Showing papers by "University of Lleida published in 2016"
TL;DR: This work outlines what it sees as some of the significant new problems facing the industry like the lack of holistic approaches for the design and management of fresh FSC.
184 citations
University of Western Australia1, Charles Darwin University2, Monash University, Clayton campus3, University of Melbourne4, University of Waikato5, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation6, University of Lleida7, University of Sydney8, Flinders University9, Queensland University of Technology10, University of Technology, Sydney11, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia12, James Cook University13, Forestry Tasmania14, Landcare Research15, Geoscience Australia16, Edith Cowan University17, Charles Sturt University18
TL;DR: OzFlux as discussed by the authors is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national research facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia's terrestrial biosphere and climate.
Abstract: OzFlux is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national research facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia's terrestrial biosphere and climate. This paper describes the evolution, design, and current status of OzFlux as well as provides an overview of data processing. We analyse measurements from all sites within the Australian portion of the OzFlux network and two sites from New Zealand. The response of the Australian biomes to climate was largely consistent with global studies except that Australian systems had a lower ecosystem water-use efficiency. Australian semi-arid/arid ecosystems are important because of their huge extent (70 %) and they have evolved with common moisture limitations. We also found that Australian ecosystems had a similar radiation-use efficiency per unit leaf area compared to global values that indicates a convergence toward a similar biochemical efficiency. The two New Zealand sites represented extremes in productivity for a moist temperate climate zone, with the grazed dairy farm site having the highest GPP of any OzFlux site (2620 gC m-2 yr-1) and the natural raised peat bog site having a very low GPP (820 gC m-2 yr-1). The paper discusses the utility of the flux data and the synergies between flux, remote sensing, and modelling. Lastly, the paper looks ahead at the future direction of the network and concludes that there has been a substantial contribution by OzFlux, and considerable opportunities remain to further advance our understanding of ecosystem response to disturbances, including drought, fire, land-use and land-cover change, land management, and climate change, which are relevant both nationally and internationally. It is suggested that a synergistic approach is required to address all of the spatial, ecological, human, and cultural challenges of managing the delicately balanced ecosystems in Australasia.
176 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors assessed the long-term stability of nano-emulsions containing EOs (oregano, thyme, lemongrass or mandarin).
154 citations
TL;DR: Taking into account their mulching efficiency and biodegradability, the four PBAT-based studied materials are proven to constitute suitable alternatives to the excessively resistant PE material.
139 citations
TL;DR: The results showed that the presence of pectin from the fruit hampered the solubilization of the phenolic compounds (with exception of gallic and ellagic acids) and fat-soluble vitamins during gastric digestion, but degradation of pECTin-gel during the duodenal digestion favored the release of the Phenolic compounds andFat-Soluble antioxidants to the media.
127 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated five green solvents, i.e. 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and ethyl acetate, for the substitution of n-hexane in the extraction of carotenoids from carrots.
Abstract: The present study was designed to evaluate five green solvents, i.e. 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), dimethyl carbonate (DMC), cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME), isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and ethyl acetate, for the substitution of n-hexane in the extraction of carotenoids from carrots. Initially, solvent selection was made through the theoretical physicochemical solvent properties and solubility results obtained using two simulation programs, Hansen Solubility Parameters (HSPs) and Conductor-like Screening Model for Realistic Solvation (COSMO-RS) which use a statistical thermodynamics approach based on the result of quantum chemical calculation, for comprehension of the dissolving mechanism. On the basis of the HSPs analysis, non-polar or slightly polar solvents were the most suitable solvents for extraction of carotenoids. COSMO-RS analysis showed a higher probability of solubility for all the carotenoids from carrot in CPME, 2-MeTHF and ethyl acetate compared with n-hexane. The experimental results using a conventional solid–liquid extraction by maceration showed that the best green solvents were CPME, 2-MeTHF and ethyl acetate in accordance with the predictive results from COSMO-RS. The highest carotenoid content (78.4 mg 100 g−1 DM) was observed in CPME where 66% was represented by β-carotene and 34% was α-carotene. These results support the potential of CPME and 2-MeTHF as alternative green solvents for extraction of carotenoids.
122 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated how an intensified climatic influence on tree growth during the last 120 y has increased spatial synchrony in annual ring-width patterns within contrasting Eurasian biomes and on broad spatial scales, ultimately leading to unprecedented temporal coherence in ring- width records over wide geographical scales.
Abstract: Forests play a key role in the carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems. One of the main uncertainties in global change predictions lies in how the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest productivity will be affected by climate warming. Here we show an increasing influence of climate on the spatial variability of tree growth during the last 120 y, ultimately leading to unprecedented temporal coherence in ring-width records over wide geographical scales (spatial synchrony). Synchrony in growth patterns across cold-constrained (central Siberia) and drought-constrained (Spain) Eurasian conifer forests have peaked in the early 21st century at subcontinental scales (∼1,000 km). Such enhanced synchrony is similar to that observed in trees co-occurring within a stand. In boreal forests, the combined effects of recent warming and increasing intensity of climate extremes are enhancing synchrony through an earlier start of wood formation and a stronger impact of year-to-year fluctuations of growing-season temperatures on growth. In Mediterranean forests, the impact of warming on synchrony is related mainly to an advanced onset of growth and the strengthening of drought-induced growth limitations. Spatial patterns of enhanced synchrony represent early warning signals of climate change impacts on forest ecosystems at subcontinental scales.
119 citations
Technische Universität München1, University of Valladolid2, University of Göttingen3, Agro ParisTech4, Warsaw University of Life Sciences5, Aleksandras Stulginskis University6, University of Lleida7, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences8, University of Freiburg9, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine10, Mediterranean University11, University of Novi Sad12, Wageningen University and Research Centre13, University of Turin14, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad15, Université catholique de Louvain16, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna17, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague18, Ghent University19, Forest Research Institute20
TL;DR: In this article, the authors use 32 triplets of mature and fully stocked monocultures and mixed stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) located along a productivity and water availability gradient through Europe to examine how mixing modifies the stand structure in terms of stand density, horizontal tree distribution pattern, vertical stand structure, size distribution pattern and variation in tree morphology.
116 citations
TL;DR: Critically analyse the activity of CRISPR/Cas9 and related systems in different plant species and compare the outcomes in animals and microbes to draw broad conclusions about the design principles required for effective genome editing in different organisms.
Abstract: The CRISPR/Cas9 system and related RNA-guided endonucleases can introduce double-strand breaks (DSBs) at specific sites in the genome, allowing the generation of targeted mutations in one or more genes as well as more complex genomic rearrangements. Modifications of the canonical CRISPR/Cas9 system from Streptococcus pyogenes and the introduction of related systems from other bacteria have increased the diversity of genomic sites that can be targeted, providing greater control over the resolution of DSBs, the targeting efficiency (frequency of on-target mutations), the targeting accuracy (likelihood of off-target mutations) and the type of mutations that are induced. Although much is now known about the principles of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, the likelihood of different outcomes is species-dependent and there have been few comparative studies looking at the basis of such diversity. Here we critically analyse the activity of CRISPR/Cas9 and related systems in different plant species and compare the outcomes in animals and microbes to draw broad conclusions about the design principles required for effective genome editing in different organisms. These principles will be important for the commercial development of crops, farm animals, animal disease models and novel microbial strains using CRISPR/Cas9 and other genome-editing tools.
112 citations
TL;DR: Analysis of the resulting transgenic plants suggested that the supply of isoprenoid precursors from the MEP pathway is one of the key factors limiting carotenoid accumulation in the endosperm and that the overexpression of AtOR increased the accumulation ofcarotenoids in part by up-regulating a series of endogenousCarotenogenic genes.
Abstract: The profile of secondary metabolites in plants reflects the balance of biosynthesis, degradation and storage, including the availability of precursors and products that affect the metabolic equilibrium. We investigated the impact of the precursor-product balance on the carotenoid pathway in the endosperm of intact rice plants because this tissue does not normally accumulate carotenoids, allowing us to control each component of the pathway. We generated transgenic plants expressing the maize phytoene synthase gene (ZmPSY1) and the bacterial phytoene desaturase gene (PaCRTI), which are sufficient to produce β-carotene in the presence of endogenous lycopene β-cyclase. We combined this mini-pathway with the Arabidopsis thaliana genes AtDXS (encoding 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase, which supplies metabolic precursors) or AtOR (the ORANGE gene, which promotes the formation of a metabolic sink). Analysis of the resulting transgenic plants suggested that the supply of isoprenoid precursors from the MEP pathway is one of the key factors limiting carotenoid accumulation in the endosperm and that the overexpression of AtOR increased the accumulation of carotenoids in part by up-regulating a series of endogenous carotenogenic genes. The identification of metabolic bottlenecks in the pathway will help to refine strategies for the creation of engineered plants with specific carotenoid profiles.
106 citations
TL;DR: In this article, three long-term tillage experiments based on cereal production were initiated in 1987, 1990 and 1992, at three different locations in the Ebro river valley (NE Spain): El Canos, Selvanera and Agramunt, with increasing degree of aridity.
TL;DR: It was demonstrated that both the effects of ultrasound technology are more effective in food with higher water activity, the micro channels only forming in moist food, while only the direct effects are important for dry foods.
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of climate change and land cover change on annual runoff were identified by means of a change point analysis and the influence of forest cover was confirmed by comparing observed runoff trends with those resulting from a hydro-climatic model that does not take into account land use changes.
Abstract: The abandonment of traditional rural life in mountain areas has favoured the expansion of forest in the headwaters of Pyrenean rivers. In this paper, we (i) analyse hydro-climatic trends at the annual and monthly scales in three nested sub-catchments in a central Pyrenean basin and (ii) quantify the relative contribution of climate change and forest cover on the observed changes in runoff. Land use maps indicate an increase in the forest cover in all sub-basins for the period 1987–2009. Non-parametric Mann–Kendall statistic on annual and monthly hydro-climatic data from 1965 to 2009 was used to identify trends in climate and runoff data. To assess the potential influence of the period length, trends were also examined for the 1941–2009 stretch. Upward trends were detected for temperature and potential evapotranspiration, particularly during summer and winter months. Precipitation trends and their significance depended on the length of the period considered, although overall results indicated a decrease, particularly for February and July. The effects of climate change and land cover change on annual runoff were identified by means of a change point analysis. Results indicated that a change in annual runoff took place in the 1980s, suggesting the non-linearity in the relationship between precipitation and runoff, and thus the influence of land use factors. The influence of forest cover was confirmed by comparing observed runoff trends with those resulting from a hydro-climatic model that does not take into account land use changes. Divergence between both trends revealed that forest cover can account for ~40% of the observed decrease in annual runoff. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: Increasing the number of opponents was effective to overemphasise the need to use local information in the positioning decision-making process from professionals and emphasise their players’ local perceptions while decreasing the cooperation promoted more regularity in spatial organisation in amateurs.
Abstract: Optimizing collective behaviour helps to increase performance in mutual tasks. In team sports settings, the small-sided games (SSG) have been used as key context tools to stress out the players’ awareness about their in-game required behaviours. Research has mostly described these behaviours when confronting teams have the same number of players, disregarding the frequent situations of low and high inequality. This study compared the players’ positioning dynamics when manipulating the number of opponents and teammates during professional and amateur football SSG. The participants played 4v3, 4v5 and 4v7 games, where one team was confronted with low-superiority, low- and high-inferiority situations, and their opponents with low-, medium- and high-cooperation situations. Positional data were used to calculate effective playing space and distances from each player to team centroid, opponent team centroid and nearest opponent. Outcomes suggested that increasing the number of opponents in professional ...
TL;DR: Results indicated that an increase in the river's torrential behaviour may have occurred throughout the studied period, with low and high flow events gaining importance with respect to the annual contribution, although its magnitude was reduced over time.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors study the process that led to the vast reforestation of Spain from a historical perspective, by describing it through several features that help to understand the historical development of the artificial forest regeneration policy in Spain, together with its social, political and economic context.
TL;DR: The design, fabrication, and application of nanoemulsions as excipient foods will be described in this article and present several advantages over other food systems for this application, such as the ability to incorporate hydrophilic, amphiphilic, and lipophilic excipient ingredients, high physical stability, and rapid gastrointestinal digestibility.
Abstract: The oral bioavailability of many hydrophobic bioactive compounds found in natural food products (such as vitamins and nutraceuticals in fruits and vegetables) is relatively low due to their low bioaccessibility, chemical instability, or poor absorption. Most previous research has therefore focused on the design of delivery systems to incorporate isolated bioactive compounds into food products. However, a more sustainable and cost-effect approach to enhancing the functionality of bioactive compounds is to leave them within their natural environment, but specifically design excipient foods that enhance their bioavailability. Excipient foods typically do not have functionality themselves but they have the capacity to enhance the functionality of nutrients present in natural foods by altering their bioaccessibility, absorption, and/or chemical transformation. In this review article we present the use of excipient nanoemulsions for increasing the bioavailability of bioactive components from fruits and vegetables. Nanoemulsions present several advantages over other food systems for this application, such as the ability to incorporate hydrophilic, amphiphilic, and lipophilic excipient ingredients, high physical stability, and rapid gastrointestinal digestibility. The design, fabrication, and application of nanoemulsions as excipient foods will therefore be described in this article.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Insight is provided into the specific requirements of a range of exercises typically performed in basketball sessions and the use of accelerometer data is presented as a useful tool in assessing the workload.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to quantify the workload during basketball-specific drills measured through microtechnology. Twelve professional male basketball players from the Spanish 1st Division were monitored over a 4-week period. Data were collected from 16 sessions, for a total of 95 ± 33 drills per player. Workload data (Acceleration load; AL) were obtained from a tri-axial accelerometer at 100Hz sampling frequency, and were expressed over time (AL.min-1). Comparisons among training drills (i.e., 2v2, 3v3, 4v4, and 5v5) were assessed via standardized mean differences. Full-court 3v3 and 5v5 showed the highest physical demand (AL.min-1: 18.7 ± 4.1 and 17.9 ± 4.6, respectively) compared with other traditional balanced basketball drills such as 2v2 and 4v4 (14.6 ± 2.8 and 13.8±2.5, respectively). The AL.min-1 on half-court showed trivial-to-moderate differences with a likely increase of ~10-20% in 2v2 drill compared with any other formats. This study provides insight into the specific requirements of a range of exercises typically performed in basketball sessions. The use of accelerometer data is presented as a useful tool in assessing the workload.
TL;DR: The results are consistent with the possibility that rapamycin increases longevity in mice at least in part by lowering mitochondrial ROS production and increasing autophagy, decreasing the derived final forms of damage accumulated with age which are responsible for increased longevity.
TL;DR: In this article, a sample of more than 14,000 hotels in 100 cities around the world taken from two of the most important tourism websites as are Booking and TripAdvisor, ascertained whether the star-rating classification system of hotels, room price, or even hotel size, match user satisfaction measured from the point of view the scores awarded by past users.
TL;DR: This study investigated the effects of temperature, water activity and temperature on fungal growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production by three Aspergillus flavus isolates inoculated on sorghum grains to identify the limits of growth and mycotoxin production.
Abstract: Sorghum, which is consumed in Tunisia as human food, suffers from severe colonization by several toxigenic fungi and contamination by mycotoxins. The Tunisian climate is characterized by high temperature and humidity that stimulates mold proliferation and mycotoxin accumulation in foodstuffs. This study investigated the effects of temperature (15, 25 and 37°C), water activity (aw, between 0.85 and 0.99) and incubation time (7, 14, 21 and 28 d) on fungal growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production by three Aspergillus flavus isolates (8, 10 and 14) inoculated on sorghum grains. The Baranyi model was applied to identify the limits of growth and mycotoxin production. Maximum diameter growth rates were observed at 0.99 a(w) at 37°C for two of the isolates. The minimum aw needed for mycelial growth was 0.91 at 25 and 37°C. At 15°C, only isolate 8 grew at 0.99 a(w). Aflatoxin B1 accumulation could be avoided by storing sorghum at low water activity levels (≤0.91 a(w)). Aflatoxin production was not observed at 15°C. This is the first work on the effects of water activity and temperature on A. flavus growth and AFB1 production by A. flavus isolates on sorghum grains.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluated the effectiveness of alternative fuel treatment strategies to reduce potential losses from wildfires in Mediterranean areas, and compared strategic fuel treatments located near specific human values vs random locations, and treated 3, 9 and 15% of a 68,000ha study area located in Sardinia, Italy.
TL;DR: Outcomes of floret initiation, mortality/survival, grain set/abortion, and fruiting efficiency have been quantified in 30 cultivars and connected to the processes determining the fate ofFloret primordia using ovary size.
Abstract: Spike fertility traits are critical attributes for grain yield in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Here, we examine the genotypic variation in three important traits: maximum number of floret primordia, number of fertile florets, and number of grains. We determine their relationship in determining spike fertility in 30 genotypes grown under two contrasting conditions: field and greenhouse. The maximum number of floret primordia per spikelet (MFS), fertile florets per spikelet (FFS), and number of grains per spikelet (GS) not only exhibited large genotypic variation in both growth conditions and across all spikelet positions studied, but also displayed moderate levels of heritability. FFS was closely associated with floret survival and only weakly related to MFS. We also found that the post-anthesis process of grain set/abortion was important in determining genotypic variation in GS; an increase in GS was mainly associated with improved grain survival. Ovary size at anthesis was associated with both floret survival (pre-anthesis) and grain survival (post-anthesis), and was thus believed to 'connect' the two traits. In this work, proximal florets (i.e. the first three florets from the base of a spikelet: F1, F2, and F3) produced fertile florets and set grains in most cases. The ovary size of more distal florets (F4 and beyond) seemed to act as a decisive factor for grain setting and effectively reflected pre-anthesis floret development. In both growth conditions, GS positively correlated with ovary size of florets in the distal position (F4), suggesting that assimilates allocated to distal florets may play a critical role in regulating grain set.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyse suspended sediment dynamics and its relationship with rainfall, discharge and in-channel sediment storage in a highly dynamic Mediterranean montane catchment (the River Isaben, Southern Pyrenees, NE Iberian Peninsula).
Abstract: Elucidating the links between catchment and channel geomorphic processes helps the understanding of landscape evolution and the geomorphic development of river basins, and then the land degradation processes. In this study, we analyse suspended sediment dynamics and its relationship with rainfall, discharge and in-channel sediment storage in a highly dynamic Mediterranean montane catchment (the River Isaben, Southern Pyrenees, NE Iberian Peninsula). The aim is to assess hydrological controls on and temporal patterns of the suspended sediment load. High loads in this basin occur as a consequence of intense erosion in badlands located in the middle of the catchment. This study focuses on a reach located downstream from the main badland areas, where rainfall, discharge (Q), sediment transport (SSC) and in-channel sediment storage were monitored for a 1-year period. Marked seasonality in water and sediment load was observed; whereas most of the discharge occurred in winter and spring, most of the sediment was transported during summer and autumn. Q-SSC hysteretic loops revealed the importance of sediment availability (whether stored in the channel or originating from wider catchment source areas) in the river's sedimentary response. Clockwise loops dominated during winter and spring, whereas counter-clockwise loops occurred mostly in summer and autumn, when in-channel storage reached its maximum. There were significant correlations between rainfall intensity in the sediment source areas, in-channel sediment storage and sediment yield. These correlations emphasize the importance of understanding sediment availability when analysing the temporal dynamics of sediment transport, especially in catchments where different source areas (slopes and riverbed) may contribute to the load to differing degrees and at different times of the year. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TL;DR: Findings suggest that OLE might be the most suitable precursor of HT for incorporation into foods or nutraceutical formulations and bioavailability based on the urine excretion of HT metabolites was higher.
King's College London1, University of Cambridge2, University of Turin3, University of Wisconsin-Madison4, Tufts University5, Harvard University6, Mayo Clinic7, University Health Network8, University of Sydney9, University of Lleida10, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust11, Paris-Sorbonne University12, University of Paris13, Erasmus University Rotterdam14, Utrecht University15
TL;DR: It is concluded that current practices in Ki67 scoring assessment vary greatly, and interobserver variation sets particular limitations to its clinical utility, especially around clinically relevant cutoff values.
Abstract: Despite the established role of Ki67 labeling index in prognostic stratification of adrenocortical carcinomas and its recent integration into treatment flow charts, the reproducibility of the assessment method has not been determined. The aim of this study was to investigate interobserver variability among endocrine pathologists using a web-based virtual microscopy approach. Ki67-stained slides of 76 adrenocortical carcinomas were analyzed independently by 14 observers, each according to their method of preference including eyeballing, formal manual counting, and digital image analysis. The interobserver variation was statistically significant (P<0.001) in the absence of any correlation between the various methods. Subsequently, 61 static images were distributed among 15 observers who were instructed to follow a category-based scoring approach. Low levels of interobserver (F=6.99; Fcrit=1.70; P<0.001) as well as intraobserver concordance (n=11; Cohen κ ranging from -0.057 to 0.361) were detected. To improve harmonization of Ki67 analysis, we tested the utility of an open-source Galaxy virtual machine application, namely Automated Selection of Hotspots, in 61 virtual slides. The software-provided Ki67 values were validated by digital image analysis in identical images, displaying a strong correlation of 0.96 (P<0.0001) and dividing the cases into 3 classes (cutoffs of 0%-15%-30% and/or 0%-10%-20%) with significantly different overall survivals (P<0.05). We conclude that current practices in Ki67 scoring assessment vary greatly, and interobserver variation sets particular limitations to its clinical utility, especially around clinically relevant cutoff values. Novel digital microscopy-enabled methods could provide critical aid in reducing variation, increasing reproducibility, and improving reliability in the clinical setting.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate where, how and why researchers from different wine-growing regions applied rainfall simulations with successful results as a tool to measure soil erosion processes, and demonstrate the importance of the development of standard method for measurement of soil erosion in vineyards, using rainfall simulators.
Abstract: Small portable rainfall simulators are considered a useful tool to analyze soil erosion processes in cultivated lands. European research groups in Spain (Valencia, Malaga, Lleida, Madrid and La Rioja), France (Reims) and Germany (Trier) have used different rainfall simulators (varying in drop size distribution and fall velocities, kinetic energy, plot forms and sizes, and field of application) to study soil loss, surface flow, runoff and infiltration coefficients in different experimental plots (Valencia, Montes de Malaga, Penedes, Campo Real and La Rioja in Spain, Champagne in France and Mosel-Ruwer valley in Germany). The measurements and experiments developed by these research teams give an overview of the variety of methodologies used in rainfall simulations to study the problem of soil erosion and describe the erosion features in different climatic environments, management practices and soil types. The aims of this study are: (i) to investigate where, how and why researchers from different wine-growing regions applied rainfall simulations with successful results as a tool to measure soil erosion processes; (ii) to make a qualitative comparison about the general soil erosion processes in European terroirs; (iii) to demonstrate the importance of the development of standard method for measurement of soil erosion processes in vineyards, using rainfall simulators; and (iv) and to analyze the key factors that should be taken into account to carry out rainfall simulations. The rainfall simulations in all cases allowed infiltration capacity, susceptibility of the soil to detachment and generation of sediment loads to runoff to be determined. Despite using small plots, the experiments were useful to analyze the influence of soil cover to reduce soil erosion, to make comparisons between different locations, and to evaluate the influence of different soil characteristics. The comparative analysis of the studies performed in different study areas points out the need to define an operational methodology to carry out rainfall simulations, which allows us to obtain representative and comparable results and to avoid errors in the interpretation in order to achieve comparable information about runoff and soil loss.
TL;DR: It is held that the deep avian and reptilian mesopallial formation developing under the superficial corticoid CL homolog represents a field homolog of the insula, although additional studies are required to underpin this hypothesis.
Abstract: The transcription factor Nr4a2 was recently revealed as a very early developmental marker of the claustrum (CL) proper in the mouse. The earliest claustral primordium was identified superficially, dorsal to the olfactory cortex, and was subsequently covered by the Nr4a2-negative cells of the insular cortex. Some tangentially migrating claustral derivatives (subplate cells and some endopiriform elements) also expressed this marker. The present study employs the same genetic marker to explore the presence of a comparable pallial division in chicken in which, in principle, the same pallial sectors exist as in mammals. We were indeed able to delineate an early-developing Nr4a2-positive mantle domain at the expected topologic position within the developing chicken lateral pallium. In the chicken as well as in the turtle (from data in the literature), the earliest postmitotic lateropallial cells likewise express Nr4a2 and occupy a corticoid superficial stratum of the mesopallium, which is clearly comparable in spatial and chronological profile to the mouse CL. Other cells produced in this pallial sector include various tangentially migrating Nr4a2-labeled derivatives as well as Nr4a2-negative and Nr4a2-positive local deeper subpopulations that partially interdigitate, forming mesopallial core and shell populations. We hold that the deep avian and reptilian mesopallial formation developing under the superficial corticoid CL homolog represents a field homolog of the insula, although additional studies are required to underpin this hypothesis.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed and evaluated a heat stress response function in the crop modeling framework SIMPLACE, in which the Lintul5 crop model was combined with a canopy temperature model.
Iowa State University1, University of Lleida2, Trinity College, Dublin3, University of Sheffield4, University of Copenhagen5, University of Melbourne6, Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center7, Wageningen University and Research Centre8, National Research Council9, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul10, University of Western Australia11
TL;DR: This work examines three approaches likely to prove useful for addressing current and future challenges from weeds: diversifying weed management strategies with multiple complementary tactics, developing crop genotypes for enhanced weed suppression, and tailoring management strategies to better accommodate variability in weed spatial distributions.
Abstract: Weed management is a critically important activity on both agricultural and non-agricultural lands, but it is faced with a daunting set of challenges: environmental damage caused by control practices, weed resistance to herbicides, accelerated rates of weed dispersal through global trade, and greater weed impacts due to changes in climate and land use. Broad-scale use of new approaches is needed if weed management is to be successful in the coming era. We examine three approaches likely to prove useful for addressing current and future challenges from weeds: diversifying weed management strategies with multiple complementary tactics, developing crop genotypes for enhanced weed suppression, and tailoring management strategies to better accommodate variability in weed spatial distributions. In all three cases, proof-of-concept has long been demonstrated and considerable scientific innovations have been made, but uptake by farmers and land managers has been extremely limited. Impediments to employing these and other ecologically based approaches include inadequate or inappropriate government policy instruments, a lack of market mechanisms, and a paucity of social infrastructure with which to influence learning, decision-making, and actions by farmers and land managers. We offer examples of how these impediments are being addressed in different parts of the world, but note that there is no clear formula for determining which sets of policies, market mechanisms, and educational activities will be effective in various locations. Implementing new approaches for weed management will require multidisciplinary teams comprised of scientists, engineers, economists, sociologists, educators, farmers, land managers, industry personnel, policy makers, and others willing to focus on weeds within whole farming systems and land management units.