Search results for "GRI"
showing 10 items of 10209 documents
Centre-pivot irrigation system design for uniform water application rate
2020
<p>In the last few decades, the use of centre-pivot irrigation systems has significantly increased, since it makes farming easier, is more efficient and less time-consuming compared to the other irrigation systems. Several studies have been focused on the hydraulics of the centre-pivot systems. Standard high-pressure impact sprinklers or low-pressure spray sprinklers or Low Energy Precision Application (LEPA) systems are generally mounted on the pipeline.</p><p>To ensure the uniformity of water application, the centre-pivot design requires increasing the flow rates along the lateral, because the sprinklers farther from the pivot move faster, and th…
The Process-inducing Activity of Transmembrane Agrin Requires Follistatin-like Domains
2009
Clustering or overexpression of the transmembrane form of the extracellular matrix proteoglycan agrin in neurons results in the formation of numerous highly motile filopodia-like processes extending from axons and dendrites. Here we show that similar processes can be induced by overexpression of transmembrane-agrin in several non-neuronal cell lines. Mapping of the process-inducing activity in neurons and non-neuronal cells demonstrates that the cytoplasmic part of transmembrane agrin is dispensable and that the extracellular region is necessary for process formation. Site-directed mutagenesis reveals an essential role for the loop between beta-sheets 3 and 4 within the Kazal subdomain of t…
Automatic Temporal Expectancy: A High-Density Event-Related Potential Study
2013
How we compute time is not fully understood. Questions include whether an automatic brain mechanism is engaged in temporally regular environmental structure in order to anticipate events, and whether this can be dissociated from task-related processes, including response preparation, selection and execution. To investigate these issues, a passive temporal oddball task requiring neither time-based motor response nor explicit decision was specifically designed and delivered to participants during high-density, event-related potentials recording. Participants were presented with pairs of audiovisual stimuli (S1 and S2) interspersed with an Inter-Stimulus Interval (ISI) that was manipulated acc…
Risk factors for central nervous system tumors in children: New findings from a case-control study
2017
BACKGROUND: Central nervous system tumors (CNS) are the most frequent solid tumor in children. Causes of CNS tumors are mainly unknown and only 5% of the cases can be explained by genetic predisposition. We studied the effects of environmental exposure on the incidence of CNS tumors in children by subtype, according to exposure to industrial and/or urban environment, exposure to crops and according to socio-economic status of the child. METHODS: We carried out a population-based case-control study of CNS tumors in Spain, covering 714 incident cases collected from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996-2011) and 4284 controls, individually matched by year of birth, sex, and au…
Agrin in the Developing CNS: New Roles for a Synapse Organizer
2002
The heparan sulfate proteoglycan agrin is responsible for the formation, maintenance, and regeneration of the neuromuscular junction. In the central nervous system, agrin is widely expressed and concentrated at interneuronal synapses, but its function during synaptogenesis remains controversial. Instead, evidence for additional functions of agrin during axonal growth, establishment of the blood-brain barrier, and Alzheimer’s disease is accumulating.
Experimental Study of Central Baffle Flume
2019
In this paper, the hydraulics of a central baffle flume (CBF) were experimentally studied. Extensive experimental runs were carried out to highlight the effects of different geometrical parameters such as baffle length, contraction ratio, and the length of upstream and downstream guide walls. Two different approaches, i.e., the Π theorem of dimensional analysis coupled with the incomplete self-similarity theory and the energy balance equation, were applied to deduce the stage–discharge formula of a CBF characterized by different geometrical parameters. The stage–discharge relationship deduced by the dimensional analysis approach was more accurate than that obtained by the energy approach. F…
Assessment of Postharvest Dehydration Kinetics and Skin Mechanical Properties of “Muscat of Alexandria” Grapes by Response Surface Methodology
2016
The dipping of berries in a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide during a short time was evaluated as pretreatment undertaken prior to convective dehydration of wine grapes. The impact of the sodium hydroxide content and dipping time on weight loss (WL) at different dehydration times was thoroughly assessed using central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM). Furthermore, the effects of these two variables were also investigated on the skin mechanical properties of dehydrated grapes. The effect of these two pretreatment factors on the dehydration kinetics and skin hardness was satisfactorily fitted to regression models. The berry pretreatment with low sodium hydroxide…
Identification of Patulin from Penicillium coprobium as a Toxin for Enteric Neurons
2019
The identification and characterization of fungal commensals of the human gut (the mycobiota) is ongoing, and the effects of their various secondary metabolites on the health and disease of the host is a matter of current research. While the neurons of the central nervous system might be affected indirectly by compounds from gut microorganisms, the largest peripheral neuronal network (the enteric nervous system) is located within the gut and is exposed directly to such metabolites. We analyzed 320 fungal extracts and their effect on the viability of a human neuronal cell line (SH-SY5Y), as well as their effects on the viability and functionality of the most effective compound on primary ent…
The resilience of Finnish farms: Exploring the interplay between agency and structure
2020
Resilience implies, in its essence, the capacity of a system to tolerate disturbances while retaining its essential functions. In the context of agriculture, resilience thinking calls for considering the ability of farms to thrive in turbulent times along with the ability of the ecological system – in which the agricultural production is embedded – to retain its function and integrity. Resilience is a relevant conceptual tool to analyse the contradictory management demands that farms are facing within the current neoliberal market regime: being economically viable and environmentally sustainable. In this study, the resilience of farms was operationalised through farmers' perceptions concern…