Improvement Water Productivity of Eggplant Under Subsurface Water Retention Technology

A study of the evaluation of the water productivity (WP) of eggplant under subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) through membrane sheet installed under the root zone has been conducted in sandy loam soil located in Al-Fahamah Township, Baghdad, during two growing seasons (from January 10th to May 31st, 2017 in a greenhouse and from April 9th to July 10th, 2017 in open field). For this purpose, two treatments plot with membrane sheet and without using membrane sheet were applied for each growing season to determine and compare the effect of water saving membrane on productivity of eggplant. Results showed apparent differences among the water productivities of eggplant in the greenhouse and open field. The WP values of eggplant inside greenhouse for SWRT treatment and control plot were 5640 ID/m3 and 3700 ID/m3, respectively and in open field were 2220 ID/m3 and 1570 ID/m3, respectively. The WP of eggplant for SWRT treatment was more than the control plot inside the greenhouse and in open field by 52 % and 40 %, respectively. The installation of membrane sheet below the soil surface was improved the value of water productivity of eggplant and more saving in applied of irrigation water.

Water Retention Techniques under Crop’s Root Zone a Tool to Enhance Water Use Efficiency and Economic Water Productivity for Zucchini

A new technique in cultivation by installing membrane sheet below the crop’s root zone was helped to save irrigation water in the root zone, less farm losses, increasing the field water use efficiency and water productivity. In this paper, the membrane sheet was installed below the root zone of zucchini during the summer growing season 2017 in open field. This research was carried out in a private field in Babil governorate at Sadat Al Hindiya Township reached 72 km from Baghdad. Surface trickle irrigation system was used for irrigation process. Two treatment plots were used, treatment plot T1 using membrane sheet and treatment plot T2 without using the membrane sheet. The applied irrigation water, time of irrigation, soil moisture contents before irrigation were calculated and recorded daily for the two treatments plots. Values of crop yield, Field water use Efficiency and economic water productivity were discussed and compared between the plots. The obtained results indicate that field water use efficiency for the two plots, T1 and T2 were: 6.04 and 4.64 kg/m3, respectively. The increasing value in field water use efficiency (FWUE) of plot T1 comparing with plot T2 was 30.2 %. Additionally, the value of economic water productivity of zucchini crop for plots T1 and T2 was: 20514.1 and 15031.7 ID/m3, respectively. The increasing value of the Economic water productivity (EWP) of plot T1 comparing with plot T2 was 36.5 %. The value of water saving in plot T1 was 16.7%. The reduction in frequency of irrigation at T1 was 12 %. zucchini, water use efficiency, membrane sheet, and economic water productivity.

Progesterone inhibits glucose uptake by affecting diverse steps of insulin signaling in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Maternal insulin resistance is essential for efficient provision of glucose to the fetus. Although elevation of placental hormones is known to relate to the development of insulin resistance, the precise underlying mechanism of maternal insulin resistance is unknown. Therefore, we examined the molecular mechanisms of progesterone causing insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Progesterone at 10−4 M, but not 10−5 M, reduced the amount of IRS-1. As a result, insulin-induced phosphorylation of IRS-1, the association of IRS-1 with p85α, and subsequent phosphorylation of Akt1 and -2 was decreased moderately by 10−4 M progesterone. Subsequently, insulin-induced translocation of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane evaluated by immunostaining on the plasma membrane sheet by confocal laser microscope was also decreased by 10−4 M progesterone. In contrast, 2-[3H]deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake was markedly inhibited by both 10−5 and 10−4 M progesterone in a dose-dependent manner. Surprisingly, 2DG uptake elicited by adenovirus-mediated expression of constitutive-active mutant of PI 3-kinase (myr-p110) and Akt (myr-Akt) was suppressed by progesterone. Interestingly, insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Cbl and activation of TC10 were inhibited by progesterone at 10−5 M. These results indicate that progesterone is implicated in insulin resistance during pregnancy by inhibiting the PI 3-kinase pathway at the step of 1) IRS-1 expression and 2) distal to Akt and 3) by suppressing the PI 3-kinase-independent pathway of TC10 activation by affecting Cbl phosphorylation.

Effects of the Process Parameters on Beads by Plasma Arc Welding of the Membrane for LNG Ships

The membrane, which forms the primary barrier of the cargo tank onboard LNG carrier, is made of corrugated sheets, angle pieces and sealing caps and so on. These components are manufactured from SUS 304L sheets of 1.2mm thickness and assembled by the plasma welding. There are several welding defects such as overlap, excessive convexity, excessive concavity of weld and incomplete inclusion in the plasma welding. These unacceptable portions of the weld should be removed and repaired in order to prevent propagation of the defects. So a study is undertaken to determine the optimum process parameters such as the welding current, traveling speed, gas flow rates and frequency in the plasma lap welding process for LNG ships in order to prevent these defects. The polished and etched surface of the welded membrane sheet is examined if the cross section shows a properly made weld. And the tensile tests are conducted to consider if the tensile strength is less than the minimum required for the parent metal of the membrane sheet.