Search

We present a novel lung aerosol exposure system named MALIES (modular air–liquid interface exposure system), which allows three-dimensional cultivation of lung epithelial cells in alveolar-like scaffolds (MatriGrids®) and exposure to nanoparticle aerosols. MALIES consists of multiple modular units for aerosol generation, and can be rapidly assembled and commissioned. The MALIES system was proven for its ability to reliably produce a dose-dependent toxicity in A549 cells using CuSO4 aerosol. Cytotoxic effects of BaSO4- and TiO2-nanoparticles were investigated using MALIES with the human lung tumor cell line A549 cultured at the air–liquid interface. Experiments with concentrations of up to 5.93 × 105 (BaSO4) and 1.49 × 106 (TiO2) particles/cm3, resulting in deposited masses of up to 26.6 and 74.0 µg/cm2 were performed using two identical aerosol exposure systems in two different laboratories. LDH, resazurin reduction and total glutathione were measured. A549 cells grown on MatriGrids® form a ZO-1- and E-Cadherin-positive epithelial barrier and produce mucin and surfactant protein. BaSO4-NP in a deposited mass of up to 26.6 µg/cm2 resulted in mild, reversible damage (~ 10% decrease in viability) to lung epithelium 24 h after exposure. TiO2-NP in a deposited mass of up to 74.0 µg/cm2 did not induce any cytotoxicity in A549 cells 24 h and 72 h after exposure, with the exception of a 1.7 fold increase in the low exposure group in laboratory 1. These results are consistent with previous studies showing no significant damage to lung epithelium by short-term treatment with low concentrations of nanoscale BaSO4 and TiO2 in in vitro experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal polysaccharides and glucans, including lentinan from shiitakes, have been identified as promoting human health, and consequently, the sale of mushroom-based health products has increased significantly in recent years. Reliable methods for the quantitation of lentinan must be available if shiitakes or shiitake-derived products are to be promoted as health-promoting food. The objective of this study was to characterize two methods for the quantitation of ß-glucans from aqueous extracts of shiitake mushrooms. The first method utilized ethanol precipitation and batch size exclusion chromatography to isolate a fraction enriched in lentinan, called high molecular weight polysaccharides, HMWP. Gel filtration chromatography characterization of HMWP fraction indicated that the size distribution of carbohydrates was similar to that of a lentinan standard. Analyses for total starch and glycogen, to a lesser extent, indicate these polysaccharides are less than 10% of the total carbohydrates in HMWP. These results suggest that the HMWP fraction had a high level of lentinan. The second method measured the production of glucose by enzymes that specifically hydrolyze plant ß-glucans. The amount of carbohydrate detected by the enzymatic ß-glucan assay was significantly less than the carbohydrate found in the HMWP fraction. The low content of ß-glucan was not due to a failure of the assay's enzymes to function. In addition, no glucose was produced when a lentinan standard was subjected to the ß-glucan assay. These results indicate that the carbohydrate content ofHMWPfraction was a better indicator of lentinan content of shiitakes compared to the mushroom's ß-glucan content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism by which chemical energy is converted into an electrochemical gradient by P-type ATPase is not completely understood. The effects of ATP analogs on the canine kidney (Na+ + K+) ATPase were compared to effects of the same analogs on the maize (Zea mays L. cv. W7551) root H+-ATPase in order to identify probes for the ATP binding site of the maize root enzyme and to determine potential similarities of ATP hydrolysis mechanisms in these two enzymes. Six compounds able to modify the ATP binding site covalently were compared. These compounds could be classed into three distinct groups based on activity. The first group had little or no effect on catalytic activity of either enzyme and included 7-chloro-4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole. The second group, which included azido adenine analogs, fluorescein isothiocyanate and 5′-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenine, were inhibitors of ATP hydrolysis by both enzymes. However, the sensitivity of the (Na+ + K+) ATPase to inhibition was much greater than that exhibited by the maize root enzyme. The third group, which included periodate treated nucleotide derivatives and 2′,3′-o-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)adenosine triphosphate, inhibited both enzymes similarly. This initial screening of these covalent modifiers indicated that 2′,3′-o-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)adenosine triphosphate was the optimal covalent modifier of the ATP binding site of the maize root enzyme. Certain reagents were much more effective against the (Na+ + K+) ATPase than the maize root enzyme, possibly indicating differences in the ATP binding and hydrolysis pathway for these two enzymes. Two ATP analogs that are not covalent modifiers were also tested: the trinitrophenyl derivatives of adenine nucleotides were better than 5′-adenylylimidodiphosphate for use as an ATP binding probe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of a Ca2+-translocating ATPase in microsomes from maize (Zea mays L. cv. WF9 × Mo17) roots was evaluated using assays to follow Ca2+-stimulation of ATP hydrolysis and Ca2+ transport by changes in the fluorescence of chlorotet-racycline. ATP hydrolysis by microsomes was stimulated by the addition of Ca2+ and further enhanced by the Ca ionophore A23187 and bovine brain calmodulin only in the presence of Ca2+. Stimulation by these agents was additive and sensitive to vanadate. These results were consistent with the presence of a Ca2+-translocating ATPase in microsomal membranes. The fluorescence of chlorotetracycline in the presence of microsomes and Ca2+ increased upon the addition of ATP, indicating the transport of Ca2+. The initial rate and extent of change in fluorescence were stimulated by calmodulin and quenched by the addition of either A23187 or EGTA, but not by protonophores. Changes in chlorotetracycline fluorescence were prevented by vanadate. Therefore, results using chlorotetracyline also indicated the presence of a Ca2+-translocating ATPase. Localization experiments indicated that the majority of the Ca2+-translocating ATPase was on the endoplasmic reticulum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 68-year-old male and a 26-year-old with male with prolonged post-transplant cytopenia associated with hypersplenism following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The two patients were treated through splenectomy to shorten myeloid recovery following HSCT. The article discusses the use of splenectomy to facilitate engraftment in patients with myeloproliferative disorder.

For patients readmitted to OSH, 90-day postoperative mortality was 50% higher than mortality for patients readmitted to the index surgical hospital (8.0% vs 5.4%; OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2 - 1.9). When comparing large volume (100 or more surgeries annually) and small volume hospitals, total 90-day readmission inpatient cost was 23% higher at large volume hospitals (median $15,000 vs $12,000; p<0.01). [Extracted from the article]

Mechanisms involved in mineral stress tolerance of cool-season grasses infected by Neotyphodium spp. endophytes are not known. In a controlled-environment experiment, two genotypes (DN2 and DN4) of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) infected (E+) with their naturally occurring strains of N. coenophialum (Morgan-Jones and Gams) Glenn, Bacon and Hanlin, and their non-infected (E-) isolines were cultivated in nutrient solution at two phosphorus (P) levels of 31 mg P dm-3 (P+) and 0.31 mg P dm-3 (P-) for 3 weeks. Diameters of lateral roots, root hair length, and distance between root hairs were recorded using a digital image analysis system (Dage 72S CCD camera controlled by a Power MacIntosh 7200/120PC compatible computer equipped with an AG-5 frame grabber board and NIH-Image). Irrespective of tall fescue genotype and P level in nutrient solution, E+ plants had roots with a smaller diameter (16 %) than E- plants. In response to P deficiency, root diameter of E+ plants declined by 11 % and root hair length increased by 17 % when compared to E- plants. Altered root diameter and root hair length might be one of the mineral stress tolerance mechanisms in endophyte-infected tall fescue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn (Zea mays L.) is a major irrigated crop grown in the Southern High Plains including the Texas Panhandle. Irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer is required to sustain profitable corn production in the region by supplementing inadequate and erratic rainfall. Effective irrigation scheduling works to extend limited groundwater resources by avoiding water losses associated with runoff and/or percolation below the root zone. The use of crop coefficient (Kc) and reference evapotranspiration (ETo) values to estimate daily crop water use (ETc) remains an effective scheduling tool that can complement other irrigation scheduling approaches. Both Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO-56) piecewise and curvilinear Kc values for corn are found in the literature. However, advances in corn genetics have led to questions about the applicability of Kc values developed using legacy corn hybrids to irrigation of modern drought-tolerant (DT) hybrids. Lysimeter-derived Kc values for legacy corn hybrids grown in large weighing lysimeter fields at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, Texas, were compared with those derived from a modern DT corn hybrid recently grown in the same fields. Results indicated that although midseason daily Kc values were similar for all hybrids, average season length was ~25 days shorter for the modern DT hybrid, characterized by a shortened initial growth period followed by more rapid increase of Kc during the development period. However, plots of Kc over thermal time illustrated that the differences in season length were likely attributable to later planting dates associated with the DT corn hybrids. Average seasonal water use was 730 and 811 mm for the legacy and modern DT hybrids, respectively (three years each), with corresponding average yields of 1.2 and 1.4 kg ha-1. Results suggest that published Kc and Kcb values developed with legacy corn hybrids remain largely applicable to modern DT corn hybrids when used with accurate estimates of effective canopy-based growth stages and climate-specific Kc functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) has become an important irrigation application method in the U.S. Southern High Plains where pan evaporation exceeds 2,400 mm per year. Early research comparing SDI with spray sprinklers showed that SDI was over-applied when scheduling irrigations using crop coefficients developed using sprinkler irrigation. Thus, crop coefficients developed using SDI may be smaller than those developed using sprinkler irrigation. Grain corn was grown for two years on large, precision weighing lysimeters at Bushland, Texas, with two lysimeters irrigated by SDI and two by mid-elevation spray (MESA) irrigation. Data used in this study were for fields irrigated to replenish soil water in the top 1.5 m of the soil to field capacity, as indicated by weekly neutron probe readings (100% replenishment). Crop coefficients developed for SDI (Kc_SDI) were compared with those developed for MESA (Kc_MESA) using ASCE standardized reference ET equations. The value of Kc_SDI ranged from 0.83 to 0.89 of Kc_MESA for the two years. Values of Kc_SDI remained consistently less than Kc_MESA even after maximum leaf area index was reached, indicating that considerable evaporative loss from the soil surface occurred with MESA irrigation even after full canopy cover. When we shortened the initial period after planting from 30 to 20 d and followed FAO 56 recommendations for surface drip irrigation under full-cover plastic mulch, we calculated basal Kc (Kcb) values (ETo basis) that were reasonably close to our Kc values for SDI for the crop development and early mid-season periods but were greater than our data for the later mid-season and late season periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is successfully applied since the late 1950s; however, its efficacy still needs to be increased. A promising strategy is to transplant high numbers of pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Therefore, an improved ex vivo culture system that supports proliferation and maintains HSC pluripotency would override possible limitations in cell numbers gained from donors. To model the natural HSC niche in vitro, we optimized the HSC medium composition with a panel of cytokines and valproic acid and used an artificial 3D bone marrow-like scaffold made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This 3D scaffold offered a suitable platform to amplify human HSCs in vitro and, simultaneously, to support their viability, multipotency and ability for self-renewal. Silicon oxide-covering of PDMS structures further improved amplification of CD34+ cells, although the conservation of naïve HSCs was better on non-covered 3D PDMS. Finally, we found that HSC cultivated on non-covered 3D PDMS generated most pluripotent colonies within colony forming unit assays. In conclusion, by combining biological and biotechnological approaches, we optimized in vitro HSCs culture conditions, resulting in improved amplification, multipotency maintenance and vitality of HSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A SWAT model equipped with an alternative auto-irrigation algorithm was used to evaluate the effects of planting date on hybrid corn yield and seasonal water use in the Texas High Plains. Research field data from the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, TX and the Texas A&M AgriLife North Plains Research Field near Etter, TX were used for model calibration. A long-term weather data set was used to simulate continuous corn using five planting dates (15-April, 1-May, 15-May, 1-June, and 15-June) for both long- and short-season corn hybrids. Results suggested that delayed planting resulted in a reduction of seasonal water use for both hybrids. Reductions in seasonal irrigation between the 15-April and 15-June were 28 % and 31 % for long- and short-season hybrids, respectively, using an application depth of 25.4 mm. Corresponding reductions in yield were considerably less at 8.9 and 8.8 % for long- and short-season hybrids. Reduced irrigation was attributed to decreased temperature stress and lower evapotranspiration of the later growing season. However, simulation of long season corn for the 15-June planting resulted in late season cold temperature stress. Further analysis of 19.1 mm and 31.8 mm irrigation depths revealed the latter resulted in an average of 4.4 and 4.7 % reductions in seasonal irrigation for long- and short-season hybrids, respectively. Results from this assessment study suggest the delayed planting of corn may result in decreased irrigation while maintaining profitable yields, potentially reducing withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas High Plains region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Daytime surface energy balance was assessed during two growing seasons. • Energy closure was improved with heat storage. • Energy closure was poorer during advective events. Abstract High quality estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) are needed for water-limited agriculture where irrigation is necessary to efficiently grow crops. Eddy covariance (EC) systems are observational tools used to measure water and heat fluxes, but a tendency to underestimate fluxes causes a lack of surface energy balance closure. Surface energy budgets are useful for verifying ET estimates, especially in advective conditions that affect energy partitioning. Here, we explored the effect of heat storage and advective conditions on surface energy balance closure for the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons in Bushland, Texas. Storage components were estimated near the center of an irrigated sorghum field using an array of soil and surface layer measurements. A comparison of EC estimated turbulent fluxes and available energy consisting of net radiation, soil heat flux, and storage was used to identify advective conditions and assess surface energy balance closure. Our results indicated daytime mean heat storage of approximately 40 W m−2 with a diurnal pattern featuring a midday peak that exceeded the evening minimum in magnitude, mostly reflective of soil heat storage but also affected by air, water, and biomass heat storage during the morning hours and photosynthesis storage during midday hours. Daytime advective conditions were associated with higher heat storage frequently under stable atmospheric conditions. The surface energy balance was more closed in 2014 than 2015; the 2014 energy balance exhibited a hysteretic pattern with a surplus of turbulent energy in the afternoon, whereas systematic underestimation was common in 2015. This finding is related to a larger proportion of data in 2014 being advective, characterized by a lower Bowen ratio and greater ET, particularly during the late afternoon. Regardless of advection classification, heat storage was demonstrated to be important for daytime energy balance in this irrigated cropland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NTT (Nutrient Tracking Tool) was designed to provide an opportunity for all users, including producers, to run complex simulation models, such as APEX (Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender), with the associated required databases. The APEX model currently nested within NTT provides estimates of the changes in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sediment losses that are associated with management practices specified by the user. Five methods (Penman-Monteith, Penman, Priestley-Taylor, Hargreaves-Samani, and Baier-Robertson) for determining potential evapotranspiration (PET) are available as inputs for estimating actual ET. This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the ET values obtained from the five PET equations currently available in APEX using both onsite measured climate data and data from the NTT standard databases. The mean daily, monthly, and annual ET values predicted by each of the equations in APEX for a lysimeter field at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, Texas, was compared to values measured for the 2001-2010 period. APEX generally underestimated ET with all PET methods (mostly during growing seasons) at both the daily and monthly levels but overpredicted for years when cotton was grown as the major cash crop due to overprediction of leaf area index during the senescing stage for cotton. The underprediction of ET in growing seasons was possibly from underprediction of rainfall due to estimation of rainfall for missing data. Overall, APEX was able to adequately (R2 ≥ 0.82 and NSE ≥ 0.80) predict mean monthly ET for major crops grown in the semi-arid Texas High Plains region. These results should reinforce confidence in APEX's ability to simulate ET accurately for fully irrigated farms. ET predictions with the Hargreaves-Samani and Priestley-Taylor methods, which require limited data compared to the Penman and Penman-Monteith methods, were similar (p > 0.05, one-way ANOVA), with mean errors within 8.7% for measured weather data and 12.6% for NTT-generated weather data for both methods. This is encouraging because of the limited availability of measured climate data for the majority of locations in the world, including the U.S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depletion of the High plains Aquifer that supplies irrigation water for the semiarid Southern great plains may necessitate dryland production of crops like wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] using the wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. Reduced crop productivity without irrigation can be offset by intensifying the WSF rotation with cattle (Bos taurus) grazing. Biomass removal and soil trampling without tillage, however, may reduce rain infiltration and storage during fallow that increases with no-tillage (NT) over stubble-mulch (SM) tillage. Our objective was to quantify grazing and tillage effects on infiltration, sediment transport, and aggregate stability during fallow periods after sorghum and wheat. Using a split plot randomized complete block design, we compared wet aggregate size distribution of a Pullman clay loam (fine, mixed, superactive, thermic Torrertic Paleustoll; 0.0-0.05 m) and sediment yield in runoff of simulated rain during the fallow-like idle period after wheat and the sorghum fallow. Sediment concentration and yield for both fallows were numerically larger (>40%) with grazing. Sediment concentration from SM tillage increased significantly over NT for either fallow, but soil loss differed only for wheat fallow. Mean final infiltration rate (IRf) and amount (IA60) did not differ significantly with grazing during either fallow, but IA60 was usually 20% lower for grazed than for ungrazed paddocks. Because SM tillage after grazed wheat significantly (P < 0.01) increased IRf and IA60 over NT, occasional SM tillage to disrupt compaction from trampling may increase water conservation for dryland cropping systems combining grazing with NT residue management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water scarcity due to drought and groundwater depletion has led to increased interest in deficit irrigation strategies that reduce irrigation requirements while maintaining profitable yields. This has resulted in an increase in the number of modeling studies aimed at evaluating crop response to limited irrigation strategies. However, the ability of widely used crop simulation models to accurately represent responses to limited irrigation has not been thoroughly evaluated. The primary objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of DSSAT-CERES-Maize (ver. 4.6.1.0) to simulate leaf area index (LAI), crop evapotranspiration (ET), and yield response to full (100%) and limited (75% and 50%) irrigation regimes for two corn varieties. Comparisons of simulated and measured data from full and limited irrigation treatments of two drought-tolerant corn hybrids (DuPont Pioneer AQUAmax P1151HR and Pioneer 33D49) grown in the Texas Panhandle in 2013 and 2014 were evaluated. Simulated in-season daily crop ET values for P1151HR grown in 2013 were also compared to those measured by precision large weighing lysimeters at Bushland, Texas. Additionally, a comparison of simulated and measured soil water content (SWC) within the root zone was performed for P1151HR grown in 2013. Simulated LAI for fully irrigated treatments approximated measured values reasonably well, although manipulation of plant genetic parameters failed to match measured LAI during the period between maximum LAI and the beginning of crop senescence in the 50% irrigation treatments. Similarly, simulated yield values approximated measured values for the fully irrigated treatments, while considerable overestimation of yield occurred in the limited irrigation treatments for both varieties. However, consistent overestimation of both LAI and yield for the limited irrigation treatments suggests a functional relationship between LAI and yield. Further, DSSAT overestimated crop ET by 16% for fully irrigated P1151HR and by 40% for limited irrigation treatments in 2013 as compared to measured lysimeter values. Corresponding underestimations of SWC were also observed in neutron probe measurements for both treatments. Overestimation of ET and yield and corresponding underestimation of SWC in limited irrigation treatments were mainly due to overestimation of LAI in those treatments, indicating a potential deficiency in the water stress algorithms. Additional comparisons of agronomic and lysimeter-based water balance data are needed to corroborate the findings of this study. Further investigations into the calculation of reference evapotranspiration (ETo), crop coefficients, and water stress functions in DSSAT are needed in order to provide suggestions for model improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ogalalla Aquifer is used to supplement insufficient precipitation for agricultural production in the semiarid Texas High Plains. However, decades of pumping combined with minimal recharge has resulted in decreased well capacity in most areas. A calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to compare simulated yields, crop water use, and required irrigation for crop rotations of the region using measured long-term (90 years) historical weather data. Crop rotations included continuous corn and cotton, corn-cotton, sorghum-cotton, cotton-winter wheat, and corn-winter wheat. Results demonstrated that a calibrated SWAT model simulated crop water use and yields well for all listed crops except cotton. The plant growth algorithms in SWAT appear unable to simulate representative cotton yields typical of cotton management in the Texas High Plains. A work-around for a limitation of the auto-irrigate function in SWAT to be suspended during the dormancy period of winter wheat was also used. Summary statistics for crop yield, crop water use, and irrigation were presented for all rotations. Long-term water use of simulations and irrigation probability exceedance statistics are presented for all simulated crops. These data may serve as a decision support tool for producers considering crop rotation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a widely used watershed model for simulating stream flow, overland flow, and sediment, pesticide, and bacterial loading in response to management practices. All SWAT processes are directly dependent on accurate representation of hydrology. Evapotranspiration (ET) is commonly the most significant portion of the hydrologic cycle, especially for irrigated lands in semiarid environments when ET demands are met or exceeded. However, no studies using long-term data to evaluate the SWAT model's capacity to estimate daily, monthly, and seasonal ET have been performed. In this study, daily and monthly ET values were simulated using ArcSWAT 2012 for an irrigated lysimeter field at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory (CPRL) at Bushland, Texas, and compared to measured ET values from 2001-2010. Crops grown during the study period included cotton, soybean, grain and silage sorghum, sunflower, and corn silage. A one-year warm-up (2000) and equal division of the remaining years were used for the calibration (2001-2005) and validation (2006-2010) periods. SWAT achieved a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.67 for daily ET during the calibration period, resulting in a "good" performance rating. An NSE of 0.78 resulted in a "very good" rating for the validation period. NSE values for simulated average monthly ET were improved, at 0.77 and 0.85 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Analysis of simulated versus measured ET values both during and outside of the growing season revealed better agreement during the former than the latter. The SWAT model generally underestimated ET at both daily and monthly levels but overestimated annual cotton ET due to overestimation of leaf area index during the senescing stage. Overall, SWAT was able to simulate daily and average monthly ET reasonably well for major summer crops grown in the semiarid Texas High Plains. These results should reinforce confidence in the SWAT model's capacity to accurately simulate ET in fully irrigated watersheds. However, limitations in accuracy appear to exist for certain crops, such as cotton and sunflower, and particularly under limited irrigation conditions. These deficiencies may be related to issues with the embedded Leaf Area Index (LAI) crop growth model and default plant parameter values in the crop database in SWAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1987-1989, the first irrigated crops were grown on the four large, precision weighing lysimeters at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory at Bushland, Texas, on the Southern High Plains (SHP). Thus began >25-years of full- and deficit-irrigated crop growth, energy and water balance, evapotranspiration (ET), yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) studies of major SHP crops, including alfalfa, corn and sorghum for both grain and forage, cotton, soybean, sunflower, and winter wheat. Alfalfa studies supported development of the ASCE Standardized Reference ET methodology. The lysimeter effort, led by Terry Howell, Sr., co-designed with Lynne Ebling and Thomas Marek and constructed by Arland Schneider, eventually grew to include a separate lysimeter to study short grass ET, again for the ASCE standard, and a 48-lysimeter facility to study soil type effects on crop water uptake, ET, and WUE using monoliths of four soils typical of SHP irrigated soils. The large lysimeters were managed to be representative of sprinkler-irrigated fields so as to develop crop coefficients used for irrigation scheduling by clients of ET networks developed by Texas A&M AgriLife in collaboration with the USDA-ARS. In addition, the lysimeters were used to test and further develop several technologies important to irrigation science, including soil water sensors, eddy covariance and Bowen ratio systems, scintillometers, thermal remote sensing based ET models, and hydrologic and crop simulation models. With the installation of subsurface drip irrigation systems on two of the lysimeter fields in 2013, the Bushland lysimeters are entering a new phase of advanced irrigation method and management studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) features the first multi-object high-resolution fiber spectrograph in the near-infrared ever built, thus making the survey unique in its capabilities: APOGEE is able to peer through the dust that obscures stars in the Galactic disc and bulge in the optical wavelength range. Here we explore the APOGEE data included as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s 10th data release (SDSS DR10). Aims. The goal of this paper is to a) investigate the chemo-kinematic properties of the Milky Way disc by exploring the first year of APOGEE data; and b) to compare our results to smaller optical high-resolution samples in the literature, as well as results from lower resolution surveys such as the Geneva-Copenhagen Survey (GCS) and the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE). Methods. We select a high-quality (HQ) sample in terms of chemistry (amounting to around 20 000 stars) and, after computing distances and orbital parameters for this sample, we employ a number of useful subsets to formulate constraints on Galactic chemical and chemodynamical evolution processes in the solar neighbourhood and beyond (e.g., metallicity distributions – MDFs, [/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] diagrams, and abundance gradients). Results. Our red giant sample spans distances as large as 10 kpc from the Sun. Given our chemical quality requirements, most of the stars are located between 1 and 6 kpc from the Sun, increasing by at least a factor of eight the studied volume with respect to the most recent chemodynamical studies based on the two largest samples obtained from RAVE and the Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE). We find remarkable agreement between the MDF of the recently published local (d < 100 pc) high-resolution high-S/N HARPS sample and our local HQ sample (d < 1 kpc). The local MDF peaks slightly below solar metallicity, and exhibits an extended tail towards [Fe/H] = 􀀀1, whereas a sharper cuto is seen at larger metallicities (the APOGEE sample shows a slight overabundance of stars with metallicities larger than '+0.3 with respect to the HARPS sample). Both samples also compare extremely well in an [/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] diagram. The APOGEE data also confirm the existence of a gap in the abundance diagram. When expanding our sample to cover three dierent Galactocentric distance bins (inner disc, solar vicinity and outer disc), we find the high-[/Fe] stars to be rare towards the outer zones (implying a shorter scale-length of the thick disc with respect to the thin disc), as previously suggested in the literature. Finally, we measure the gradients in [Fe/H] and [/Fe], and their respective MDFs, over a range of 6 < R < 11 kpc in Galactocentric distance, and a 0 < z < 3 kpc range of distance from the Galactic plane. We find a good agreement with the gradients traced by the GCS and RAVE dwarf samples. For stars with 1:5 < z < 3 kpc (not present in the previous samples), we find a positive metallicity gradient and a negative gradient in [/Fe]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 84-d grazing experiment was conducted in 2 growing seasons to evaluate interactions of stocking rate and steroidal implants with BW gain and symptoms of toxicosis in yearling steers grazing endemic endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). A 4 × 2 factoral design was used to evaluate 4 stocking rates (3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 steers! ha) with or without steroidal implants (200 mg of progesterone + 20 mg of estradiol benzoate). Treatment combinations were randomly assigned to eight 1-ha pastures of E+ Kentucky-31 tall fescue (i.e., treatments were not replicated). Treatment effects were analyzed for AIJG, total BW gain per hectare, forage availability, and hair coat ratings. At the conclusion of grazing in the second year (22 June), steers were placed on a bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] pasture, and rectal temperatures and serum prolactin concentrations were monitored for 10 d to assess carryover effects of stocking rate and steroidal implants on recovery from toxicosis-related heat stress. Forage availability differed (P < 0.001) between years, but there were no year × treatment interactions (P > 0.10). There was an implant × stocking rate interaction (P < 0.05) on ADG. Differences between the slopes in the regression equations indicated that ADG responded to implantation when stocking rates were low, but the response diminished as stocking rate increased. Stocking rate did not influence (P = 0.89) postgraze rectal temperature, but the regression intercept for implanted steers was 0.4°C greater (P < 0.05) than for nonimplanted steers, and the difference was consistent across the entire 10-d fes- cue-free grazing period. Concentrations of prolactin in- creased during the 10-d fescue-free grazing period, but trends differed due to an implantation × stocking rate interaction (P < 0.05). Results indicate that implantation with progesterone + estradiol benzoate increases ADG with lower stocking rates, but the effect diminishes with increased grazing intensity. Implantation with steroid hormones increased rectal temperatures, but during a fescue-free grazing period rectal temperatures and serum prolactins for implanted and nonimplanted steers returned to values indicative of a stable and healthy status in a 192- to 240-h (i.e., an 8- to 10- d) period. However, because the treatments used in this study were not replicated, these observations need to be confirmed with replicated studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhizome production has been transferred from wild germplasm of Lotus corniculatus L. (broadleafed birdsfoot trefoil) into domesticated germplasm to produce `ARS-2620' and `ARS-2424' (a L. corniculatus × L. uliginosus hybrid). The objective of this study was to determine if field environments in the United States differing in latitude affect rhizome expression in genotypes of ARS-2620 and ARS-2424. Ramets of rhizomatous genotypes of ARS-2620 and ARS-2424, and nonrhizomatous `Norcen' were planted at seven locations in late July and August 1999. At five locations in 2000 and 2001, dormant plants were hand-dug in late autumn or winter. Traits measured were mean crown-plus-root mass, crown circumference, and percentage survival for all entries, and rhizome mass for the two rhizomatous entries. Significant (P ≤ 0.001) location X genotype effects were observed for all traits in 2000, hut only for percentage survival in 2001. In 2001, the effect of locations was significant for all traits (P ≤ 0.001), but genotype effects were significant (P ≤ 0.001) only for crown circumference and percentage survival. The rhizomatous entries were larger in circumference and had a greater crown-plus-root mass than Noreen. Rhizomes appeared to be beneficial to plant survival and plant growth, but rhizomes did not assure performance or survival, as we did not identify a genotype that performed well across locations. High plant mortality and extensive tissue necrosis caused by root and crown-rot complex reduced overall plant performance and rhizome expression and masked the interpretive value of the data from the five locations. Plants grown in Logan, UT, were notable for their large size and rhizome production relative to the other locations, and as having advantageous, but undefined, environmental conditions beneficial to the performance of rhizomatous birdsfoot trefoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) belongs to a family of secreted, extracellular matrix-associated proteins that are involved in the regulation of cellular functions such as adhesion, migration, mitogenesis, differentiation and survival. Recent studies have also suggested the up-regulation of CTGF in response to trauma, scar formation and excitotoxicity in the CNS. To further elucidate the localization and regulation of this molecule in the rat brain we performed in situ hybridization experiments and found a very strong and selective expression of CTGF messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) on the band of layer VII neurons throughout the adult cerebral cortex. Similarly strong neuronal expression was also present in the dorsal endopiriform nucleus, extending rostrally from the ventrocaudal cortical layer VII, and in the deep layers of the olfactory glomeruli and the accessory olfactory nucleus. Double in situ hybridization confirmed selective CTGF mRNA expression on a subpopulation (approximately 35%) of microtubule-associated protein 2 mRNA-positive neurons in the cortical layer VII and the dorsal endopiriform nucleus. The nucleus of lateral olfactory tract showed moderate signal intensity; other parts of the forebrain, mesencephalon and brain stem only revealed a very weak level of CTGF mRNA expression. Non-neuronal expression was rare, considerably weaker than on cortical layer VII neurons, and normally associated with blood vessels. Developmental analysis of CTGF mRNA expression in embryonic and postnatal mouse also showed a moderately late onset at embryonic day 16–18, and confirmed the presence of CTGF mRNA in cortical layer VII in a second rodent species. Interestingly, injury experiments using direct cerebral trauma or injection of excitotoxic kainic acid into rat brain failed to up-regulate CTGF mRNA after injury and during the ensuing period of neuronal cell death, gliosis and neural scar tissue formation. Altogether, the current data suggest a constitutive role of CTGF, particularly in the adult cerebral cortex. In view of the strong ascending projections of subplate neurons into cortical layer 1, this molecule may be involved in the modulation of synaptic input to apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]