and a control, without application of BF, and harvesting time (85; 92; 99; 106; 113; 120 days after transplanting-DAT). Leaf application resulted in a class I production increase in the second week of harvest (92 DAT), while drip application reflected higher class II and III production in the fourth week (106 DAT). In all treatments, at 92 DAT higher production of large fruits (class I) was observed. Production of average fruits (class II) occurred at 92 and 113 DAT and small fruit (class III) production was concentrated at 113 DAT. The adoption of BF, regardless of the application form, provides an increase in total productivity, with an income up to 35% higher. Therefore, biofertilizer is a good source for nutrition implementation aiming at yields and returns in the tomato production chain

Missense mutations of NCPAG gene affect calving ease in Piedmontese cattle: preliminary evidences

A previous genome scan on 323 Piedmontese individuals identified a cluster of 13 SNPs significantly associated with direct calving ease and centred on the three genes LAP3, LCORL and NCAPG in chromosome 6. We investigated missense mutations affecting calving ease in Piedmontese cattle in the identified region using sequences from the whole exome in eight Piedmontese individuals chosen from the extremes of the direct calving ease estimated breeding values distribution for this trait. The present study has not found missense variants in LAP3 and LCORL, while two were identified on NCAPG by three different variant calling methods. Other gene candidates in the same region harbour missense mutations, such as PPM1K, PKD2, SPP1 and MEPE, but both SIFT analysis and chi-square test on frequency of alleles make us hypothesise that NCAPG is the single gene responsible for the trait variation. The two SNPs on NCAPG are in complete linkage disequilibrium in our samples; therefore, further investigations are needed in order to discriminate their role

Occurrence and Mass Loading of Synthetic Opioids, Synthetic Cathinones, and Synthetic Cannabinoids in Wastewater Treatment Plants in Four U.S. Communities

A few new psychoactive substances (NPS) that mimic the effects of controlled neuropsychiatric and illicit drugs have been forensically identified in the U.S. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) can provide a comprehensive and more cost- and time-effective method of determining the prevalence of NPSs in communities. In this study, an analytical method capable of simultaneous determination of trace-level 40 NPS residues (synthetic opioids, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, piperazines, indole, and amphetamine) in wastewater was developed and validated. The developed analytical method was utilized to determine the occurrence of NPSs in four rural communities in southern Illinois. Nine NPSs (carfentanil, furanyl fentanyl, methoxyacetyl fentanyl, MAB-CHMINACA, methcathinone, 4-methyl pentedrone, 2-methyl-4′-(methylthio)-2-morpholinopropiophenone (MMMP), 1-(3-chlorophenyl) piperazine (mCPP), and 5-(2-Aminopropyl) Indole (5IT) were quantified. Methcathinone was the most frequently detected NPS (detection frequency, df = 100%) followed closely by the MMMP and mCPP (df = 91%). The mass loading of methcathinone, mCPP, and 5-IT using ammoniacal nitrogen-based population were up to 21.1 ± 1.3 mg/d/1000 people, 15.0 ± 0.5 mg/d/1000 people, and 9.75 ± 2.72 mg/d/1000 people, respectively. This is the first study to determine the occurrence of NPSs including synthetic opioids, synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic cathinones, and piperazines in the U.S. communities

Assessment of tomato peels suitable for producing biomethane within the context of circular economy: A gis-based model analysis

Biomass is seen as one of the most dominant future renewable energy sources. In detail, agro-industrial by-products represent a cheap, renewable, and abundant feedstock useful for several new products, including biochemical, biomaterials, and above all biogas, which are taking on an ever-increasing role in Italy. In this context, the tomato chain was analysed aiming at estimating the amount of processed tomato and the related waste production as a new suitable resource for producing biofuel as a new frontier within the context of a circular economy. Due the importance of the tomato industry, this research aims at filling gaps in the knowledge of the production and yield of the by-products that are useful as biomass for energy use in those territorial areas where the biomethane sector is still developing. This aim could be relevant for planning the sustainable development of the biomethane sector by reducing both soil consumption for dedicated energy crops and GHG emissions coming from the biomass logistic supply. The achieved results show the localization of territorial areas highly characterized by this kind of biomass. Therefore, it would be desirable that the future policies of development in the biomethane sector consider the availability and the distribution of these suitable biomasses within the territory

Cognomi dell’Istria, del Quarnero e della Dalmazia

L’autore tratta di quindici cognomi istriani, quarnerini e dalmati: Bailo derivato dal veneto-latino bailo “ambasciatore veneto”; Bilohalja dal croato bilohalja “che indossa abiti bianchi”; Bosdachin / Busdachin dal latino vegliotto bosdachin “voce da cane”; Cetina dal toponimo dalmato croato Cetina; Colizza dal nome romanzo femminile chersino Colizza “Nicolina”; Frleta dall’etnico croato Frleta “Friulano”; Levak dal croato levak “mancino”; Levakovi} pure dal croato levak “mancino”; Nacinovich dal croato Na~inovi} “trovatello”; Paliska dal croato paliska “farina matta”; Rajkovi} / Rajko dal croato Rajko abbreviato di Radoslav; Rakovac dal croato Rako pure abbreviato di Radoslav; Schiavuzzi dal nome istroveneto Schiavuzzo diminutivo di Schiavo; Soldà dalla voce istriana romanza e panveneta soldà “soldàto”; Soldat dal croato dalmato sòldat “soldàto”.Autor etimolo{kim pristupom razmatra 15 istarskih, kvarnerskih i dalmatinskih prezimena romanskog i slavenskog porijekla. Bailo je dalmatinsko prezime iz Zadra, gdje je i danas prisutno pogotovo u hrvatiziranom obliku Bajlo (Bajlovi} u kontinentalnoj Hrvatskoj), a dolazi od mleta~ke rije~i bailo „mleta~ki ambasador u Carigradu“. Bilohalja, dokumentiran u istarskom Novigradu 1647. s pogre{nom grafijom Billocaiaz, zabilje‘eno i u Vodnjanu u talijanskom obliku Bilucaglia; stiglo je iz Dalmacije, a potje~e od hrvatskog nadimka Bilohalja „koji nosi bijelu halju“. Bosdachin / Busdachin hrvatiziran u oblicima Bo‘dakin / Bu‘dakin, prezime je s otoka Krka, a stiglo je na podru~je Umaga po~etkom 16. stolje}a. Potje~e od rije~i bosdachin koja na kr~kom venetskom narje~ju zna~i „pse}i glas“. Cétina je hrvatsko prezime koje je u Vodnjan stiglo 1550. iz Dalmacije, a vu~e svoje porijeklo od rijeke Cetine; to se prezime pojavljuje u Istri u oblicima Cetìna / Cettìna. Colìzza je dokumentirano na Cresu od 1387. kao Culizza; matronim izveden od ‘enskog imena Coliça, prisutnog u Zadru 1348, {to je skra}enica imena Nicolizza i ekvivalentan je oblicima Nicoletta / Nicolina / Coletta. Prezime Frleta je stiglo na podru~je Umaga 1610. iz Dalmacije (u 17. st. je prisutno i u Vi{njanu), a dolazi od hrvatskog naziva za etnika: Frleta „iz Furlanije“. Levak je hrvatsko prezime koje dolazi od rije~i ljevak - „koji se koristi lijevom rukom“, a pojavljuje se u Istri od po~etka 16. stolje}a na podru~ju Motovuna i prilago|en je na talijanskom jeziku u obliku Levach. Levakovi} je hrvatski patronim sa sufiksima -ov i -i} na osnovu Levak. Prisutan je u Bujama od 1892. Na~inovi} (izvorno i kao Nai~inovi}) je hrvatsko patronimsko prezime nastalo u Kastvu oko 1550., od rije~i nai}i i na}i. Paliska / Pali{ka je hrvatsko prezime u Labinu od 17. stolje}a koje je nastalo na Kvarneru ili na Rabu, a dolazi od rije~i paliska „lo{e bra{no“ te je na talijanskom prilago|en u Palisca. Rajkovi} / Rajko je hrvatsko prezime koje je na Labin{tinu stiglo u 17. stolje}u iz Dalmacije kao skra}enica imena Radoslav, a talijanizirano je u oblicima Raicovich / Raico / Raicovi / Raiconi. Rakovac / Rako je hrvatsko prezime koje je na Pore{tinu stiglo u 17. stolje}u iz Dalmacije, a temelj mu je ime Rako, {to je skra}enica od Radoslav. Talijanizirano je kao Racovaz / Raco / Racovazzi / Racozzi. Schiavuzzi je romansko prezime iz 15. stolje}a u Piranu, a dolazi od imenice Schiavuzzo iz piranskog i istro-venetskog narje~ja, {to je umanjenica od Schiavo i Menaschiavo, od latinskog sclavus „sluga“. Soldà je romansko prezime iz 16. stolje}a u Puli koje potje~e od istarske i venetske dijalektalne rije~i soldà „vojnik“. Soldat je dalmatinsko prezime koje tako|er dolazi od rije~i sòldat „vojnik“, a nastavlja se pogotovo kroz patronim Soldati}, dokumentiran kao Soldatich od 1558. na Cresu i od 17. stolje}a u Istri