Improved Calibration for Estimating Soil Properties with a Multifunctional Heat Pulse Probe

A multifunctional heat pulse probe (MFHPP) can measure soil thermal and hydraulic properties. Though its successful implementation has been documented, previous studies have reported some limitations. One specific cause of the limitations is the absorption of the generated heat pulse within the probe itself, which creates error in the measurements. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a new calibration method to account for measurement error due to heat loss to the probe. A MFHPP was constructed and tested in six soil types using both a traditional method and the newly developed calibration method. The new calibration utilizes heat pulse response curves from real soils with thermal conductivities similar to that of the MFHPP rather than the traditional agar-stabilized water solution. This new approach significantly reduced average measurement errors from 9.1% to 2.4% for heat capacity and 13.5% to 4.5% for volumetric water content.     

Potential,constraints and applications of in vitro methods in improving grain legumes

Grain legumes, the important constituents of sustainability‐based cropping systems and energy‐limited vegetarian diets have long been the subject of scientific research. Tremendous technological strides were made in the so‐called orphan crops, in terms of both varietal improvement and generation of basic information. Despite recalcitrancy and high genotype dependency, in vitro culture techniques such as organogenesis, in vitro mutagenesis, embryo rescue and in vitro gene transfer have been deployed for improvement of several grain legumes and these played an important role in introgression of desirable genes from related and distant species and creation of additional genetic variability. Stable and reproducible regeneration protocols resulted in the development of genetically modified chickpea, pigeon pea, cowpea, mungbean, etc., while embryo rescue was deployed successfully for recovery of interspecific recombinants, a few of them exploited for the development of commercial cultivars. Nevertheless, doubled haploidy witnessed limited success and protoplast regeneration and in vitro mutagenesis remained of academic interest. The present review focuses on the progress, achievements, constraints and perspectives of using in vitro technology in grain legume improvement.     

Gas Exchange of Five Warm‐Season Grain Legumes and their Susceptibility to Heat Stress

Objective of this study was to compare the heat stress performance of four pulses from dry and hot areas (mungbeans, limabeans, and teparybeans and cowpeas) with that of soybeans. Two experiments were conducted in growth chambers, and data were pooled because results of both experiments were similar. Plants were raised up to flowering at 24/17 °C (day/night) and were then either exposed to these temperatures until maturity or stressed with 33/24 °C for 2 weeks starting at day 1 or 15 after onset of flowering (early vs. late stress). Before, during and after these stress intervals, gas exchange of representative upper leaves was examined; additionally, immediate effects of increasing leaf temperatures from 24 to 32 or 40 °C on chlorophyll fluorescence were assessed. Without heat stress rates of photosynthesis (P_n), and of transpiration (TR), stomatal and mesophyll conductance (g_s, g_m) and intrinsic transpiration efficiency (iTE) differed significantly among the five crops at each date. However, because of crop‐specific time‐courses ranking among unstressed crops was instable with time, so values were integrated or averaged over time. This procedure revealed high P_n potentials in mung‐ and teparybeans and high iTE values in limabeans compared to the other crops. Heat stress lowered P_n and g_s considerably, but increased TR in all five crops. Relative lowering of P_n during heat stress displayed a crop‐specific pattern with limabeans being least susceptible to both early and late heat stress, while cowpeas were highly susceptible to early stress. Effects on P_n were mainly attributable to lowering of g_s and only in part to g_m. The latter was supported by very small changes (<10 %) of various chlorophyll fluorescence signals shortly after raising leaf temperature to 32 °C in all species. However, in limabeans, a decreased electron transport rate (e‐rate, ?18 %) and an increased non‐photochemical quenching (Q_N, +16 %) pointed to an adaptive mechanism to avoid oxidative strains under heat. Leaf temperatures of 40 °C immediately provoked stronger changes in all fluorescence signals than 32 °C; substantial damages at 40 °C were indicated by effective quantum yield, photochemical quenching and ratio of fluorescence decrease in mungbeans and low ones in cowpeas and soybeans. Nevertheless, some adaptive responses of e‐rates and Q_N were observed in all crops and were most expressed in limabeans.     

河南省豆科植物根瘤菌表型多样性研究

在河南省根瘤菌资源调查的基础上 ,选取 2 9株快生根瘤菌和 34株参比菌株 ,进行了 10 2项表型性状测定和聚类分析。结果表明 :不同地理来源、甚至同一地理来源或同种寄主的不同菌株在碳氮源利用、抗生素抗性、耐逆性等方面存在着较大的多样性。有 7株菌对链霉素、青霉素和白霉素有较强的耐受性 ;有 2 3株和 2 5株菌可分别耐受 2 .0 g/ L的香酚兰和中性红 ;有 2株菌可在含 5 0 g/ L Na Cl的 YMA培养基上生长 ;有 6株菌在 p H值 11条件下能够生长。在 84 %的相似性水平上未知菌株构成了 2个独立的表观群 ,其中 Cluster 1有 7株菌 ,中心菌株为 H 0 38;Cluster 2有 3株菌 ,中心菌株为 H0 2 6。     

Responses of blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) and brook char (Salvelinus fontinatis) to acidified water in a laboratory stream

As part of the Shenandoah National Park: Fish in Sensitive Habitats (SNP: FISH) project, movements of blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) and brook char (Salvelinus fontinalis) were examined during exposure to artificial acidification in paired channels of a laboratory stream. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of the fish to avoid depressions in the ambient pH and recognize and use a neutral-pH microhabitat refuge during acute reductions. Fish preference for a particular channel was statistically predictable based on the delivery of food. We tested fish avoidance behavior by manipulating food and the delivery of a pulse of acidified water. Both blacknose dace and brook char avoided the acid pulse (ambient pH reduced from 7.2 to 5.1) by sheltering in the pH-neutral refuge. Extensive field sampling in refuge microhabitats before and during episodic acidification is needed to determine changes in the distributional patterns of these species associated with acid precipitation events.     

Application of low intensity light pulses to delay postharvest senescence of Ocimum basilicum leaves

Fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a highly perishable leafy green vegetable with a storage life of 4–5 d at room temperature. Exposure of basil leaves to temperatures below 12 °C during storage results in chilling injury; therefore, refrigeration cannot be used to extend postharvest life of basil. Typically, leafy vegetables are stored in darkness or extremely low irradiance. Darkness is known to induce senescence, and the initial phase of senescence is reversible by exposure to light. In this work, we studied the effects of low-intensity white light pulses at room temperature on postharvest senescence of basil leaves. Daily exposure for 2 h to 30–37 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ of light was effective to delay postharvest senescence of basil leaves. Chlorophyll and protein levels decreased, ammonium accumulated and leaves developed visual symptoms of deterioration (darkening) during storage in darkness. Light pulses reduced the intensity of these senescence symptoms. The photosynthesis light compensation point of basil leaves was 50 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ i.e., higher than the intensity used in this study, and the effect of treatment with red light was the same as with white light, while far red light was ineffective. Light pulses exerted a local effect on chlorophyll loss, but the effect on protein degradation was systemic (i.e., spreading beyond the illuminated parts of the leaf blade). The results of this study indicate that daily treatment for 2 h with low intensity light (30–37 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ every day) during storage at 20 °C is an effective treatment to delay postharvest senescence of basil leaves. The delay of postharvest senescence by low intensity light pulses seems to be mediated by phytochromes, and it is systemic for protein, and partially systemic for chlorophyll degradation.     

Improved visualization of the lumbar spine nerve roots in dogs using water excitation (ProSet) as opposed to short tau inversion recovery: A retrospective study of two fat suppression MRI sequences

Magnetic resonance imaging fat suppression techniques are commonly used for diagnosis of canine spinal disease, however, studies comparing different techniques are currently lacking. This retrospective, methods comparison study aimed to evaluate water excitation and STIR MRI pulse sequences for visualization of canine lumbar spinal nerve roots. For inclusion, all dogs had to have dorsal planar MRI studies of the lumbar spine using both sequences. Visual grading analysis was used for scoring the following five criteria: degree of fat suppression; nerve root visualization; subjective tissue contrast; presence of noise; and overall better image quality. Scores were independently recorded by three board‐certified veterinary radiologists on two separate occasions, 3‐6 weeks apart. A total of 90 dogs were sampled. A two‐tailed t‐test showed that there were significant differences in all scored parameters (P < 0.00001), with the exception of noise (P = 0.47343), and that the water excitation sequence scored higher in all cases excluding noise. A Gwets AC kappa for intraobserver and interobserver reliability showed “almost perfect” agreement for the nerve roots in both tests (intra: k = 0.88; inter: k = 0.90). Intraobserver agreement was “substantial” for the degree of fat suppression (k = 0.68), subjective tissue contrast (k = 0.75), and overall better image quality (k = 0.76) and it was “fair” for the noise (k = 0.46). Interobserver agreement was “moderate” for the degree of fat suppression (k = 0.53), subjective tissue contrast (k = 0.63), and overall better image quality (k = 0.66) and “slight” for noise (k = 0.25). These findings supported using the water excitation pulse sequence for fat‐suppressed MRI of canine lumbar spinal nerve roots.     

Scaling Up of Pulse Production under Frontline Demonstration Technology Transfer Program in Himachal Himalayas,India

Frontline demonstrations technology-transfer program (FLD-TTP) in pulses is a noble initiative of the government of India for higher technology adoption to bridge yield gaps. Thus, a study was conducted in Himachal Pradesh, India, on pulse productivity and profitability enhancement using proven technology besides yield gap analysis under FLD-TTP. Extension yield gaps varied by 485–550, 210–460, 470–640, 290–320, 494–600, and 277–512 kg ha^?1 in blackgram (Vigna mungo), kidneybean (Phaseolus vulgaris), pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), cowpea (Vigna sinensis), chickpea (Cicer arietinum), and lentil (Lens culinaris), respectively, in the current study. Greater technology gaps were registered in cowpea and chickpea and the least in kidneybean. It was inferred that by adopting improved pulse production technology, pulse productivity can be raised by 97–128, 39–82, 112–129, 59–65, 130–141, and 67–126% in blackgram, kidneybean, pigeonpea, cowpea, chickpea, and lentil, respectively. Improved technology package has also enhanced profitability and additional returns enhancing incremental benefit–cost ratio (1.25–7.21). Technology indexes in blackgram (34.3–34.7%), kidneybean (32–37.5%), pigeonpea (47–50.6%), cowpea (68.8–73%), chickpea (59–65%), and lentil (44.3–60.2%) revealed that demonstrated technology under FLD-TTP is quite feasible in prevailing farming situations in Himachal Pradesh, but it strongly emphasizes educating farmers intensively to adopt available technology. Improved technology has also raised water-use-efficiency in Kharif (0.89–1.32 kg ha^?1 mm) and Rabi pulses (2.41–5.62 kg ha^?1 mm). Overall, FLD-TTP has great potential to scale up pulse productivity and farmers’ livelihoods in Himachal Pradesh and collateral farming situations in the developing world to enhance agricultural production.     

Evaluation of Cisplatin as an electrochemotherapy agent for the treatment of incompletely excised mast cell tumors in dogs

Background: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) couples the administration of anticancer drugs with the delivery of electric pulses that increase the drug uptake through the cell membranes, resulting in an improved efficacy. Hypothesis: To evaluate the tolerability and efficacy of cisplatin (CDDP) as an ECT agent to prevent recurrence of incompletely resected mast cell tumors (MCTs). Animals: Thirty‐seven dogs. Methods: Prospective study recruiting dogs with incompletely excised MCTs as confirmed by surgeon and pathology reports. After debulking, the tumor bed and margins were infiltrated with CDDP, and then exposed to trains of biphasic electrical pulses under sedation. Five minutes after the injection of the chemotherapy agent, sequences of 8 biphasic pulses lasting 50 + 50 μs each, were delivered in bursts of 1,300 V/cm for sclerosed and of 800 V/cm for exposed lesions, with caliper or needle array electrodes, respectively. A second session was performed 1 or 2 weeks later based on clinical considerations. Results: The treatment was well tolerated with minimal adverse effects. Twenty‐nine dogs had no evidence of recurrence over the 6‐year study period, 6 had tumor recurrence, 1 died of multiple cutaneous MCTs, and 1 died of unrelated causes. The estimated median time to recurrence was 1,200 days. Recurrence was not observed among the long‐term (>1 year) treated dogs. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: ECT with CDDP appears effective in the treatment of incompletely resected MCT in dogs and could be a useful addition to the current options based on its low cost, limited toxicity, and ease of administration.