Evaluating the Effectiveness of Post Fire Emergency Rehabilitation Treatments on Soil Degradation and Erosion Control in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Areas of the Spanish South East

In this study, we seeded a native plant species and applied a mulch of chopped wood originating from the same burned area to avoid the establishment of invasive species. We evaluated four treatments: (1) seeding, (2) mulch, (3) seeding and mulch, and (4) control. Our objective was to increase plant recovery and to minimize the soil erosion and degradation. The study was conducted in Alicante, Spain in Torremanzanas forest of the semi-arid Mediterranean bioclimatic area after the wildfire of November, 2002. During three years of monitoring, we find that combined treatment: seeding and mulch increased the post fire plant recovery 20% approximately more than the rest of treatments and the control plots. We also found that seven months after treating mulch and seeding and mulch treatments presented a gain of soil: +5.18 to + 5.24 mm while the seeding treatment and control plots presented soil loss rates of: −0.48 to −0.49 mm. In addition, mulch treatment significantly decreased soil compaction to the half, and increased the infiltration capacity to 40 ml.mn−1 more than in plots without mulch, as well as increased the soil respiration to the double compared with no mulch plots. Work in progress confirms the positive effect of chopped wood as mulching treatment with or without seeding on the soil protection against soil erosion, and the amelioration of bio-physical properties after wildfires in the Mediterranean semi-arid burned areas.

Evaluating partial root-zone irrigation and mulching in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) under a sub-humid tropical climate

The field experiments were conducted to compare the alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) with and without black plastic mulch (BPM) with full root-zone irrigation (FRI) in furrow-irrigated okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) at Bhubaneswar, India. APRI means that one of the two neighbouring furrows was alternately irrigated during consecutive watering. FRI was the conventional method where every furrow was irrigated during each watering. The used irrigation levels were 25% available soil moisture depletion (ASMD), 50% ASMD, and 75% ASMD. The plant growth and yield parameters were observed to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher with frequent irrigation (at 25% ASMD) under all irrigation strategies. However, APRI + BPM produced the maximum plant growth and yield using 22% and 56% less water over APRI without BPM and FRI, respectively. The highest pod yield (10025 kg ha^-1) was produced under APRI at 25% ASMD + BPM, which was statistically at par with the pod yield under APRI at 50% ASMD + BPM. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), which indicates the pod yield per unit quantity of irrigation water, was estimated to be highest (12.3 kg m^-3) under APRI at 50% ASMD + BPM, followed by APRI at 25% ASMD + BPM. Moreover, the treatment APRI at 50% ASMD + BPM was found economically superior to other treatments, generating more net return (US $ 952 ha^-1) with higher benefit–cost ratio (1.70).

Major depressive disorder and nutritional medicine : a review of monotherapies and adjuvant treatments

A literature review was conducted to examine the evidence for nutritional interventions in depression. It revealed a number of significant conclusions. Interestingly, more positive clinical trials were found to support adjuvant, rather than monotherapeutic, use of nutrients to treat depression. Much evidence exists in the area of adjuvant application of folic acid, S-adenosyl-methionine, omega-3, and L-tryptophan with antidepressants. Current evidence does not support omega-3 as an effective monotherapy to treat depression. However, this may be due, at least in part, to olive oil being used as the control intervention, some studies using docosahexaenoic acid alone or a higher docosahexaenoic acid to eicosapentaenoic acid ratio, and significant heterogeneity regarding depressive populations. Nevertheless, adjunctive prescription of omega-3 with antidepressants, or in people with dietary deficiency, may be beneficial. Inositol lacks evidence as an effective antidepressant and cannot be currently recommended. Evidence on the use of L-trytophan for depression is inconclusive and additional studies utilizing a more robust methodology are required.

Effects of the architecture of tissue engineering scaffolds on cell seeding and culturing

The advance of rapid prototyping techniques has significantly improved control over the pore network architecture of tissue engineering scaffolds. In this work we assessed the influence of scaffold pore architecture on cell seeding and static culturing, by comparing a computer‐designed gyroid architecture fabricated by stereolithography to a random‐pore architecture resulting from salt‐leaching. The scaffold types showed comparable porosity and pore size values, but the gyroid type showed a more than tenfold higher permeability due to the absence of size‐limiting pore interconnections. The higher permeability significantly improved the wetting properties of the hydrophobic scaffolds, and increased the settling speed of cells upon static seeding of immortalised mesenchymal stem cells. After dynamic seeding followed by 5 days of static culture, gyroid scaffolds showed large cell populations in the centre of the scaffold, while salt‐leached scaffolds were covered with a cell‐sheet on the outside and no cells were found in the scaffold centre. It was shown that interconnectivity of the pores and permeability of the scaffold prolongs the time of static culture before overgrowth of cells at the scaffold periphery occurs. Furthermore, novel scaffold designs are proposed to further improve the transport of oxygen and nutrients throughout the scaffolds, and to create tissue engineering grafts with designed, pre‐fabricated vasculature.

Novel flutamide regulated genes in the rat ventral prostate: differential modulation of their expression by castration and flutamide treatments

Aim: To identify flutamide regulated genes in the rat ventral prostate. Methods: Total RNA from ventral prostates control and flutamide treated rats were isolated. Differentially expressed transcripts were identified using display reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. The effect of castration on the expression of regulated transcripts was studied. Results: We have identified beta 2-microglobulin, cytoplasmic FMR1 protein 2 and pumilio 1 as flutamide induced and spermine binding protein and ribophorin II as flutamide targets in the rat ventral prostate. Although flutamide treatment caused an induction of pumilio I mRNA, had no effect. Conclusion: Castration and flutamide treatments exert differential effects on gene expression. might also have direct AR independent effects, which might have implications in the emergence of androgen dent prostate cancer and the failure of flutamide therapy.

Coatings and surface treatments for protection against low-velocity erosion-corrosion in fluidized beds

Surface coatings and treatments have been used to reduce material loss of components in bubbling fluidized bed combustors (FBCs). The performance of protective coatings in FBC boilers and laboratory simulations is reviewed. Important coating properties to minimize wastage appear to be high hardness, low oxidation rate, low porosity, high adhesion and sufficient thickness to maintain protection for a long period. Economic considerations and criteria for choosing a suitable coating or treatment are discussed for the different types of bubbling FBC. © 1995.

The effect of various treatment conditions on natural zeolites: Ion exchange, acidic, thermal and steam treatments

Two different natural zeolites having different phase compositions were obtained from different regions of Turkey and modified by ion-exchange (0.5 M NH4NO3) and acid leaching using 1 M HCl. The natural and modified samples were treated at low temperature (LT), high temperature (HT) and steam (ST) conditions and characterised by XRF, XRD, BET, FTIR, DR-UV-Vis, NH3-TPD and TGA. Ion-exchange with NH4+ of natural zeolites results in the exchange of the Na+ and Ca2+ cations and the partial exchange of the Fe3+ and Mg2+ cations. However, steam and acidic treatments cause significant dealumination and decationisation, as well as loss of crystalline, sintering of phases and the formation of amorphous material. The presence of mordenite and quartz phases in the natural zeolites increases the stability towards acid treatment, whereas the structure of clinoptilolite-rich zeolites is mostly maintained after high temperature and steam treatments. The natural and modified zeolites treated at high temperature and in steam were found to be less stable compared with synthetic zeolites, resulting in a loss of crystallinity, a decrease in the surface area and pore volume, a decrease in the surface acidity as well as dealumination, and decationisation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mucociliary clearance in cystic fibrosis: Physiology and pharmacological treatments

The understanding of how mutations of the cystic fibrosis gene results in recurrent infection and the development of bronchiectasis is now well established. This review examines aspects of lung pathophysiology specifically, abnormal mucociliary clearance, inflammation and infection which are the basis of the daily symptoms encountered by people with cystic fibrosis. Other components of the lung epithelium and their potential contribution to cystic fibrosis disease are discussed. Therapeutic interventions which aim to target abnormal mucociliary clearance are summarized. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Testing preference formation in learning design contingent valuation (LDCV) using advanced information and repetitive treatments

Policymakers have largely replaced Single Bounded Discrete Choice (SBDC) valuation by the more statistically efficient repetitive methods; Double Bounded Discrete Choice (DBDC) and Discrete Choice Experiments (DCE) . Repetitive valuation permits classification into rational preferences: (i) a priori well-formed; (ii) consistent non-arbitrary values “discovered” through repetition and experience; (Plott, 1996; List 2003) and irrational preferences; (iii) consistent but arbitrary values as “shaped” by preceding bid level (Tufano, 2010; Ariely et al., 2003) and (iv) inconsistent and arbitrary values. Policy valuations should demonstrate behaviorally rational preferences. We outline novel methods for testing this in DBDC applied to renewable energy premiums in Chile.