Urban Water Storage Capacity Inferred From Observed Evapotranspiration Recession.

Water storage plays an important role in mitigating heat and flooding in urban areas. Assessment of the water storage capacity of cities remains challenging due to the inherent heterogeneity of the urban surface. Traditionally, effective storage has been estimated from runoff. Here, we present a novel approach to estimate effective water storage capacity from recession rates of observed evaporation during precipitation-free periods. We test this approach for cities at neighborhood scale with eddy-covariance based latent heat flux observations from 14 contrasting sites with different local climate zones, vegetation cover and characteristics, and climates. Based on analysis of 583 drydowns, we find storage capacities to vary between 1.3 and 28.4 mm, corresponding to e-folding timescales of 1.8-20.1 days. This makes the urban storage capacity at least five times smaller than all the observed values for natural ecosystems, reflecting an evaporation regime characterized by extreme water limitation.

Modelling exposure of workers, residents and bystanders to vapour of plant protection products after application to crops.

Agricultural use of plant protection products can result in exposure of bystanders, residents, operators and workers. Within the European Union (EU) FP7 project BROWSE, a tool based on a set of models and scenarios has been developed, aiming to assess the risk of exposure of humans to these products. In the present version of the tool only a first conservative tier is available for outdoor vapour exposure assessment. In the vapour exposure evaluation, the target concentrations in air at 10m distance from the edge of a treated field are calculated for specific scenarios for each EU regulatory zone. These scenarios have been selected to represent reasonable worst case volatilisation conditions. The exposure assessment is based on a series of weekly applications in a five year period to cover a wide range of meteorological conditions. The volatilisation from the crop is calculated using the PEARL model and this PEARL output provides the emission strength used as input for the short term version of the atmospheric transport model OPS. The combined PEARL-OPS model is tested against measurements from a field experiment. First results of this test show that the mean concentration level was predicted fairly well. However, sometimes the differences between observations and simulations were found to be substantial. Improvements are suggested for the vapour exposure scenarios as well as for further model development. In the current version of the BROWSE tool a simplified procedure is used to assess single and multiple applications. The actual period of application and the time of application during the day are fixed, and the growth stage of the crop cannot be taken into account. Moreover, competing processes such as penetration of the substance into the plant tissue are not considered. The effect of these factors on the target exposure concentrations is discussed.

Effect of corn distillers dried grains with solubles and Eimeria acervulina infection on growth performance and the intestinal microbiota of young chicks.

Chicks were used to determine whether dietary corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) may prevent or ameliorate Eimeria acervulina (EA) infection. The experiment had a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of 3 diets (inclusion of 0, 10, or 20% DDGS) × 2 challenge treatments: inoculation with distilled water or with 10(6) sporulated EA oocysts. Each treatment was replicated with 8 pens of 5 chicks each. Experimental diets were fed from 7 to 21 d of age. Inoculation occurred on d 10 of age, considered postinoculation (PI) d 0. Feed intake and BW were measured on PI d 0, 7, and 14. Excreta samples were collected on PI d 0, 5 to 10, 12, and 14 to detect oocysts. On PI d 14, mucosal samples were collected for the analysis of bacterial populations by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, using the V3 region of bacterial 16S ribosome. The EA challenge reduced (P < 0.001) ADG by 17%, ADFI by 12%, and G:F by 6% from PI d 0 to 7, and by smaller percentages from PI d 7 to 14. Diet and challenge treatments did not interact in the chick performance, so dietary DDGS did not alleviate EA infection. Oocysts in excreta were detected PI only in EA chicks and no dietary effects were found. Cecal bacterial population was changed (P < 0.05) by effect of dietary DDGS and EA infection. The cecal bacterial diversity among chicks within treatments and homogeneity among chicks within treatments were reduced by EA infection (P = 0.02 to 0.001) and increased by feeding 10% DDGS (diet quadratic, P < 0.001). In summary, feeding up to 20% DDGS to young chicks did not prevent or ameliorate EA infection. Changes in cecal microbiota of chicks fed 10% DDGS can be interpreted as beneficial for intestinal health.

Evaluation of the nutritional equivalency of soybean meal with the genetically modified trait DP-3O5423-1 when fed to laying hens.

An experiment using 336 Hy-Line W-36 Single Comb White Leghorn hens was conducted to evaluate transgenic soybeans containing the gm-fad2-1 gene fragment and the gm-hra gene. Transcription of the gm-fad2-1 gene fragment results in an increased level of oleic acid (18:1) in the seed, and expression of the soybean acetolactate synthase protein (GM-HRA) encoded by the modified gm-hra gene, is used as a selectable marker during transformation. Pullets (20 wk of age) were placed in cage lots (7 hens/cage, 2 cages/lot) and were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 corn-soybean meal dietary treatments (6 lots/treatment) formulated with the following soybean meals: nontransgenic near-isoline control (control), nontransgenic commercial reference soybean meal A (92M72), nontransgenic commercial reference soybean meal B (93B15), or transgenic soybean meal produced from soybeans containing event DP-3Ø5423-1 (305423). Weeks 20 to 24 were a preconditioning period, and the 4 experimental diets were then fed from 25 to 36 wk of age. Differences between the 305423 and control group means were evaluated, with statistical significance at P < 0.05. Body weight, hen-day egg production, egg mass, feed consumption, and feed efficiency for hens fed the 305423 soybean meal were not significantly different from the respective values for hens fed diets formulated with the near-isoline soybean meal. Likewise, egg component weights, Haugh unit measures, and egg weights were similar regardless of the soybean meal source. This research indicates that performance of hens fed diets containing 305423 soybean meal, as measured by egg production and egg quality, was similar to that of hens fed diets formulated with the near-isoline control and commercial soybean meals.

Effects of corn particle size on growth performance and nutrient utilization in young chicks.

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of corn particle size on growth performance, ME(n), apparent total tract amino acid digestibility, and cecal microbial populations when young chicks were fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet. In all experiments, 1-d-old chicks were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments containing corn particle geometric mean diameters of 557, 858, 1,210, or 1,387 microm. Chicks were fed the experimental diets from 0 to 21 d posthatch and ME(n) and apparent total tract amino acid digestibility were determined at 7 and 21 d of age. When compared with the smallest geometric mean diameters of 557 microm, feeding the larger particle sizes had no effect on growth performance from 0 to 21 d in all experiments. Feeding larger corn particle sizes resulted in increases in relative gizzard weights in all experiments, with the greatest increase occurring with the 1,387-microm corn particle size. Gizzard pH was unaffected by corn particle size in all experiments. The ME(n) values and digestibility coefficients for most amino acids were higher (P < 0.05) at 21 d than at 7 d for all dietary treatments. In experiment 2, the ME(n) values showed a significant linear decrease (P < 0.007) as corn particle size increased at 7 d. The digestibility of most amino acids was unaffected by corn particle size at 7 or 21 d. Cecal lactobacilli populations were increased (P < 0.05) when the largest particle size was included in the diet. The results of these studies indicated that feeding larger particle size corn increased gizzard weight significantly but had no consistent effect on overall growth performance, ME(n), or amino acid digestibility.

The effect of Grobiotic-P combined with yeast cell wall and gluconic acid on growth performance, nutrient digestibilities, and cecal microbial populations in young chicks.

Two experiments were conducted with New Hampshire x Columbian chicks fed a corn-soybean meal diet to examine the efficacy of varying levels and combinations of Grobiotic P (GB), a prebiotic-type product that contains dairy and yeast fractions and dried fermentation extracts, gluconic acid, and yeast cell wall (YCW) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and cecal microbial populations. In experiment 1, chicks were allowed ad libitum access to a corn-soybean meal basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 2 or 4% GB, 1.5 or 3% gluconic acid, 0.2% YCW, or various 2-way combinations of the supplements in place of dextrose and arenaceous flour. In experiment 2, the same supplement combinations were used as in experiment 1; however, the 3% gluconic acid supplement was eliminated. In both experiments, supplementing GB, YCW, or 1.5% gluconic acid to the diet had no consistent effect on growth performance except that the weight gain was depressed (P < 0.05) when the chicks were fed a diet containing 3% gluconic acid. Chicks fed diets containing 2 or 4% GB combinations showed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in ME(n) at 21 d when compared with chicks fed the basal diet. For amino acid (AA) digestibility, 2% GB combined with 0.2% YCW or 1.5% gluconic acid resulted in a reduction (P < 0.05) in AA digestibility at 7 d; however, at 21 d, these combinations increased (P < 0.05) digestibility of all AA. There was no consistent effect of dietary treatment on cecal bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, Escherichia coli, or Clostridium perfringens populations or cecal pH. These experiments indicated that diets containing GB generally increased ME(n) and AA digestibility at 21 d and that the prebiotic combinations had no consistent effects on cecal microbial populations.

Performance of laying hens fed diets containing DAS-59122-7 maize grain compared with diets containing nontransgenic maize grain.

An experiment using 216 Hy-Line W-36 pullets was conducted to evaluate transgenic maize grain containing the cry34Ab1 and cry35Ab1 genes from a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strain and the phosphinothricin ace-tyltransferase (pat) gene from Streptomyces viridochromogenes. Expression of the cry34Ab1 and cry35Ab1 genes confers resistance to corn rootworms, and the pat gene confers tolerance to herbicides containing glufosinate-ammonium. Pullets (20 wk of age) were placed in cage lots (3 hens/cage, 2 cages/lot) and were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 corn-soybean meal dietary treatments (12 lots/treatment) formulated with the following maize grains: near-isogenic control (control), conventional maize, and transgenic test corn line 59122 containing event DAS-59122-7. Differences between 59122 and control group means were evaluated with statistical significance at P < 0.05. Body weight and gain, egg production, egg mass, and feed efficiency for hens fed the 59122 corn were not significantly different from the respective values for hens fed diets formulated with control maize grain. Egg component weights, Haugh unit measures, and egg weight class distribution were similar regardless of the corn source. This research indicates that performance of hens fed diets containing 59122 maize grain, as measured by egg production and egg quality, was similar to that of hens fed diets formulated with near-isogenic corn grain.

Comparison of different stomatal conductance algorithms for ozone flux modelling.

A multiplicative and a semi-mechanistic, BWB-type [Ball, J.T., Woodrow, I.E., Berry, J.A., 1987. A model predicting stomatal conductance and its contribution to the control of photosynthesis under different environmental conditions. In: Biggens, J. (Ed.), Progress in Photosynthesis Research, vol. IV. Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, pp. 221-224.] algorithm for calculating stomatal conductance (g(s)) at the leaf level have been parameterised for two crop and two tree species to test their use in regional scale ozone deposition modelling. The algorithms were tested against measured, site-specific data for durum wheat, grapevine, beech and birch of different European provenances. A direct comparison of both algorithms showed a similar performance in predicting hourly means and daily time-courses of g(s), whereas the multiplicative algorithm outperformed the BWB-type algorithm in modelling seasonal time-courses due to the inclusion of a phenology function. The re-parameterisation of the algorithms for local conditions in order to validate ozone deposition modelling on a European scale reveals the higher input requirements of the BWB-type algorithm as compared to the multiplicative algorithm because of the need of the former to model net photosynthesis (A(n)).

Managing demand using clinical decision support tools.

Managing patient and physician demand for resources is crucial to the cost-effective delivery of high-quality patient care. This task is complicated by the expectations for better medical care that patients and physicians developed before prospective payment systems were instituted. The use of clinical decision support tools, which may combine appropriateness criteria with practice guidelines, can help manage demand rationally, control costs, and minimize concerns about overutilization and underutilization of healthcare services.

Pharmacologically rich clinical decision support provides extra measure for managed care success.

Gatekeepers are currently being asked to do more, including managing referrals to specialists. When a physician appropriately continues care at the primary level in order to pursue a more conservative course of treatment, prescription drugs often play an important role. According to the author, physicians can easily turn to utilization management, not disease management programs, for clinical guidance. Adding a pharmaceutical component with clear indications for drug use to the clinical decision support criteria or guidelines used by physicians helps them to decide when a trial of first-line pharmaceutical management is warranted and at what point to switch to an alternative drug therapy or to refer.

Competitive inhibition of HIV-1 protease by biphenyl carboxylic acids.

A novel series of nonpeptidic compounds that contain a biphenyl carboxylic acid group have been shown to inhibit HIV-1 protease. The active compounds, most of which are highly soluble, have IC50 values in the range of 3.4-74 microM. The structure-inhibitory activity relationship demonstrates the necessity of the biphenyl carboxylic acid group for inhibition, which is enhanced by the presence of a sulfone group and by halogenation of an adjacent phenyl group. A double reciprocal plot of inhibition data on two of the compounds clearly shows that the inhibition occurs in a competitive manner, with Ki values of 1.1 and 3.4 microM. Inhibition by several of the compounds was found to be reversible and fast-binding, while one of the biphenyl carboxylic acids inhibits in a reversible slow-binding manner. Time-dependent inhibition studies were conducted on this compound, and it was determined to have the kinetic values of kon = 0.18 microM-1min-1, koff = 9.7 x 10(-2)min-1, and Ki = 0.14 microM. Thus, the slow-binding inhibitor is the most potent in the series. Molecular modeling has provided information on a possible binding mode for two different biphenyl carboxylic acid inhibitors of HIV-1 protease.