The Effect of Mineral N Fertilization and Bradyrhizobium japonicum Seed Inoculation on Productivity of Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill)

Soybean yields can be considerably improved by inoculation with selected Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains and fertilization. The aim of this study was to assess the productivity of two soybean cultivars depending on the applied N mineral fertilizers and seed inoculation with B. japonicum. The study showed that on average, for both cultivars, the soybean yield was most favorably affected by the combined use of inoculation and nitrogen fertilization (increase in seed yield by 42%, protein yield by about 28%). The application of mineral nitrogen at the dose of 30 or 60 kg·ha−1 allowed the increase in the seed yield by about 17% and protein content by about 14% compared to the control. Inoculation of soybean seeds with B. japonicum increased the yield of soybeans by about 20%, proteins by about 10% compared to the control, and inoculation of Hi®Stick Soy favored a better yield than Nitragina. Inoculation of seeds with Nitragina or Hi®Stick Soy and fertilization with mineral nitrogen increased the content of protein and fiber in seeds of both soybean cultivars, as well as reduced the amount of ash and fat. The seeds of cv. Aldana had a higher amount of protein and ash than cv. Annushka, but a similar amount of fat and fiber.

An adaptable microreactor to investigate the influence of interfaces on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm growth

Biofilms are ubiquitous and notoriously difficult to eradicate and control, complicating human infections and industrial and agricultural biofouling. However, most of the study had used the biofilm model that attached to solid surface and developed in liquid submerged environments which generally have neglected the impact of interfaces. In our study, a reusable dual-chamber microreactor with interchangeable porous membranes was developed to establish multiple growth interfaces for biofilm culture and test. Protocol for culturing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) on the air–liquid interface (ALI) and liquid–liquid interface (LLI) under static environmental conditions for 48 h was optimized using this novel device. This study shows that LLI model biofilms are more susceptible to physical disruption compared to ALI model biofilm. SEM images revealed a unique “dome-shaped” microcolonies morphological feature, which is more distinct on ALI biofilms than LLI. Furthermore, the study showed that ALI and LLI biofilms produced a similar amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). As differences in biofilm structure and properties may lead to different outcomes when using the same eradication approaches, the antimicrobial effect of an antibiotic, ciprofloxacin (CIP), was chosen to test the susceptibility of a 48-h-old P. aeruginosa biofilms grown on ALI and LLI. Our results show that the minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) of 6-h CIP exposure for ALI and LLI biofilms is significantly different, which are 400 μg/mL and 200 μg/mL, respectively. These results highlight the importance of growth interface when developing more targeted biofilm management strategies, and our novel device provides a promising tool that enables manipulation of realistic biofilm growth. Key points • A novel dual-chamber microreactor device that enables the establishment of different interfaces for biofilm culture has been developed. • ALI model biofilms and LLI model biofilms show differences in resistance to physical disruption and antibiotic susceptibility.

Study on Metakaolin Impact on Concrete Performance of Resisting Complex Ions Corrosion

The main purpose of this study is to determine the metakaolin (MK) impacts on the concrete durability when the concrete is subjected to joint corrosion of SO42−,Mg2+ and, Cl−. Four groups of concrete test samples, which contained different MK contents, were designed and tested in order to see their physical property changes and macro-morphology differences during the cyclic corrosion process. And a series of approaches, including XRD, FTIR, SEM, and EDS, were applied to study the concrete phase composition changes and the micro-morphology features of all groups. According to the test results, when reaching 20 cycles, the concrete sample with 10% MK showed the best concrete physical properties; when reaching 120 cycles, the concrete with 5% MK content showed the best durability, produced similar amount of corrosion products to ordinary concrete, and presented relatively compacted micro-structure and small internal porosity. Mg2+ actually has a great impact on metakaolin. The corrosion product quantity increased significantly when MK admixture reached 15%. Due to the great number of produced M-S-H, the corrosive ions damaged the concrete for a second time, leading to serious aggregate peeling-off, powder surface of test samples, and porous micro-structure.

The Role of Time Perspectives and Impulsivity Dimensions in Coping Styles

Both time perspectives and impulsivity dimensions are groups of traits that are connected to self-control abilities and might be important for coping styles. However, to date, no study has systematically investigated their utility in predicting coping styles with regard to their multidimensional nature. The current study was correlational and exploratory, aiming to discover what amount of variance in each of the three coping styles, problem-oriented, active emotion-oriented, and avoidant, is accounted for by two groups of predictors: time perspectives and impulsivity dimensions. N = 397 young adults aged 18–35 from the general population took part in the study. Results of a multiple linear regression testing both groups of predictors separately and of hierarchical regression analysis introducing the two predictor groups in subsequent steps suggested that time perspectives accounted for more variance in adaptive coping styles: problem-oriented and active emotion-oriented coping. For avoidant coping, both time perspectives and impulsivity dimensions accounted for a similar amount of variance. The results provide evidence that time perspectives should be investigated in domains related to coping (e.g., mental health issues, substance abuse, and risk-taking behaviors), for which impulsivity has been considered an important predictor. Moreover, impulsivity ought to be tested with regard to its multidimensionality.

Analyzing the Best Fitted Probabilistic Model for the Seasonal Rainfall Data in Khulna Region of Bangladesh

There are several pieces of research on the statistical modeling of rainfall data in Bangladesh. Since all the seasons of a year do not receive a similar amount of rainfall, hence one single statistical model might not be able to explain the pattern of rainfall at any season of a year. According to the climatologists, Bangladesh has four seasons which are Monsoon, Post-monsoon, Summer, and Winter based on the geographical characteristics of this country. This paper aims to determine the best-fitted probability distribution model for the monthly rainfall data of each particular season in the Khulna district of Bangladesh using the rainfall data of the Khulna region from 1951 to 2018. Very commonly used seven continuous distributions- Normal, Weibull, Gamma, Log-normal, Exponential, Cauchy, and Logistic distributions were used to model the data and to evaluate the performances of the distributions, three non-parametric goodness-of-fit tests were conducted, and AIC, BIC values were calculated. Parameters of the distributions were estimated by the maximum likelihood method. The best-fit result of each season was taken as the distribution with the lowest AIC and BIC values. Among the seven distributions, the Gamma distribution showed the best-fit results of the monthly rainfall data for the Monsoon, Post-Monsoon, and Winter Season, and the Weibull distribution showed the best-fit result for Summer Season.

Modelling the Energy Spectra of Radio Relics

Radio relics are diffuse synchrotron sources that illuminate shock waves in the intracluster medium. In recent years, radio telescopes have provided detailed observations about relics. Consequently, cosmological simulations of radio relics need to provide a similar amount of detail. In this methodological work, we include information on adiabatic compression and expansion, which have been neglected in the past in the modelling of relics. In a cosmological simulation of a merging galaxy cluster, we follow the energy spectra of shock accelerated cosmic-ray electrons using Lagrangian tracer particles. On board of each tracer particle, we compute the temporal evolution of the energy spectrum under the influence of synchrotron radiation, inverse Compton scattering, and adiabatic compression and expansion. Exploratory tests show that the total radio power and, hence, the integrated radio spectrum are not sensitive to the adiabatic processes. This is attributed to small changes in the compression ratio over time.

Need to Belong and Social Ties in Late Life

According to socioemotional selectivity theory, older adults are more selective and tend to shrink their social network to their closest ties. However, a heightened need to belong, which is characterized by a stronger desire for acceptance and motivation to affiliation, may alter this common pattern. We know little about how the need to belong shapes social network structure, especially in late life. This study investigated the associations between the need to belong, size of social network, and engagement with social ties among older adults. Participants (N = 314) aged over 65 years from the Daily Experiences and Well-being Study completed a baseline interview regarding their close ties (i.e., social convoy members), and weak ties, as well as a self-report measure of need to belong. They completed ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys reporting their social encounters every 3 hours over 5 to 6 days. Need to belong was unrelated to the number of close ties. In contrast, participants with a higher need to belong reported more less close (but still important) ties and weak ties than those with a lower need to belong, but spent a similar amount of time (i.e., proportion of EMA involving social encounters) with either their close ties or weak ties. These results suggest that the need to belong may motivate older adults to go beyond their closest ties to weaker ties, and highlight the discrepancies between the sense of being connected to social partners and the actual engagement with them in this process.

Sustainable Production of Roofing Tiles Using Glycerine Pitch as An Alternative Binder

A large quantity of glycerine pitch (GP) generated from the oleo-chemical industry has led to significant environmental issues when it is disposed of without proper treatment. This study investigated the possibility of utilizing glycerine pitch as an alternative binder in the production of roofing tile, namely GP-RT. The percentage of GP incorporated by weight of tile ranges from 3 – 9 %. A transverse strength test was performed on the tiles in dry and wet conditions to investigate their durability in harsh conditions. A water absorption test was performed to determine the water uptake of the tiles produced. The specimen with the greatest flexural strength was achieved when 7% of GP was utilized. The mechanical properties of the tile can be enhanced when GP was mixed with a similar amount of used cooking oil (UCO), which achieved the greatest strength (4389 N and 9.48 MPa) when 5% of GP and 5% of UcO were used for the tile’s production. The water resistivity of the tiles can be enhanced by the coating process. The lowest percentage of water absorption (2.82%) and the greatest wet transverse strength (2746 N) were achieved when the tile was coated with a layer of UCO via the immersion method. Conclusively, the full replacement of cement with GP as an alternative binder is possible. The incorporation of multiple waste materials (GP, UCO, and fly ash) in tile production is a feasible attempt to reduce the disposal of these waste materials to landfills, thus preserves a greener environment for future generations.

Retrospective study of the differences in patient characteristics and revenue between male and female surgeons in Taiwan

Surgery is traditionally a male-dominated field, and gender differences exist despite the growing numbers of female surgeons. A handful of studies have evaluated the condition in Asian societies. We aimed to examine the difference between female and male surgeons in urology, general surgery, and gynecology by analyzing a nationwide, population-based database. We identified surgeons with a clinical experience of six to thirteen years between 1995 to 2013 from the National Health Insurance Research Database. We collected patient numbers and revenue per month in outpatient and inpatient care, as well as monthly numbers of surgeries conducted by female and male surgeons in urology, general surgery, and gynecology, for analysis. Original student’s t-test and wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the differences between female and male surgeons, and p values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Female urologists and general surgeons had a significantly higher ratio of female patients in Taiwan. Female urologists had patient numbers, revenues, and numbers of surgeries comparable to male urologists. In contrast, female general surgeons had significantly less involvement in outpatient and inpatient care and had low monthly revenues. Female general surgeons contradictorily performed more oncological surgeries per month than males. However, the difference in numbers of oncological surgeries was not significant after excluding breast cancer surgeries. Female gynecologists had a similar amount of outpatients and outpatient revenue but significantly less inpatient care and numbers of surgeries per month. A gender-based gap exists among surgeons in Taiwan. The gap between females and males appeared narrower in urology than in general surgery and gynecology. Management of diseases related to female sex organs, including breast, were more common among female surgeons. Efforts should be made to decrease gender stereotypes, to ensure that patients receive the best care regardless of the sex of the surgeons.

Advanced portal venous access techniques for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement

IntroductionTransjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement is a well-established but technically challenging procedure for the management of sequelae of end-stage liver disease. Performed essentially blindly, traditional fluoroscopically guided TIPS placement requires multiple needle passes and prolonged radiation exposure to achieve successful portal venous access, thus increasing procedure time and the risk of periprocedural complications. Several advanced image-guided portal access techniques, including intracardiac echocardiography (ICE)-guided access, cone-beam CT (CBCT)-guided access and wire-targeting access techniques, can serve as alternatives to traditional CO2 portography-based TIPS creation.MethodsA literature search was performed on the electronic databases including MEDLINE and Embase, from 2000 to the present to identify all relevant studies. The reference list also included studies identified manually, and studies referenced for other purposes.FindingsThe main benefit of these advanced access techniques is that they allow the operator to avoid essentially blind portal punctures, and the ability to visualise the target, thus reducing the number of required needle passes. Research has shown that ICE-guided access can decrease the radiation exposure, procedure time and complication rate in patients undergoing TIPS placement. This technique is particularly useful in patients with challenging portal venous anatomy. However, ICE-guided access requires additional equipment and possibly a second operator. Other studies have shown that CBCT-guided access, when compared with traditional fluoroscopy-guided access, provides superior visualisation of the anatomy with similar amount of radiation exposure and procedure time. The wire-targeting technique, on the other hand, appears to offer reductions in procedure time and radiation exposure by enabling real-time guidance. However, this technique necessitates percutaneous injury to the liver parenchyma in order to place the target wire.ConclusionAdvanced portal access techniques have certain advantages over the traditional fluoroscopically guided TIPS access. To date, few studies have compared these advanced guided access options, and further research is required.