Use of Reduced Irrigation Operating Pressure in Irrigation Scheduling. I. Effect of Operating Pressure, Irrigation Rate, and Nitrogen Rate on Drip-irrigated Fresh-market Tomato Nutritional Status and Yields: Implications on Irrigation and Fertilization Management

Increasing the length of irrigation time by reducing the operating pressure (OP) of drip irrigation systems may result in decreased deep percolation and may allow for reduced nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rates, thereby minimizing the environmental impact of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of irrigation OP (6 and 12 psi), N fertilizer rate (100%, 80%, and 60% of the recommended 200 lb/acre N), and irrigation rates [IRRs (100% and 75% of the target 1000–4000 gal/acre per day)] on fresh-market tomato plant nutritional status and yields. Nitrate (NO3−)–N concentration in petiole sap of ‘Florida 47’ tomatoes grown in Spring 2008 and 2009 in a raised-bed plasticulture system was not significantly affected by treatments in both years and were within the sufficiency ranges at first-flower, 2-inch-diameter fruit, and first-harvest growth stages (420–1150, 450–770, and 260–450 mg·L−1, respectively). In 2008, marketable yields were greater at 6 psi than at 12 psi OP [753 vs. 598 25-lb cartons/acre (P < 0.01)] with no significant difference among N rate treatments. But in 2009, marketable yields were greater at 12 psi [1703 vs. 1563 25-lb cartons/acre at 6 psi (P = 0.05)] and 100% N rate [1761 vs. 1586 25-lb cartons/acre at 60% N rate (P = 0.04)]. Irrigation rate did not have any significant effect (P = 0.59) on tomato marketable yields in either year with no interaction between IRR and N rate or OP treatments. Hence, growing tomatoes at 12 psi OP, 100% of recommended N rate, and 75% of recommended IRR provided the highest marketable yields with least inputs in a drip-irrigated plasticulture system. In addition, these results suggest that smaller amounts of irrigation water and fertilizers (75% and 60% of the recommended IRR and N rate, respectively) could be applied when using a reduced irrigation OP of 6 psi for the early part of the tomato crop season. In the later part of the season, as water demand increased, the standard OP of 12 psi could be used. Changing the irrigation OP offers the grower some flexibility to alter the flow rates to suit the water demands of various growth stages of the crop. Furthermore, it allows irrigation to be applied over an extended period of time, which could better meet the crop's needs for water throughout the day. Such an irrigation strategy could improve water and nutrient use efficiencies and reduce the risks of nutrient leaching. The results also suggest that OP (and flow rate) should be included in production recommendations for drip-irrigated tomato.

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Tomato Yield and Quality Response to Water Application Technique and Management

European Journal of Engineering and Technology Research ◽

10.24018/ej-eng.2021.6.7.2692 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (7) ◽

pp. 153-159

Author(s):

Tom Gashari ◽

Semwogerere Twaibu ◽

Samuel Baker Kucel ◽

David Magumba

Keyword(s):

Water Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Plant Traits ◽

Water Pressure ◽

Optimal Growth ◽

Fruit Weight ◽

Yield Potential ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Tomato Crop ◽

Significant Difference

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) is one of the most important and has the highest acreage of any vegetable crop in the world. Such quantitative analysis is based on the assessment of data from sequential collections of plant traits linked to environmental conditions, as well as yield potential under optimal growth conditions. The objective in this study was to evaluate the performance of tomato crop under furrow, basin and hosepipe irrigation techniques in Kabos, Serere District of Eastern Uganda. The materials and methods used in this study included tools like water pump (model DCX2-50D), Tomato variety Rionex, weighting scale, CROPWAT 8.0 software, CANOPEO software among others. Generally, quantitative techniques through several experiment designs were used. Daily and monthly weather variables, in-situ primary datasets of plant height, canopy cover percentages and fruit characteristics, and weight of harvested tomatoes were measured at three growth stages and analyzed using RCBD experiment with six treatments and four replications. Findings showed that overhead treatments had lowest rate of rotten yield compared to basin and furrow but had highest rate of discolored fruits attributed to sunshine and impact of water pressure during irrigation. Rotting of yield was highest in basin treatments. The rotting was attributed to water logging, poor drainage that accelerated fungal infection in the tomatoes. Furrow treatments had better drainage which reduced quantity of nonmarketable yield. There was no significant difference on the weight of tomatoes below 65g. This meant that fruit weight was independent of irrigation method. Treatments under hosepipe irrigation-overhead. Conclusively, water management practices have big impact on the crop yield giving a relationship that yield is directly proportional to water management practices, which however, should be followed by detailed soil and water analysis through such studies. The Safe-Water-for Food (SWFF) target can be reached and eventually reduce on the global hunger syndrome.

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Oral Health Status in Relation to Nutritional Status among 9 years old school Children in Dewanyiah City/Iraq

Mustansiria Dental Journal ◽

10.32828/mdj.v14i1.763 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 80

Author(s):

Dr. Zahraa Ali Al-Awadi ◽

Dr. Baydaa Hussien Hussien

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Dental Caries ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Oral Health Status ◽

Health Condition ◽

Primary Dentition ◽

Anthropometric Measurement ◽

Oral Diseases ◽

Gingival Health ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Although they are not life threatening, dental caries and periodontaldisease are the most predominant and widely spread oral diseases throughout theworld. The aims of the study included the investigation of the prevalence andseverity of dental caries, gingivitis and dental plaque in relation to gender,furthermore, nutritional status was assessed in relation to oral health condition(dental caries).Materials and Methods: This oral health survey was conducted among primaryschool children aged 9 years old in Dewanyiah city in Iraq. The total samplecomposed of 600 child (320 males and 280 females) selected randomly fromdifferent school in Dewanyiah city. Diagnosis of dental caries was according tothe criteria described by WHO (1987). Plaque index of Silness and Loe (1964)was used for plaque assessment, gingival index of Loe and Silness (1963) wasfollowed for recording gingival health condition. Nutritional status was assessedaccording to body mass index (BMI) indicator using anthropometric measurement(height and weight).Results: Results showed that the prevalence of dental caries was 85% for 9 year-oldschool children. Regarding primary and permanent dentition, dental caries washigher among females compared to males with statistically significant difference(P<0.05) for primary dentition, on the other hand, males showed higher values offilled surfaces compared to females with statistically significant difference(P<0.05) for primary dentition and highly significant difference (P<0.01) forpermanent dentition. Finding of this study revealed that 100% of the children hadgingival inflammation. Furthermore, the values of plaque and gingival indiceswere higher among males compared to females with statistically highly significantdifferences (P<0.01). In current study, the prevalence of malnutrition described bythe BMI indicator was 5.3%. For total samples no significant difference wasrecorded in dmfs /DMFS values among wasting and well nourished children(P>0.05).Conclusion: A high prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis were recorded.Improvement in the prevention educational programs is needed among schoolchildren.

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(Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.12150 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Natalia Banasik ◽

Dariusz Jemielniak ◽

Wojciech P?dzich

Keyword(s):

Medical Condition ◽

Extended Period ◽

Well Being ◽

Marginal Effect ◽

Life Duration ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Academic Teachers ◽

Length Of Life ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND There have been mixed results of the studies checking whether prayers do actually extend the life duration of the people prayed for. Most studies on the topic included a small number of prayers and most of them focused on people already struggling with a medical condition. Intercessory prayer’s influence on health is of scholarly interest, yet it is unclear if its effect may be dependent on the number of prayers for a named individual received per annum. OBJECTIVE We sought to examine if there is a noticeable increased longevity effect of intercessory prayer for a named individual’s well-being, if he receives a very high number of prayers per annum for an extended period. METHODS We retrieved and conducted a statistical analysis of the data about the length of life for 857 Roman Catholic bishops, 500 Catholic priests, and 3038 male academics from the US, France, Italy, Poland, Brazil, and Mexico. We obtained information for these individuals who died between 1988 and 2018 from Wikidata, and conducted an observational cohort study. Bishops were chosen for the study, as they receive millions of individual prayers for well being, according to conservative estimates. RESULTS There was a main effect for occupation F(2, 4391) = 4.07, p = .017, ηp 2 = .002, with pairwise comparisons indicating significant differences between the mean life duration of bishops (M=30489) and of priests (M=29894), but none between the academic teachers (M=30147) and either of the other groups. A comparison analysis between bishops from the largest and the smallest dioceses showed no significant difference t(67.31)=1.61, p = .11. Our main outcome measure is covariance of the mean length of life in each of the categories: bishops, priests, academic teachers, controlled for nationality. CONCLUSIONS The first analysis proved that bishops live longer than priests, but due to a marginal effect size this result should be treated with caution. No difference was found between the mean length of life of bishops from the largest and the smallest dioceses. We found no difference between bishops and male academics. These results show that the impact of intercessory prayers on longevity is not observable.

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A global non-invasive methodology for the phenotyping of potato under water deficit conditions using imaging, physiological and molecular tools

Plant Methods ◽

10.1186/s13007-021-00771-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

M. Musse ◽

G. Hajjar ◽

N. Ali ◽

B. Billiot ◽

G. Joly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Stress ◽

Water Deficit ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Growth Stages ◽

Dry Matter Content ◽

Tuber Growth ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Potato Plants ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Background Drought is a major consequence of global heating that has negative impacts on agriculture. Potato is a drought-sensitive crop; tuber growth and dry matter content may both be impacted. Moreover, water deficit can induce physiological disorders such as glassy tubers and internal rust spots. The response of potato plants to drought is complex and can be affected by cultivar type, climatic and soil conditions, and the point at which water stress occurs during growth. The characterization of adaptive responses in plants presents a major phenotyping challenge. There is therefore a demand for the development of non-invasive analytical techniques to improve phenotyping. Results This project aimed to take advantage of innovative approaches in MRI, phenotyping and molecular biology to evaluate the effects of water stress on potato plants during growth. Plants were cultivated in pots under different water conditions. A control group of plants were cultivated under optimal water uptake conditions. Other groups were cultivated under mild and severe water deficiency conditions (40 and 20% of field capacity, respectively) applied at different tuber growth phases (initiation, filling). Water stress was evaluated by monitoring soil water potential. Two fully-equipped imaging cabinets were set up to characterize plant morphology using high definition color cameras (top and side views) and to measure plant stress using RGB cameras. The response of potato plants to water stress depended on the intensity and duration of the stress. Three-dimensional morphological images of the underground organs of potato plants in pots were recorded using a 1.5 T MRI scanner. A significant difference in growth kinetics was observed at the early growth stages between the control and stressed plants. Quantitative PCR analysis was carried out at molecular level on the expression patterns of selected drought-responsive genes. Variations in stress levels were seen to modulate ABA and drought-responsive ABA-dependent and ABA-independent genes. Conclusions This methodology, when applied to the phenotyping of potato under water deficit conditions, provides a quantitative analysis of leaves and tubers properties at microstructural and molecular levels. The approaches thus developed could therefore be effective in the multi-scale characterization of plant response to water stress, from organ development to gene expression.

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Self-reported morbidities, nutritional characteristics, and associated factors in institutionalized and non-institutionalized older adults

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02067-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Abdelhafid Benksim ◽

Rachid Ait Addi ◽

Elhassania Khalloufi ◽

Aziz Habibi ◽

Mohamed Cherkaoui

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Health Insurance ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Well Being ◽

Public Institution ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Nutritional Characteristics

Abstract Background As the world’s population ages and people live longer, it seems important to ensure that older people have a good quality of life and positive subjective well-being. The objective of this study is to determine socio-economic, health and nutritional characteristics of institutionalized and non-institutionalized elders in the province of Marrakech. Methods This study was conducted among 368 older adults in the province of Marrakech between March 2017 and June 2019. Of all participants, 180 older adults reside in a public institution and 188 of them live in their own homes. Data on health conditions, nutritional status, functional and socio-economic characteristics were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 16.0. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Institutionalized elders were illiterate (80.0%), had low incomes (95.5%), and unmarried (73.3%), they reported also no children (56.1%) and no health insurance (98.9%). Institutional residents suffered from malnutrition (22.2%), hearing impairments (35.6%) and severe edentulism (43.3%). There was no significant difference between both groups on daily activities and depression. A multivariate analysis identified a model with three significant variables associated with non-institutionalized elders: health insurance (P = 0.001; OR = 107.49), number of children (P = 0.001; OR = 1.74) and nutritional status (p = 0.001; OR = 3.853). Conclusions This study shows that the institutionalization of older adults is considerably induced by various factors such as nutritional problems, lack of health insurance and family structure. To mitigate the effects of this phenomenon, home care strategies and preventive actions should be implemented to delay the institutionalization of older adults and therefore keep them socially active in their own homes.

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Nutritional Status Disorders in Student Population

Serbian Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research ◽

10.2478/sjecr-2019-0027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Djordje Stevanovic ◽

Mina Poskurica ◽

Jovan Jovanovic ◽

Miodrag Sreckovic ◽

Vladimir Zdravkovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Health Problem ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Student Population ◽

Regular Physical Activity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Major Health Problem ◽

Unhealthy Eating ◽

Significant Difference

Abstract Obesity is a global health problem associated with numerous pathological conditions. Unhealthy eating habits and the lack of regular physical activity are considered the most common cause of disordered nutritional status. The aim of the research was to determine the nutritional status in student population and the predictors which determine this condition. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 262 students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Kragujevac (130 males and 132 females). Body weight and height, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat (VF) were measured. Each respondent completed a specially designed questionnaire considering sociodemographic data, eating habits and physical activity. The majority of students have normal BMI values (75.6%), 5.3% were classified as underweight, 14.9% as over-weight and 4.3% as obese. Normal VF values were found in 93.1% of subjects, while high in 5.7% and very high in 1.1%. A statistically significant difference in BMI and VF values was found between male and female gender (24.41 vs. 21.05, Sig = 0.000 and 5.47 vs. 3.07, Sig = 0.000, respectively), as well as between students of the first 4 and the last 2 years of study (Sig = 0.019 and 0.000 respectively). Unhealthy eating habits, such as the consumption of sweets, snacks, fast foods and white bread, and the absence of regular physical activity were statistically more present in overweight/obese respondents. Given the significant presence of pre-obesity/obesity in the examined population, corrective measures should be taken in this population in order to avoid a major health problem in the future.

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Food consumption and nutritional status of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): a case of Thika and Bungoma Districts, Kenya

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980009990826 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 475-479 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Elizabeth Nafula Kuria

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Food Consumption ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Well Being ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

People Living With Hiv ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Living With Hiv ◽

Hiv Aids

AbstractObjectiveTo establish the food consumption, dietary habits and nutritional status of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and adults whose HIV status is not established.DesignCross-sectional descriptive survey.SettingThika and Bungoma Districts, Kenya.SubjectsA random sample of 439 adults; 174 adults living with HIV/AIDS and 265 adults whose HIV/AIDS status was not established in Thika and Bungoma Districts.ResultsMajority of PLWHA consume foods that are low in nutrients to build up the immune system and help maintain adequate weight, and there is little variety in the foods they consume. More adults who are HIV-positive are undernourished than those whose status is not established. Of the HIV-positive adults, those with a BMI of ≤18·5 kg/m2 were 23·6 % (Thika 20·0 % and Bungoma 25·7 %) while of the adults whose status is not established those with BMI ≤ 18·5 kg/m2 were 13·9 % (Thika 9·3 % and Bungoma 16·7 %).ConclusionsAdults who are HIV-positive are more likely to be undernourished than those whose status is not established, as there is a significant difference (P = 0·000) between the nutritional status (BMI) of PLWHA and those whose HIV/AIDS status is not established. PLWHA consume foods that are low in nutrients to promote their nutritional well-being and health.

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Impact of Melatonin and Branched-Chain Amino Acids Cosupplementation on Quality of Life, Fatigue, and Nutritional Status in Cachectic Heart Failure Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine ◽

10.1177/1559827619874044 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 155982761987404 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hamed Jafari-Vayghan ◽

Jalal Moludi ◽

Sevda Saleh-Ghadimi ◽

Elgar Enamzadeh ◽

Mir Hossein Seyed-Mohammadzad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Heart Failure ◽

Amino Acids ◽

Placebo Group ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Branched Chain Amino Acids ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Branched Chain ◽

The Impact

Background: Cardiac cachexia (CC) adversely affects the lifestyle of heart failure (HF) patients. The current study examined the impact of melatonin cosupplementation and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) on quality of life (QoL), fatigue, and nutritional status in cachectic HF patients. Methods: In this trial, 84 CC patients were randomized to melatonin, BCAAs, or coadministration (both) as intervention groups and a control group over 8 weeks. At baseline and postintervention, QoL, fatigue, and nutritional status were assessed. Results: After intervention, improvement in the overall and physical dimensions of QoL and appetite score were found to be statistically significant in the BCAAs (P < .001) and the melatonin+BCAAs (P < .001) groups compared with the placebo group. The emotional dimension score was significantly lower in the BCAAs group compared with the placebo group (P = .001). There was a statistically significant improvement in fatigue severity in all 3 intervention groups compared with the placebo group. The nutrition risk index (NRI) score increased significantly only in the melatonin group (P = .015), and there was no significant difference between the other groups (P = .804). Conclusions: Cosupplementation with BCAAs and melatonin improved QoL, fatigue status, and appetite in cachectic HF patients but did not affect NRI.

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Seasonal and developmental differences in blubber stores of beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska using high-resolution ultrasound

Journal of Mammalogy ◽

10.1093/jmammal/gyw074 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 97 (4) ◽

pp. 1238-1248 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Leslie A. Cornick ◽

Lori T. Quakenbush ◽

Stephanie A. Norman ◽

Coral Pasi ◽

Pamela Maslyk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Resolution ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Body Mass ◽

Developmental Differences ◽

Seasonal Effect ◽

Noninvasive Method ◽

Bristol Bay ◽

Beluga Whales ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Ultrasound Measurements

Abstract Diving mammals use blubber for a variety of structural and physiological functions, including buoyancy, streamlining, thermoregulation, and energy storage. Estimating blubber stores provides proxies for body condition, nutritional status, and health. Blubber stores may vary topographically within individuals, across seasons, and with age, sex, and reproductive status; therefore, a single full-depth blubber biopsy does not provide an accurate measure of blubber depth, and additional biopsies are limited because they result in open wounds. We examined high-resolution ultrasound as a noninvasive method for assessing blubber stores by sampling blubber depth at 11 locations on beluga whales in Alaska. Blubber mass was estimated as a proportion of body mass (40% from the literature) and compared to a function of volume calculated using ultrasound blubber depth measurements in a truncated cone. Blubber volume was converted to total and mass-specific blubber mass estimates based on the density of beluga blubber. There was no significant difference in mean total blubber mass between the 2 estimates (R2 = 0.88); however, body mass alone predicted only 68% of the variation in mass-specific blubber stores in juveniles, 7% for adults in the fall, and 33% for adults in the spring. Mass-specific blubber stores calculated from ultrasound measurements were highly variable. Adults had significantly greater blubber stores in the fall (0.48±0.02kg/kgMB) than in the spring (0.33±0.02kg/kgMB). There was no seasonal effect in juveniles. High-resolution ultrasound is a more powerful, noninvasive method for assessing blubber stores in wild belugas, allowing for precise measurements at multiple locations.

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Physical Growth and Echocardiographic Findings in Children with Down Syndrome

Paediatrica Indonesiana ◽

10.14238/pi38.3-4.1998.54-61 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (3-4) ◽

pp. 54

Author(s):

Sudigdo Sastroasmoro ◽

Mathilda Y. Lnkiriwang ◽

Bambang Madiyono ◽

Lsmet N Oesman

Keyword(s):

Down Syndrome ◽

Nutritional Status ◽

Posterior Wall ◽

Left Ventricular ◽

Physical Growth ◽

Normal Children ◽

Children With Down Syndrome ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Nutritional Status Of Children ◽

Echocardiographic Findings

We compared the physical growth, nutritional status, and echocardiographic findings in children aged 3-7 years with Down syndrome who had no congenital heart disease. Thirty such patients who consecutively referred to the Division of Cardiology, Department of Child Health, Medical School, University of Indonesia/Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, were compared with sex and age matched controls consisted of normal children attending the Department. It appears that growth and nutritional status of children with Down syndrome tended to be retarded when compared to those of the controls. However, no significant difference were found on the M-mode echocardiographic values of the left ventricle, except that the left ventricular posterior wall thickness in study subjects was more that that of the controls. We concluded that although the pulmonary architecture of patients with Down syndrome is thought to be less developed than that of normal children, it does not affect the left ventricular measurements and function as measured by M-mode echocardiography.

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