Contribution of insect pollinators to crop yield and quality varies with agricultural intensification

Background: Up to 75% of crop species benefit at least to some degree from animal pollination for fruit or seed set and yield. However, basic information on the level of pollinator dependence and pollinator contribution to yield is lacking for many crops. Even less is known about how insect pollination affects crop quality. Given that habitat loss and agricultural intensification are known to decrease pollinator richness and abundance, there is a need to assess the consequences for different components of crop production. Methods: We used pollination exclusion on flowers or inflorescences on a whole plant basis to assess the contribution of insect pollination to crop yield and quality in four flowering crops (spring oilseed rape, field bean, strawberry, and buckwheat) located in four regions of Europe. For each crop, we recorded abundance and species richness of flower visiting insects in ten fields located along a gradient fromsimple to heterogeneous landscapes. Results: Insect pollination enhanced average crop yield between 18 and 71% depending on the crop. Yield quality was also enhanced in most crops. For instance, oilseed rape had higher oil and lower chlorophyll contents when adequately pollinated, the proportion of empty seeds decreased in buckwheat, and strawberries’ commercial grade improved; however, we did not find higher nitrogen content in open pollinated field beans. Complex landscapes had a higher overall species richness of wild pollinators across crops, but visitation rates were only higher in complex landscapes for some crops. On the contrary, the overall yield was consistently enhanced by higher visitation rates, but not by higher pollinator richness. Discussion. For the four crops in this study, there is clear benefit delivered by pollinators on yield quantity and/or quality, but it is not maximized under current agricultural intensification. Honeybees, the most abundant pollinator, might partially compensate the loss of wild pollinators in some areas, but our results suggest the need of landscape-scale actions to enhance wild pollinator populations.

Second generation European corn borer injury and Irish potato physiology, yield, and quality

European corn borer (ECB) [Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner)] (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is known to infest Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) but only causes economic damage during the first generation in East Coast potato producing areas. However, in Nebraska, second generation ECB infest potato plants during the bulking period and may reduce yield and/or potato quality. Experiments were conducted in 2001, 2002, and 2003 to examine physiological and yield effects of second generation ECB injury to potato in Nebraska. Pike, Atlantic, and three Frito Lay proprietary varieties (FL1867, FL1879, and FL1833) were used. Experimental plots were infested with four ECB egg masses per plant to simulate ECB infestation by second-generation larvae; controls received no egg masses. Photosynthetic rates, tuber weights, tuber size grades, solids, and fry quality were measured. Potato plants with ECB infestation had significantly reduced photosynthetic rates on ECB-infested stems and on uninfested stems on the same plant when larvae were in the fifth instar. When insects were in the fourth instar, photosynthetic rates were reduced only on ECB-infested stems. In 2001, ECB infestation reduced the average mass of large tubers and increased the amount of small tubers in FL1867 and FL1879. In 2002, significant yield reductions were not observed. Across both years, ECB-infested plots produced fewer large (65- to 100-mm diam.) tubers than control plots. Other tuber properties and chip qualities were unaffected. This study indicates that second generation ECB infestation of approximately 30% infested plants results in economic loss for some chipping varieties and affects tuber bulking. In contrast to east coast growers, Midwest potato farmers must be concerned with second generation ECB.

Liming and quality of guava fruit cultivated in Brazil

An experiment was conducted on guava trees Psidium guajava L. (cv. Paluma) grown in the Experimental Citrus Culture Station of Bebedouro, SP, on dystrophic, acid Typical Hapludox in order to assess the effects of application of increasing lime doses to the soil on the quality of guava fruits on the basis of the physicochemical changes observed in the fruits after harvesting. The treatments consisted of increasing lime doses applied before planting, considering 0, 1.85, 3.79, 5.56 and 7.41 t ha(-1), applied in August 1999. Leaf calcium content was assessed at flowering time. After fruit harvesting, calcium content in the pulp, total weight, transverse diameter, length, pulp weight, % pulp, Brix degrees (degrees Brix), titratable acidity, and fruit ratio were determined. Loss of fruit fresh mass, firmness and color were determined daily during a period of 8 days of storage. Lime application to an acid Red Latosol before guava tree planting did not affect the physical characteristics of the fruits but provided a lower loss of fresh matter and greater fruit firmness when the fruits presented Ca levels close to 0.99 g kg(-1). It is important to conduct new studies of the effects of liming on guava fruit quality under different edaphic-climatic conditions and on different guava tree genotypes. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Market failure and technological policy

Includes bibliography

Prosthetic Rehabilitation, Implant Survival and Quality of Life 2 to 5 Years after Resection of Oral Tumors

Background: After oral tumor resection, structural and functional rehabilitation by means of dental prostheses is complex, and positive treatment outcome is not always predictable. Purpose: The objective of the study was to report on oral rehabilitation and quality of life 2-5 years after resection of malignant oral tumors. Materials and Methods: Data of 46 patients (57 ± 7 years) who underwent oral tumor surgery were available. More than 50% of tumors were classified T3 or T4. Open oro-nasal defects resulted in 12 patients and full mandibulary block resections in 23 patients. Comprehensive planning, implant placement, and prosthetic rehabilitation followed an interdisciplinary protocol. Analysis comprised tumor location, type of prostheses, implant survival, and quality of life. Results: Because of advanced tumor status, resections resulted in marked alteration of the oral anatomy requiring complex treatment procedures. Prosthetic rehabilitation comprised fixed and removable prostheses, with 104 implants placed in 28 patients (60%). Early implant loss was high (13%) and cumulative survival rate of loaded implants was <90% after 5 years. Prosthetic plans had to be modified because of side effects of tumor therapy, complications with implants and tumor recurrence. The majority of patients rated quality of life favorable, but some experienced impaired swallowing, dry mouth, limited mouth opening, appearance, and soreness. Conclusions: Some local effects of tumor therapy could not be significantly improved by prosthetic rehabilitation leading to functional and emotional disability. Many patients had passed away or felt too ill to fill the questionnaires. This case series confirms the complex anatomic alterations after tumor resection and the need for individual treatment approaches especially regarding prosthesis design. In spite of disease-related local and general restrictions, most patients gave a positive assessment of quality of life.

Mutations in the tight-junction gene claudin 19 (CLDN19) are associated with renal magnesium wasting, renal failure, and severe ocular involvement

Claudins are major components of tight junctions and contribute to the epithelial-barrier function by restricting free diffusion of solutes through the paracellular pathway. We have mapped a new locus for recessive renal magnesium loss on chromosome 1p34.2 and have identified mutations in CLDN19, a member of the claudin multigene family, in patients affected by hypomagnesemia, renal failure, and severe ocular abnormalities. CLDN19 encodes the tight-junction protein claudin-19, and we demonstrate high expression of CLDN19 in renal tubules and the retina. The identified mutations interfere severely with either cell-membrane trafficking or the assembly of the claudin-19 protein. The identification of CLDN19 mutations in patients with chronic renal failure and severe visual impairment supports the fundamental role of claudin-19 for normal renal tubular function and undisturbed organization and development of the retina.

Detection of cryptic pathogenic copy number variations and constitutional loss of heterozygosity using high resolution SNP microarray analysis in 117 patients referred for cytogenetic analysis and impact on clinical practice

BACKGROUND: Microarray genome analysis is realising its promise for improving detection of genetic abnormalities in individuals with mental retardation and congenital abnormality. Copy number variations (CNVs) are now readily detectable using a variety of platforms and a major challenge is the distinction of pathogenic from ubiquitous, benign polymorphic CNVs. The aim of this study was to investigate replacement of time consuming, locus specific testing for specific microdeletion and microduplication syndromes with microarray analysis, which theoretically should detect all known syndromes with CNV aetiologies as well as new ones. METHODS: Genome wide copy number analysis was performed on 117 patients using Affymetrix 250K microarrays. RESULTS: 434 CNVs (195 losses and 239 gains) were found, including 18 pathogenic CNVs and 9 identified as "potentially pathogenic". Almost all pathogenic CNVs were larger than 500 kb, significantly larger than the median size of all CNVs detected. Segmental regions of loss of heterozygosity larger than 5 Mb were found in 5 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Genome microarray analysis has improved diagnostic success in this group of patients. Several examples of recently discovered "new syndromes" were found suggesting they are more common than previously suspected and collectively are likely to be a major cause of mental retardation. The findings have several implications for clinical practice. The study revealed the potential to make genetic diagnoses that were not evident in the clinical presentation, with implications for pretest counselling and the consent process. The importance of contributing novel CNVs to high quality databases for genotype-phenotype analysis and review of guidelines for selection of individuals for microarray analysis is emphasised.

Acute Toxicity and Quality of Life After Dose-Intensified Salvage Radiation Therapy for Biochemically Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Prostatectomy: First Results of the Randomized Trial SAKK 09/10

PURPOSE Patients with biochemical failure (BF) after radical prostatectomy may benefit from dose-intensified salvage radiation therapy (SRT) of the prostate bed. We performed a randomized phase III trial assessing dose intensification. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with BF but without evidence of macroscopic disease were randomly assigned to either 64 or 70 Gy. Three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy or intensity-modulated radiation therapy/rotational techniques were used. The primary end point was freedom from BF. Secondary end points were acute toxicity according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.0) and quality of life (QoL) according to the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaires C30 and PR25. RESULTS Three hundred fifty patients were enrolled between February 2011 and April 2014. Three patients withdrew informed consent, and three patients were not eligible, resulting in 344 patients age 48 to 75 years in the safety population. Thirty patients (8.7%) had grade 2 and two patients (0.6%) had grade 3 genitourinary (GU) baseline symptoms. Acute grade 2 and 3 GU toxicity was observed in 22 patients (13.0%) and one patient (0.6%), respectively, with 64 Gy and in 29 patients (16.6%) and three patients (1.7%), respectively, with 70 Gy (P = .2). Baseline grade 2 GI toxicity was observed in one patient (0.6%). Acute grade 2 and 3 GI toxicity was observed in 27 patients (16.0%) and one patient (0.6%), respectively, with 64 Gy, and in 27 patients (15.4%) and four patients (2.3%), respectively, with 70 Gy (P = .8). Changes in early QoL were minor. Patients receiving 70 Gy reported a more pronounced and clinically relevant worsening in urinary symptoms (mean difference in change score between arms, 3.6; P = .02). CONCLUSION Dose-intensified SRT was associated with low rates of acute grade 2 and 3 GU and GI toxicity. The impact of dose-intensified SRT on QoL was minor, except for a significantly greater worsening in urinary symptoms.

Exposure to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and weight loss and hospitalization in non-small cell lung cancer patients

Background. Cancer cachexia is a common syndrome complex in cancer, occurring in nearly 80% of patients with advanced cancer and responsible for at least 20% of all cancer deaths. Cachexia is due to increased resting energy expenditure, increased production of inflammatory mediators, and changes in lipid and protein metabolism. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), by virtue of their anti-inflammatory properties, are possibly protective against cancer-related cachexia. Since cachexia is also associated with increased hospitalizations, this outcome may also show improvement with NSAID exposure. ^ Design. In this retrospective study, computerized records from 700 non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC) were reviewed, and 487 (69.57%) were included in the final analyses. Exclusion criteria were severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, significant peripheral edema, class III or IV congestive heart failure, liver failure, other reasons for weight loss, or use of research or anabolic medications. Information on medication history, body weight and hospitalizations was collected from one year pre-diagnosis until three years post-diagnosis. Exposure to NSAIDs was defined if a patient had a history of being treated with NSAIDs for at least 50% of any given year in the observation period. We used t-test and chi-square tests for statistical analyses. ^ Results. Neither the proportion of patients with cachexia (p=0.27) nor the number of hospitalizations (p=0.74) differed among those with a history of NSAID use (n=92) and those without (n=395). ^ Conclusions. In this study, NSAID exposure was not significantly associated with weight loss or hospital admissions in patients with NSCLC. Further studies may be needed to confirm these observations.^

Use efficiency of controlled release fertilizer on the growth of croton and petunia and N loss by leaching

The market of flowers and ornamentals such as croton (Codiaeum variegatum) and petunia (Petunia×hybrida Vilm.-Andr) have been created new technologies to constantly development, as one of the most promising segments of horticulture. Fertilization providing adequate nutrition and less leaching to the environment is the objective of numerous studies around the world. Therefore, two studies were conducted to evaluate the use of controlled release fertilizer (CRF) on the growth of two ornamental species, and N loss by leaching. The first experiment aim to evaluate sources and rates of CRF and water soluble fertilizer (WSF) on croton growth and nitrogen concentration on drained solution. Results showed that treatments with WSF and low rates of CRF provided higher plants growth, and the amount of N leached was higher for WSF treatments. The second experiment objective to compare plant performance and cost for strategies that potentially provide adequate nutrition during both the production and consumer phases for container-grown Petunia plants. In addition, two experiments were conducted to evaluate nutrient release in sand containers inside of the greenhouse and under controlled temperature conditions without plants. Results showed that during production phase all fertilizer treatments produced high quality plants, and during consumer phase, plants grown with WSF only during the production phase were nutrient-deficient, while plants receiving CRFs were still growing vigorously, especially in a high rate. The release rates of all CRF products were temperature-dependent. In conclusion CRF provided plant growth at the same rate that WSF, with less N leaching and extra cost less than U$0.065 per plant with CRF during production.

The variability in adherence to dietary treatment and quality of weight loss: overweight and obesity

Objective: Observation of weight loss and the maximum time that individualized dietary treatment qualitative and quantitative is shown to be effective. Method: 4625 consultations were conducted with 616 patients over 25 years old, in the nutrition consultation, using the qualitative and quantitative individualized dietary treatment. As a result we controlled the weight loss, the fat and the quality and variability of the loss, monthly according to sex, age and BMI in an urban area of southeastern Spain. Results and discussion: A low level of abandonment was proved in men, patients older than 45 years old compared to obese showed a higher degree. The quality of the loss was greater in men under 45 years old, overweight patients, however, more research is needed in this area. Measuring the waist and hips has led to an increasing interest in measuring indicators of body fat. Conclusion: The individualized dietary treatment has been proved to be effective for six months and then a multidisciplinary mode of this treatment is recommended. The use of new ways to assess weight loss is proposed taking into consideration the quality and variability of loss, regardless of the treatment used.

Sediment and soil loss in Illinois : summary /

Based upon a report by the Illinois State Water Survey.

Overweight/Obesity and Quality of Life: A Comparison of Mexican and Mexican-American Adolescents

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Effect of the environment on condition and quality of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) with reference to culture depth and post-harvest practices

The condition and quality of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are affected by various environmental characteristics including temperature, salinity, food concentration, composition and year-to-year variability, waves, tides, and currents. Mussels are a keystone species in the ecosystem, affecting the surrounding environment through filtration, biodeposition and nutrient recycling. This study evaluated the effects of culture depth and post-harvest handling on cultured blue mussels in Newfoundland, Canada. Depth was examined over two years; three shallow water (5 m depth) and three deep water sites (15 m depth) were compared for environmental characteristics, mussel physiological stress response, growth, and biochemical composition. The area examined presented complex hydrodynamic characteristics; deep water sites appeared to be located more often near or within the pycnocline than shallow water sites. Deep water sites presented lower temperatures than shallow sites from spring to fall. Physiological stress response varied seasonally, but was unaffected by culture depth. In Year 1 shallow and deep water mussels presented similar growth, while in Year 2 deep water mussels showed better final condition. Lipid and glycogen showed seasonal variation, but no significant differences between shallow and deep water were noted. Fatty acid profiles showed a higher content of omega-3s PUFA in deep water sites at the end of Year 2. Under extreme weather conditions, deep water appeared to provide a more stable environment for mussel growth than shallow water. Harvested mussels were kept under ambient live-holding conditions for one month during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. They were compared to freshly harvested mussels for condition, biochemical profile and palatability. A progressive loss of dry tissue weight and an increase in water content were shown over the holding period during the fall and spring seasons, when compared to field controls. The biochemical analysis suggested seasonal changes; differences in triacylglycerol content were found in the spring season when compared with controls. The palatability data indicated that the panellists were unable to determine a difference between mussels kept in holding and those freshly harvested from the site. This study presents new knowledge for mussel farming, especially in terms of environmental interactions and deep water culture.

Robust H.264/AVC video transmission using data partitioning and unequal loss protection

In this work, we present an adaptive unequal loss protection (ULP) scheme for H264/AVC video transmission over lossy networks. This scheme combines erasure coding, H.264/AVC error resilience techniques and importance measures in video coding. The unequal importance of the video packets is identified in the group of pictures (GOP) and the H.264/AVC data partitioning levels. The presented method can adaptively assign unequal amount of forward error correction (FEC) parity across the video packets according to the network conditions, such as the available network bandwidth, packet loss rate and average packet burst loss length. A near optimal algorithm is developed to deal with the FEC assignment for optimization. The simulation results show that our scheme can effectively utilize network resources such as bandwidth, while improving the quality of the video transmission. In addition, the proposed ULP strategy ensures graceful degradation of the received video quality as the packet loss rate increases. © 2010 IEEE.