Adequate Harvest Research Articles

Agronomic and environmental effects of forage-cutting schedule and nitrogen fertilization for bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon, L.)

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon, L.) is widely used as a forage in ruminant diets owing to its nutritional value and its capacity to grow under various agroecological conditions. For the southeastern United States climate conditions, previous research on bermudagrass recommended the cultivar Tifton 85 for forage production and a monthly frequency for forage-cutting. Even though bermudagrass cultivars are known to positively respond to nitrogen (N) fertilization, the interplay of the forage-cutting and N fertilization rates is not well understood. As a result, there is not sufficient guidance for adequate harvesting schedules and fertilization management to optimize bermudagrass forage production. Hence, this study aims to clarify the interplay of biomass-cutting events and N fertilization rates on forage quality and quantity, and N footprint. The study used experimental data of bermudagrass Tifton 85 forage production under three N fertilization rates (i.e., high = 504 kg N ha−1, medium = 336 kg N ha−1, and low = 168 kg N ha−1), to calibrate and validate Root Zone Water Quality Model 2 (RZWQM2) for biomass weight and biomass N content. For each N fertilization rate, multiyear simulations of four biomass-cutting scenarios were used to investigate the joint effects of harvesting schedules and N fertilization rates on biomass weight, biomass N content, N use efficiency (NUE), and N leaching. Results show statistically significant effects of the biomass-cutting scenarios on biomass weight and biomass N content for both high and medium N fertilization rates. The interplay of biomass-cutting and N fertilization reflected differently on forage quality and quantity, and N footprint. The low N fertilization did not show any statistically significant effect except for the biomass weight. NUE values were higher with both medium and low N fertilization rates compared to the high N fertilization which showed a relatively high N leaching. The outcomes of this study can be used to inform bermudagrass cutting and fertilization options to achieve forage yield goals with an understanding of the potential environmental consequence of N leaching and low NUE.

Sheep grazing to eliminate weeds in an organic ´Valencia´ orange orchard in the Huasteca Potosina

The Huasteca Potosina is one of the areas with orange orchards, where agrochemicals are applied to obtain an adequate harvest. However, year after year, producers are required to produce organically in the orchards, which makes it necessary to look for environmentally friendly alternatives for activities such as fertilization and elimination of weeds. This study describes using a portable cage for grazing sheep as an alternative to eliminating weeds in an organic ‘Valencia' orange orchard. The cage prototype is functional as the sheep direct the cage towards the weeds and do not cause damage to the trunks and branches of adult and young trees. Additional benefits are obtained, such as fertilization by manure and urine, economic benefits by reducing labor costs and the sale of sheep, and an environmentally friendly method of eliminating weeds.

Factors Affecting Postharvest Losses of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and Their Mitigation Strategies

Current postharvest activities in the sesame value chain are prompting colossal losses, which reduce overall global productivity. This review portrays losses in sesame during various processing stages, from grain harvesting to marketing and transformation of crop seed into oil. Such losses in sesame not only reduce yield but also have an impact on the economy of its production territories. The loss in productivity is because the majority of farmers don’t use adequate harvesting, packaging, or handling technologies to manage on-farm produce. Also, there is a lack of knack for minimizing postharvest losses. Therefore, the study penlights the inevitability of increasing production by raising productivity and quality while giving mitigation strategies to reduce postharvest losses. Elevating standardized productivity with accurate postharvest management is the only substitute for the gap between the global productivity average and the overall production potential of sesame.

Harvest and Distribution planning model for a fruit supply chain

A production planning problem related to income is addressed in a fruit supply chain of small producers, who prefer not to harvest if the market price does not allow their costs to be recovered. A mathematical model is proposed to represent the harvest decision where three elements are considered: the product perishability, the market prices behavior, and finally how much to harvest. This paper establishes that the income improvement of small agricultural producers is a strategy to support the socio-economic development of this sector. The model applied in a small citrus producer’s case study show that adequate harvest planning allows establishing a relationship between prices and sales to maximize small producer profits.

The Association between Body Mass Index and Lymph Node Harvest After Elective Colon Cancer Resections

Background: Obesity has been linked to the development of colorectal cancer and increase in morbidity. However, the impact body mass index (BMI) has on surgical staging through nodal harvest is not entirely understood. Objective: To identify the association between BMI and nodal harvest during elective colon cancer surgeries Design: Retrospective cohort review from 2015 to 2019. Setting: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-targeted colectomy database. Materials and Methods: The cohort was selected based on the codes corresponding to elective colectomies for colon cancer. BMI was grouped into the five clinically relevant categories and dichotomized. Nodal harvest was dichotomized into <12 and ≥12 lymph nodes. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis. Sample Size: A total of 35,039 patients. Main Outcomes Measures: The main outcome was adequate lymph node harvest for each BMI group. Secondary outcomes included analysis in laterality of tumors, approach, extent of resection, and identification of risk factors for adequate harvest. Results: The median BMI was 29.02 kg/m2 (interquartile range = 24.37–32.44) with a median of 22 (15–27) lymph nodes harvested. The BMI groups with the highest adequate lymph nodes harvested were those ≤25 with 93.7% compared to 92.8% in BMI >25 (P = 0.002). Right colon cancers had a higher rate of achieving adequate harvest than left colon cancers (94.8% vs. 90.8%, respectively; P < 0.001). Right tumors had a higher rate of adequate harvest in the ≤25 group, this frequency decreases as BMI increases and is the opposite for left tumors (P < 0.001). Inadequate harvest was higher for the open approach (9.82%) than that for laparoscopic (6.12%) or robotic (6.6%) procedures (P ≤ 0.001). BMI of ≤25 was associated with a 13% increase in the likelihood of an adequate nodal harvest (odds ratio = 1.13, 95% confidence index = 1.02–1.26). Conclusion: This study found that lower BMI was associated with a higher probability of achieving adequate nodal harvest. This can increase awareness about the risk of incomplete harvest in overweight and obese patients. Limitations: Large sample size bias, selection bias, and lack of details in specific variables due to the type of database.

Agricultural Sustainability in Punjab: Issues and Challenges

There is an urgent need to diversify agriculture in Punjab, emphasising integrated farm principles, implementation of sustainable practices, organic farming, green farming and environmentally friendly techniques. It entailed using a holistic approach using ecofarming and agro-ecological principles based on local agro-climatic conditions. There must be changes in cropping patterns to include planting vegetables, fruits, herbs, mushrooms, fibre crops, oilseeds and fodder crops. Others are medicinal and spice crops. These will provide rural employment through village-based agro-industries. Besides, there has to be adequate harvesting, postharvest handling, processing, storage, quality control and assured marketing. To protect the soil erosion and conserve water which measures need to be implemented. Others include planting crops that use less water and better irrigation techniques such as rainwater harvesting, micro-irrigation techniques and drip irrigation. There is also an urgent need for a change in government policies to overcome environmental degradation in Punjab. These include removing subsidies for fertilizers and electricity, the reform of commodity prices, and improving agricultural marketing and distribution.

Effective mobilization with etoposide and cyclophosphamide for collection of peripheral blood stem cell in patients with multiple myeloma

To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of etoposide and cyclophosphamide for mobilization peripheral stem cells in multiple myeloma patients. We retrospectively analyzed 46 patients with multiple myeloma who underwent peripheral blood stem cell collection for upfront autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between January 2010 and July 2019. The mobilization protocols included cyclophosphamide 2.0 g/m2 with G-CSF (CTX group) before January 2015, and two-days of 5 mg/kg.d etoposide and 1.0 g/m2.d cyclophosphamide with G-CSF (EC group) after January 2015. The success rate of harvest (≥2×106 cells/kg) during the first mobilization attempt was 82.1% in the EC group and 50.0% in the CTX group, and the rate of adequate harvest (≥4×106 cells/kg) was 57.1% in the EC group and 15.8% in the CTX group. After the second mobilization, a sufficient number of CD34+/kg cells for an auto-HSCT was obtained for all patients in the EC group and the majority (68.4%) of patients in CTX group. There was no significant difference of non-hematological adverse events between two groups. The mean neutrophil engraftment time was 11.22±1.56 days and 9.89±2.81days for the CTX and EC groups, respectively (P>0.05). Platelet engraftments were significantly faster in the EC group than the CTX group (P0.05). The etoposide and cyclophosphamide regimen could be an effective and safe method for mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma.

Impact of high-risk features on disease-free survival (DFS) in patients (pts) with high-risk stage II colon cancer (CC) in ACHIEVE-2 trial as part of the IDEA collaboration.

4011 Background: The IDEA collaboration for high-risk stage 2 colorectal cancer patients (pts) demonstrated that for CAPOX, 3 months was non-inferior to 6 months treatment, while for FOLFOX, 6 months was superior to 3 months treatment. We investigated the impact of high risk features on disease-free survival (DFS). Methods: ACHIEVE-2, one of the 4 IDEA studies (SCOT, TOSCA, ACHIEVE-2, HORG), was an open-label, multicenter randomized trial for high-risk stage II colon cancer. High risk features are defined as one or more: T4, inadequate nodal harvest < 12, poorly differentiated, clinical sign of obstruction and perforation or vascular invasion. The association of high risk features with DFS were measured by Cox regression analyses. Results: Between 2014 and 2017, ACHIEVE-2 enrolled 525 pts, out of whom 514 pts were the modified ITT (mITT) population; 432 received CAPOX (84.0%) and 82 did mFOLFOX6 (16.0%). High-risk features included 35.8% of T4, 12.8% of inadequate nodal harvest, 11.5% of poorly differentiated, 19.3% of obstruction, 6.4% of perforation and 87.5% of vascular invasion; 47.3% had one features, 35.2% had two, 14.6% had three, and 2.9% had four or more. With a median follow-up of 36.1 months, 3-year DFS rates were 88% in both arms, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.12 (95% CI, 0.67-1.87, p=0.67). In multivariate analysis, T4 (HR 3.77 [2.18-6.53], p< 0.0001) and inadequate nodal harvest (HR 2.98 [1.59-5.59], p= 0.0006) remained independent significant negative prognostic factors. The 3-year DFS rates in T4 and Non-T4 diseases were 78% and 94% (p<0.0001), while 3-year DFS rate in pts with inadequate and adequate nodal harvest were 77% and 90% (p=0.0059). No interaction was observed between treatment duration and T4 or inadequate nodal harvest. Conclusions: Our findings indicated the relative impact of high risk features on DFS varies across factors; T4 and inadequate nodal harvest < 12 were more significant than the others. Our results must be interpreted within the combined analysis as well as within the reproducibility of results across the 4 trials. Clinical trial information: 000013036 .

Evaluation of the nutrient content in biomass of Eucalyptus species from short rotation plantations in Uruguay

Forest biomass is an interesting option for bioenergy generation, however sustainability aspects should be carefully considered. In this context, the nutrient exportation is a key factor for reach a sustainable biomass production by an adequate harvest decision about what tree's fractions will export less nutrients of farms. In this work biomass production per fraction and nutrient export for three eucalypt species (Eucalyptus benthamii, E.dunnii and E.grandis) planted at four planting densities: 2220, 3330, 4440 and 6660 trees per hectare, in two different sites, were evaluated at the age of 76 months. The assessed nutrients were: P, Ca, Mg, K and N in bark, branches, leaves, and stemwood fractions. Nutrients use efficiency and the balance between available cations in the soil (Ca, Mg and K) vs their export in the different tree components were assessed. The effect of the interaction (species x planting density) for almost all the variables evaluated was not significant in both sites. The nutrients concentration is slightly affected by the planting density while the nutrient export is significantly related to this parameter in both sites. Bark is the fraction with the higher Ca and Mg concentration values, whereas the higher concentrations of N and K were found on the leaves, meanwhile debarked stemwood is the fraction with the lower nutrient concentration. In the short term, K would be the nutrient that will exhaust first, although the use of stemwood allows an important reduction in the use of cations. Even with low planting densities it is possible to obtain high biomass yields and similar to those achieved with the lowest spacing in particular at the Paysandú site.

Mobilization Success and Bariers for Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Constrained-Resource Nation

<h3>Introduction</h3> Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a well-established therapy for various hematologic and solid malignancies. Optimal mobilization and harvest of peripheral blood-stem cells (PBSC) is crucial. A failed mobilization attempt (MA) can preclude transplantation in up to 40% of cases, however, novel agents have increased success rates. The aim of our study was to evaluate factors impacting MA failure and remobilization efficacy in a resource-constrained setting. <h3>Methods</h3> Retrospective single-center study including patients with at least one MA of PBSC for ASCT between June 2010 to June 2019. <h3>Results</h3> Inclusion criteria were met by 158 patients. Median age at MA was 37y and 61.4% were male. ASCT indication was hematologic in 84.8%: lymphoma in 37.3%, monoclonal gammopathy in 32.9%, and acute leukemia in 14.6%. Relapsed or primary refractory disease was the indication in 51.9%. A 25.3% had previous exposure to radiotherapy. Status of disease at MA was in 48.1% complete response, while 8.9% (<i>n=14</i>) had less than a partial response (Figure 1). At first MA, the median level of CD34 was 16.1 × 10⁶/L. G-CSF, chemotherapy (CT) and plerixafor (PLX) were used in 85%, 11.8% and 3.2%. MA was successful (>2 or >4 × 10⁶ CD34/kg harvested in ≤3 aphereses) in 64.6% and 32.3%, with a median harvest in the whole cohort of 3.5 × 10⁶ CD34/kg (Figure 2). Factors associated with MA failure were: BMI ≥25 (<i>p=0.03</i>), high BSA (<i>p=0.016</i>), hematologic malignancy as ASCT indication (<i>p=0.013</i>), pre-MA WBC <4 × 10⁹/L (<i>p=0.032</i>), pre-apheresis CD34 <10 × 10⁶ cells/L (<i>p<0.001</i>), and MA with G-CSF or CT (<i>p=0.05</i>). No relation to CT regimens or number of cycles was seen except for lymphoma cases (<i>p=0.025</i>) (Figure 3). Of patients that failed MA, 66.1% (<i>n=36</i>) underwent a second MA. Of these, 85.3% were non-mobilizers to G-CSF and the remainder to CT. Of non-mobilizers to G-CSF, 44.8% (<i>n=13</i>) were rechallenged, to the remainder CT (37.9%) or PLX (17.2%) was added. Of non-mobilizers to CT, due to economic constraints or toxicity, 60% (<i>n=3)</i> received G-CSF while the remaining were rechallenged. Overall 41.7% and 19.4% cases had a successful second MA for >2 or >4 × 10⁶ CD34/kg, with no difference in outcome between mobilization agents used (<i>p=0.132)</i>. <h3>Conclusion</h3> In this cohort, anthropometry, hematologic disease, number of CT cycles, and WBC count; in addition to use of G-CSF as unique agent in MA was related to lower rates of successful PBSC harvesting. These findings should guide decision making process on mobilization agent, as limiting or delaying ASCT and requiring additional MA directly impact disease outcomes and higher costs. Reduced rates of success on second MA, despite increased use of CT and PLX were observed. The significant loss of benefit of PLX highlights the need to direct our efforts on preemptive action. Cost-effective, resource-stratified approaches are required to maximize adequate harvesting and subsequent access to ASCT.

Effect of the optimized regulated deficit irrigation methodology on water use in barley under semiarid conditions

In areas with low availability of irrigation water, it is necessary to improve water-use efficiency in crops, especially if their profitability is low. This is the case of barley in the Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), where farmers are demanding methods to achieve adequate harvests with a supply of low amounts of irrigation water to this particular crop. The optimized regulated deficit irrigation (ORDI) methodology was developed to maximize the yield of annual crops under water-scarce conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ORDI for a limited amount of available irrigation water on yield, water productivity and water footprint of a barley crop (Shakira cv.) under semiarid conditions. To this end, five irrigation treatments were performed over three years (2015–2017) on an experimental farm located in Albacete province: no deficit (ND) (control), and four with different volumes of available irrigation water, corresponding to 100 % (T100), 90 % (T90), 80 % (T80), and 70 % (T70) of barley net irrigation requirements (2500 m3 ha-1) for the weather conditions of the intermediate typical meteorological year. As expected, yield decreased with deficit and ND was the treatment that achieved the highest average yield (9049 kg ha-1). While the average yield decreased by 19.4 % and 29.9 % with regard to ND, the highest average irrigation water productivity was for T80 and T70 (average 3.63 kg m-3), as these treatments reduced the average amount of irrigation water by 39.1 % and 46.7 %, respectively. Nevertheless, in terms of water-use sustainability, the most interesting treatment was T80, which achieved the lowest average water footprint (531 m3 Mg-1) while ND showed the highest (9.5 % greater). Consequently, ORDI yielded barley harvests with more efficient water use under limited volumes of available irrigation water and unknown climatic conditions, which were drier than typical in the three experimental years.

Historical Analysis of a Cohort of Chilean Patients Treated with Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Since 1993: Optimization of Stem Cell Collections, Risk Factors for Poor Mobilizers and Efficient Plerixafor Use

Introduction Autologous hematopoietic transplantation (autoHT) is an effective treatment in myeloma and lymphoma patients. To perform it, an adequate harvest of stem cells is required. Collection of stem cells can be challenging in some patients, because they do not achieve satisfactory CD34 cell counts with GCSF + - chemotherapy. Plerixafor is a potent drug that promotes the release of stem cells from medullar niche to peripheral blood and allows satisfactory harvests but at a high cost. Different criteria of use have been applied in several countries to select patients eligible for treatment with plerixafor, with a high variability of prescription modalities. Even more, there are difficulties in precise the optimal schedule and dosification mainly by differences in the number defined as optimal collection, because some centers use the minimum tolerated collection cellularity of 2.0 x106 CD34/ kg and others use more stringent cells recounts. Development of our own algorithm for stem cell harvest is mandatory. Methodology We performed a retrospective analysis of the harvests performed in patients treated with autoHT in our institution since 1993. In 2013 plerixafor was available in our country and was included in our transplantation program. Satisfactory harvest was defined with total cellularity obtained of 2.5 x106 CD34/ kg. Results During the last 26 years, 273 patients with myeloma and lymphoma were treated with autoHT. Before 2013, all patients (n=112) were mobilized with GCSF +- chemotherapy. In this period, 75% of patients had successful harvests, requiring more than 2 apheresis procedures in 30% of them. Median cellularity obtained was 2.7 x106 CD34/ kg (range 1.2-15). Since 2013, 161 patients were treated with autoHT and we found that 80% of patients obtained satisfactory harvests with 1 apheresis and satisfactory harvests were obtained in 97% using plerixafor in 50% of them (p &lt; 0.001). Median cellularity obtained was 4.8 x106 CD34/ kg (range 2-14) (p &lt; 0.001). In multivariate analysis, after 2013 the only factor that predicted the need for plerixafor was the presence of less than 30,000 CD34 / ul at the day of the apheresis (OR 0,3 p &lt;0.001). Other variables such as previous pelvic irradiation, use of IMID's, gender and advanced aged were no associated with harvest failure. Conclusions Historically, we have observed an improvement of the quality of cellularity for autoTH. Since the avaibility of plerixafor, more patients could be transplanted, better cellularity was obtained and less apheresis procedures were required. The rational and standardized use of plerixafor favors satisfactory harvests in patients of our country who require autologous transplantation. Using a simplified algorithm using exclusively the CD34 counts before apheresis allows us satisfactory harvests and efficient use of plerixafor, establishing the appropriate harvest and apheresis schema for our population allowing optimization of transplantation costs. Keywords: autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, plerixafor, multiple myeloma, lymphoma, GCSF. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Single-dose etoposide is an effective and safe protocol for stem cell mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma.

Single-dose etoposide was used an outpatient-based protocol for mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Thus, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of our one-day protocol in comparison with that of previous methods. We retrospectively analyzed 168 patients with MM who underwent peripheral blood stem cell collection for upfront ASCT between 2008 and 2018. The mobilization protocols included G-CSF alone (G-mobilization), one-day 375 mg/m2 of etoposide (E375), two-days of 375 mg/m2 of etoposide (E750), or one-day high-dose (3.5 g/m2 ) cyclophosphamide (HD CY). For comparison of efficacy of each protocol, collected CD34+ cells over 4 × 106 /kg and under 2 × 106 /kg were defined as "adequate harvest" and "harvest failure," respectively. The median number of collected CD34+ cells was 5.58 × 106 /kg in patients receiving single-dose etoposide, and the percentage of uncomplicated optimal harvest of E375 (65.6%, 21/32) was significantly higher than that of E750 (41.9%, 13/31) and HD CY (31.3%, 15/48). The E375 showed the highest rate of adequate harvest (96.9%, 31/32) compared to that of E750 (87.1%), HD CY (75.0%), and G-mobilization (59.6%). Most E375 patients achieved adequate harvest without complication (29/32, 90.6%), the CD34+ cell collection yield on apheresis days one and two of E375 was not significantly different from that of E750, and no harvest failures occurred for E375. Neutrophil and platelet engraftments were significantly faster in E375 than other groups (P < .001). The use of single-dose etoposide could be an effective and safe method for mobilization in patients with MM.

Effect of surgical approach on node harvest in gastrectomy: Analysis of the National Cancer Database.

47 Background: Recent studies demonstrate significant surgical outcome advantages for patients undergoing minimally invasive versus open gastrectomy. Lymph node harvest at the time of gastrectomy is an indicator of adequate surgical resection and greater harvest is associated with improved staging and patient outcomes. Our aim is to evaluate lymph node harvest based on surgical approach. Our hypothesis is that a minimally invasive approach, particularly robot-assisted, will be associated with higher lymph node harvest. Methods: Patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric adenocarcinoma in the period of 2010-2015 were identified using the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Data collected includes demographic data, institutional volume, approach, type of gastrectomy, tumor size, tumor location, pathologic T classification, year of diagnosis, Charlson-Deyo score and node harvest. Outcomes for patients undergoing open, laparoscopic, and robot-assisted gastrectomy were compared with univariate analysis and with a multivariate generalized linear mixed model (GLMM). Results: 19,555 patients were identified. There were 12,400 men (63.4%) and the mean age was 66.3 ± 12.5 years. 13,486 (69.0%) patients underwent open gastrectomy, 5,023 (25.7%) laparoscopic gastrectomy, and 1,046 (5.3%) robotic-assisted gastrectomy. Mean node harvest for open was 16.1 ± 11.5, laparoscopic was 15.1 ± 12.1, and robotic-assisted was 17.2 ± 13.3. Using a GLMM which controlled for the above listed covariates, robotic-assisted gastrectomy was associated with higher node harvest than both open (p = 0.041) and laparoscopic (p &lt; 0.001) while open was associated with higher node harvest than laparoscopic (p &lt; 0.001). There were 1582 operations with zero nodes harvested. In a sub-analysis of resections where at least one node was harvested (n = 17,973), the mean node harvest for open was 16.9 ± 11.1, laparoscopic was 17.5 ± 11.2, and robotic was 19.7 ± 12.3. Conclusions: This data suggests that a robot-assisted approach is associated with increased node harvest compared to laparoscopic and open approach in gastrectomy.

The Status and Future of the Strawberry Industry in the United States

Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa) production practices followed by growers in the United States vary by region. Understanding the challenges, needs, and opportunities in each region is essential to guide research, policy, and marketing strategies for the strawberry industry across the country, and to enable the development of general and region-specific educational and production tools. This review divided the United States into eight distinct geographic regions and an indoor controlled or protected environment production system. Current production systems, markets, cultivars, trends, and future directions for each region are discussed. A common trend across all regions is the increasing use of protected culture strawberry production with both day-neutral and short-day cultivars for season extension to meet consumer demand for year-round availability. All regions experience challenges with pests and obtaining adequate harvest labor. Increasing consumer demand for berries, climate change-induced weather variability, high pesticide use, labor and immigration policies, and land availability impact regional production, thus facilitating the adoption of new technologies such as robotics and network communications to assist with strawberry harvesting in open-field production and production under controlled-environment agriculture and protected culture.

Rainwater harvesting system for a sustainable water supply for the poor on Merbau island

Difficulty in meeting one’s basic daily needs such as clean water in order to fulfill a healthy, clean and productive life is a significant problem for people living on remote islands. Rainwater is the only source of clean water for the community on Merbau Island because of the low quality of the surface and groundwater resources. The majority of Merbau Island is covered by peat and lowlands; hence the rainwater that falls on the land surface is generally contaminated with peat water, which tends to be more acidic. Frequent rainfall at the location produces an abundant volume of water that is sufficient enough to meet the collective household daily demand for clean water. However, the community is not able to provide a large rainwater harvesting facility that can minimize the loss of rainwater into the rivers or seas. This study aimed to obtain data on the field conditions used as the basis for planning RWH systems for domestic needs so as to meet the need for sustainable clean water on Merbau Island. The results show that the highest rainfall recorded in 2013 was 3,164.3 mm. Such an amount of rainwater can fulfill the daily clean water requirements for each household on Merbau Island. The population of poor people on the island is approximately 44%, which results in around 73% of people not having an adequate rainwater harvesting system. The average roof area data, the number of family members and the type of roof, being 213 m2, 6 people and zinc (0.9) respectively, using the Rain Cycle v2 software, obtained the result that a 12 m2 tank is needed to meet the need for clean water throughout the year.

Advances in post-harvest technology and value additions of edible mushrooms

Post harvest technology (PHT) is the method applied to the produce after harvest for its protection, processing, distribution, marketing, and utilization to cater the food and nutritional demands of the consumers. Post-harvest losses are very high in most of the food items including mushrooms because of high content of water. Hence, study of the post-harvest physiological processes influencing quality, shelf life and its management to ameliorate the situation is essential. In order to minimize these losses, it is necessary to have adequate and sound post harvest practices for short term/long term storage and processing. Pretreatments, packing, pre cooling are some of the techniques for short term storage of mushrooms while, drying, pickling and steeping preservation are some other techniques commonly used for long term storage of fresh mushrooms. Drying is the most common practice of extending shelf life of mushrooms at room temperatures in rural areas. Sun drying of mushroom is a very old and simple technique to obtain quality products. Sun drying or drying using solar dryers is working very efficiently. Pickling of oyster mushroom is a kind of long term preservation. It is done in a commercial scale by Satpuda Mushroom Sahkari Sangh, an NGO at Hoshangabad district in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Mushroom at Raipur (Chhattisgarh). Steeping preservation of mushrooms is a convenient and economical method. In one of the studies clearly indicated that the shelf life of oyster mushroom could be prolonged for a period of 145 days while steeping in 0.1% citric acid, 0.11% acetic acid and 2% salt. In present days, there is a huge demand for the instant or ready made or ready-to-make food products. Now, value addition is becoming an important area and has enormous scope. Value can be added to the mushrooms from grading to the instant made snacks or the main-course item to the varied extent. Several real value-added products like mushroom papad, nuggets, bijoura, chakli, mushroom soup powder, biscuits, mushroom fortified wheat flour (enriched in several nutritional and medicinal attributes), Royal Oyster Capsules and readymade mushroom ketch up have been developed but are yet to be popularized in the Indian market.

Significant correlation between peripheral blood CD34+ cell count in children prior to aphaeresis and CD34+ cell yield following aphaeresis: A single-center experience.

Numerous adults' studies demonstrated that preaphaeresis CD34+ cells significantly correlate with the number of CD34+ cells collected by the aphaeresis procedure. Equivalent studies in children are scarce. We studied retrospectively 92 aphaeresis procedures performed following chemotherapy (44) or in steady state (48) in 60 pediatric patients (40 males, 20 females), median age of 7.5years. Aphaeresis procedures were performed using a SPECTRA Optica (TERUMOBCT) continuous flow cell separator. CD34+ cell concentrations were assessed using flow cytometry. A highly significant correlation between peripheral CD34 cell count on the day of aphaeresis and CD34 cell yield per kg (R2 =.824, P<.0001) was demonstrated. A higher preaphaeresis CD34 cell count was demonstrated in patients with higher preaphaeresis white blood cell count, in patients with brain tumors, and in patients who received chemotherapy as part of their mobilization protocol. A threshold number of 20 peripheral CD34+ cell/μL was found to predict harvesting of 3×106 stem cells/kg, and 30 peripheral CD34+ cell/μL for harvesting of 5×106 stem cells/kg. This significant correlation between peripheral CD34 cell count and CD34 cell yield, and the threshold number of peripheral CD34 found to predict adequate harvesting can be useful in planning the optimal time for aphaeresis in children.

Biomechanical Analysis of Suture Anchor vs Tenodesis Screw for FHL Transfer.

Chronic Achilles injury is often treated with flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer to the calcaneus using 1 or 2 incisions. A single incision avoids the risks of extended dissections yet yields smaller grafts, which may limit fixation options. We investigated the required length of FHL autograft and biomechanical profiles for suture anchor and biotenodesis screw fixation. Single-incision FHL transfer with suture anchor or biotenodesis screw fixation to the calcaneus was performed on 20 fresh cadaveric specimens. Specimens were cyclically loaded until maximal load to failure. Length of FHL tendon harvest, ultimate load, stiffness, and mode of failure were recorded. Tendon harvest length needed for suture anchor fixation was 16.8 ± 2.1 mm vs 29.6 ± 2.4 mm for biotenodesis screw ( P = .002). Ultimate load to failure was not significantly different between groups. A significant inverse correlation existed between failure load and donor age when all specimens were pooled (ρ = -0.49, P < .05). Screws in younger specimens (fewer than 70) resulted in significantly greater failure loads ( P < .03). No difference in stiffness was found between groups. Modes of failure for screw fixation were either tunnel pullout (n = 6) or tendon rupture (n = 4). Anchor failure occurred mostly by suture breakage (n = 8). Adequate FHL tendon length could be harvested through a single posterior incision for fixation to the calcaneus with either fixation option, but suture anchor required significantly less graft length. Stiffness, fixation strength, and load to failure were comparable between groups. An inverse correlation existed between failure load and donor age. Younger specimens with screw fixation demonstrated significantly greater failure loads. Adequate harvest length for FHL transfer could be achieved with a single posterior incision. There was no difference in strength of fixation between suture anchor and biotenodesis screw.

Evaluation of Donor Site Morbidity Associated with Iliac Crest Bone Harvest in Oral and Maxillofacial, Reconstructive Surgery.

Iliac crest is the most common donor site for autogenous bone grafting as cortical bone, cancellous bone or combination of both can be harvested in abundance depending upon the need. Ilium provides highest concentration of osteo-component cells and greater quality of bone with less morbidity. The study was conducted to evaluate the donor site morbidity associated with autogenous iliac crest bone grafting for reconstruction in maxillofacial surgery. Around 12 patients, who had undergone iliac crest bone harvesting for various maxillofacial and reconstructive surgical procedures like cleft alveolus repair, malar augmentation, mandibular reconstruction following tumour resection and cyst enucleation and other surgical procedures performed in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, over a span of two years. The donor site was evaluated for the following factors: pain, neuropraxia, abnormal gait and scar evaluation. None of the 12 patients had intraoperative complications like haemorrhage, damage to the muscles/ligaments, fracture of the ilium and damage to the acetabular fossa/femur head. Any major postoperative complications were also not recorded. Minor postoperative complications like pain, contour defect, walking difficulty were present, which gradually got resolved by the time of discharge. Anterior iliac crest provides an adequate harvest of cancellous, corticocancellous or bicortical grafts for reconstruction of various osseous defects in the maxillofacial region with least morbidity and should be considered as a major reservoir of bone for bony reconstructive procedures.