Changes In Dry Weight Research Articles

An assessment of the durability of untreated and water repellent-treated cultural heritage stone (Döğer tuff-Turkey) by salt mist and salt crystallization tests

Salt mist and salt crystallization tests were conducted to determine the resistance of the untreated and water-repellent-treated Döğer tuff samples to salt damage. The Döğer tuffs are of volcanic origin and consist of porous pyroclastic rocks. A series of characterization studies were performed to determine the physicochemical and chemical properties (XRF), mineralogical-petrographic characteristics (polarizing optical microscopy, XRD, and SEM), and pore-size distribution (MIP) of the Döğer tuff prior to the aging tests. Following the aging experiments, the changes in weight, ultrasound pulse velocity, uniaxial compressive strength, and variations in pore size distribution were examined in the tested tuffs. In addition, SEM studies were conducted to analyze the microstructures. The untreated tuff samples were more severely affected by salt crystallization. The increases in dry weight for untreated and water-repellent-treated Döğer tuff samples were 0.27% and 0.13% after 60 cycles of salt mist exposure and 7.2% and 3.76% after salt crystallization cycles using a sodium chloride solution, respectively. Both conditions resulted from the accumulation of NaCl crystals on the tuff surface and within the pores. Salt crystal formation in a sodium sulfate solution led to dry weight change of 2.02% and 0.29% in the untreated and water-repellent-treated samples, respectively. The uniaxial compressive strength of the untreated tuff samples decreased by 36.71% in the presence of sodium chloride solution and by 72.58% in the presence of sodium sulfate solution. The ultrasound pulse velocity values decreased in all tuff samples after the salt crystallization test. However, the Döğer tuff samples were still distinguishable after both tests and their physical integrity remained intact.

A study on effects of cell phone tower-emitted non-ionizing radiations in an Allium cepa test system.

Considering enormous growth in population, technical advancement, and added reliance on electronic devices leading to adverse health effects, in situ simulations were made to evaluate effects of non-ionizing radiations emitted from three cell phone towers (T1, T2, and T3) of frequency bands (800, 1800, 2300MHz), (900, 1800, 2300MHz), and (1800MHz), respectively. Five sites (S1-S5) were selected near cell phone towers exhibiting different power densities. The site with zero power density was considered as control. Effects of radiations were studied on morphology; protein content; antioxidant enzymes like ascorbate peroxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), and glutathione reductase (GR); and genotoxicity using Allium cepa. Mean power density (μW/cm2) was recorded as 1.05, 1.18, 1.6, 2.73, and 12.9 for sites 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. A significant change in morphology, root length, fresh weight, and dry weight in Allium cepa was observed under the exposure at different sites. Protein content of roots showed significant difference for samples at all sites while bulbs at sites S4 and S5 when compared to control. Antioxidant activity for root in terms of APX, GST, and POD showed significant changes at S4 and S5 and GR at site S5 and SOD at S1, S2, S3, S4, and S5. Similarly, bulbs showed significant changes at sites S4 and S5 for APX while at sites S3, S4, and S5 for POD and S2, S3, S4, and S5 for SOD and S5 for GR and GST. Genotoxicity study has shown induction of abnormalities at different stages of the cell cycle in Allium cepa root tips. The samples under exposure to radiation with maximum power density have shown maximum induction of oxidative stress and genotoxicity.

Biological Control Effect of Antagonistic Bacteria on Potato Black Scurf Disease Caused by Rhizoctonia solani

Potato black scurf, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, is a severe soil-borne disease that affects the quality and production of potatoes worldwide. In our study, we used Paenibacillus polymyxa YF and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens HT to determine the antagonistic ability of R. solani, with a particular focus on the antagonistic action of P. polymyxa YF to R. solani and its biocontrol effect on potato black scurf. In fermentation, filtrate assay, 50% filtrate of P. polymyxa YF and B. amyloliquefaciens HT inhibited the growth of R. solani by 85.55% and 82.86%, respectively. Microscopic observations showed notable morphological changes with mycelial collapse, atrophy, and deformation following treatment with the antagonistic filtrates. Moreover, cell membrane permeability results showed increased conductivity in bacteria-treated samples compared to the control. P. polymyxa YF exhibited stable colonization on potato plants and secreted various extracellular enzymes (protease, amylase, and cellulase), along with the synthetic substances with growth-promoting effects, such as siderophores and Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Whether it is in the excised tissue inoculation or potted experiment, the negative control showed the highest rank of disease symptoms. In the pot experiment, after YF treatment, physiological parameters showed remarkable changes in plant height, root length, stem thickness, and dry and fresh weight. Compared to blank control, the activities of the four resistant enzymes increased significantly in the P. polymyxa YF treatment group. The upregulation in the P. polymyxa YF group was 4.04, 0.54, 0.46, and 3.10 times, respectively. PCR analysis identified genes in both bacterial strains coding for antimicrobial lipopeptides, including fenB, ituC, and srfAA, which are associated with fengycin, iturin, and surfactin synthesis. These findings demonstrated that P. polymyxa YF has a prominent antagonistic effect on R. solani, suggesting its potential as an effective biological control agent for controlling potato black scurf.

Weed detection in soybean fields using improved YOLOv7 and evaluating herbicide reduction efficacy.

With the increasing environmental awareness and the demand for sustainable agriculture, herbicide reduction has become an important goal. Accurate and efficient weed detection in soybean fields is the key to test the effectiveness of herbicide application, but current technologies and methods still have some problems in terms of accuracy and efficiency, such as relying on manual detection and poor adaptability to some complex environments. Therefore, in this study, weeding experiments in soybean fields with reduced herbicide application, including four levels, were carried out, and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was utilized to obtain field images. We proposed a weed detection model-YOLOv7-FWeed-based on improved YOLOv7, adopted F-ReLU as the activation function of the convolution module, and added the MaxPool multihead self-attention (M-MHSA) module to enhance the recognition accuracy of weeds. We continuously monitored changes in soybean leaf area and dry matter weight after herbicide reduction as a reflection of soybean growth at optimal herbicide application levels. The results showed that the herbicide application level of electrostatic spraying + 10% reduction could be used for weeding in soybean fields, and YOLOv7-FWeed was higher than YOLOv7 and YOLOv7-enhanced in all the evaluation indexes. The precision of the model was 0.9496, the recall was 0.9125, the F1 was 0.9307, and the mAP was 0.9662. The results of continuous monitoring of soybean leaf area and dry matter weight showed that herbicide reduction could effectively control weed growth and would not hinder soybean growth. This study can provide a more accurate, efficient, and intelligent solution for weed detection in soybean fields, thus promoting herbicide reduction and providing guidance for exploring efficient herbicide application techniques.

Corn harvesting time based on growth curve and antioxidant enzyme activity

ABSTRACT China has a large population and is also a big agricultural country. Food security is an important strategic issue related to China’s national economy and people’s livelihood. Corn is one of the main food crops in China, its yield and quality are closely related to China’s growing grain demand. Improper field harvest, failure to dry out in time, and qualitative changes during the storage process will lead to yield loss. In this study, the issue of timely corn harvest, the growth curve, and the antioxidant enzyme activity of corn kernels were measured throughout the harvest process. The mathematical models of the change of moisture content, dry weight, and antioxidant enzyme activity were established, and the optimal harvest period was determined. The results showed that the moisture content of corn kernels decreased with the increase in harvest time. With the increase in harvest period, the dry weight of corn kernels accumulated in the early stage, when the dry weight of corn kernels entered the ripening period on October 3rd, the accumulation of dry weight tended to be a maximum and no longer increased. After that, there was even a decrease in dry weight which was called hidden loss, the trend of four varieties dry weight was different. The antioxidant enzyme activities of POD (peroxidase), CAT (catalase), and SOD (superoxide) of corn kernels were tended to rise first and then decline, there were significant differences between different varieties. The optimal harvest period for each corn variety was determined according to the change of moisture content, dry matter weight, and antioxidant enzyme activity.

Nitric Oxide (NO) Improves Wheat Growth under Dehydration Conditions by Regulating Phytohormone Levels and Induction of the Expression of the TADHN Dehydrin Gene

Nitric oxide (NO) is a universal signaling molecule with important regulatory functions in the plant’s life cycle and adaptation to a wide spectrum of environmental stresses including drought. The effect of pre-sowing seed treatment with the donor of NO sodium nitroprusside (SNP, 200 μM) on wheat Triticum aestivum L. plants subjected to dehydration (PEG-8000, 12%) was investigated. SNP pretreatment stimulated germination and seedling growth in normal conditions and protected them under dehydration. These effects were confirmed by percentage of seed germination, changes in fresh and dry weight of 5–6-day-old seedlings, as well as by seedlings’ linear dimensions, visual appearance, and mitotic index of the root apical meristem. Assessment of the transpiration intensity (TI) and relative water content (RWC) showed that SNP pretreatment helped to maintain the water status of seedlings subjected to dehydration stress. The data obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) suggested that the positive effects of SNP may be due to its influence on the phytohormonal system. SNP pretreatment induced an increase in the level of indolylacetic acid (IAA) and especially cytokinins (CK), while essential changes in ABA content were not detected. Water deficiency caused a substantial increase in ABA content and a decrease in the levels of CK and IAA. Pre-sowing SNP treatment decreased stress-induced fluctuations in the content of all studied phytohormones. Using reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR), we obtained data on the increase in expression of the TADHN dehydrin gene in SNP-pretreated seedlings under normal and, especially, under dehydration conditions. These findings may indicate the participation of dehydrins in NO-induced defense reactions in wheat plants under water stress. Furthermore, exogenous NO had a stabilizing effect on membrane cellular structures, as evidenced by the reduction of electrolyte leakage (EL) levels and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in dehydrated wheat seedlings under the influence of pre-sowing SNP treatment.

Callus formation and camphor aggregation in response to sorbitol stimulated osmotic stress in yarrow

Sorbitol is an important source of abiotic stress that is used to increase osmolality in cell cultures. It increases the antioxidant enzymes of defense catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the stress state of cells. Sorbitol plays an important role in stimulating these enzymes in cells and increasing phenylalanine ammonium lyase (PAL) activity. The aim of this study was to apply increasing doses of sorbitol elicitor to cell suspension cultures to determine the changes in cell number, viability, dry weight, and camphor content. In vitro plantlets were obtained from plant seeds and stem segments of these plants were used as explant source. Cell cultures were established after callus formation. Then, 0 (control), 5, 25, and 50 g L-1 sorbitol was dissolved in distilled water and cultured. Samples were taken three times in total, starting from day 1 to day 3. The content of camphor was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Cell number, viability,dry weight, and camphor content increased significantly with increasing doses of sorbitol compared to sampling times. Compared to the initial culture, the amount of camphor increased by 40% at the 5 g L-1 dose, 82% at the 25 g L-1 dose, and 154% at the 50 g L-1 dose. In A. gypsicola cell cultures, increasing doses of sorbitol have clearly demonstrated the secondary metabolite accumulation and its positive effect on cell growth.

Effect of Incremental Hemodialysis on Residual Kidney Function and Other Laboratory Parameters in End Stage Renal Disease Patients Starting Dialysis

Abstract Background Residual kidney function (RKF) in patients with end-stage renal disease plays a critical role in dialysis adequacy, quality of life, and survival by maintaining fluid and metabolic homeostasis, mitigating mineral abnormalities, optimizing uremic toxin clearance, and sustaining higher production of endogenous vitamin D and erythropoietin. Endogenous clearance conferred by RKF is associated with greater survival than dialysis clearance per se, and at a certain RKF level, higher dialysis dose may not influence clinical outcomes in both peritoneal and hemodialysis patients. Furthermore, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown inconsistent results in terms of clinical benefit of higher dialysis dose or frequency, and they may accelerate RKF decline. Aim of the Work To detect the effect of twice – weekly HD on patients starting dialysis regarding laboratory parameters and preservation of kidney function. Patients and Methods This prospective cohort study included 30 patients from multiple convienant dialysis units in 10th of Ramadan and Mushtoul Elsouq city to initiate twice-weekly hemodialysis, the patient should meet the first (urine output >600 ml/day) and the last criteria (KRU > 3 ml/minute/1.73 m2)d, plus most (five out of nine). Patients were examined for these criteria every month for 3 months. Regarding baseline data, this study patients had a mean age of 49.6 ± 8.7 years old, with a range from 32 to 65 years old, with male predominance (70 %), the mean weight of the studied patients was 79.9± 10.31 kg, with a range from 55 to 105 Kg, and their height ranged from 160 to 185 cm, the main etiology of ESRD was hypertension in 46.7 % of the studied patients, followed by DM in 30% then DM with hypertension in 16.7%. Results The study shows that there's highly significant increase in serum PTH and bicarbonate all over the study period, there's significant increase in serum phosphorus level, there's highly significant increase in serum albumin, there's highly significant increase in Hemoglobin all over the study period. There's highly significant increase in serum calcium, there's highly significant increase in Serum Potassium, there's highly significant decrease in Serum Creatinine, Urea before and urea after dialysis all over the study period. This study showed that there's highly significant increase in renal KT/V, there's highly significant increase in RKF, there's highly significant decrease in urine Urea and there's no statistically change in dry weight of patients all over the study. Conclusion In conclusion, in our selected cohort of incident hemodialysis patients with measured RKF, the incremental hemodialysis regimen that starts with twice-weekly schedule upon transition to dialysis is associated with greater preservation of the RKF in the first 3 months and may be safely implemented among incident hemodialysis patients with substantial RKF.

Multi-species rotational grazing of small ruminants regenerates undergrowth vegetation while controlling weeds in the oil palm silvopastoral system

CONTEXT.Prolonged use of synthetic herbicides to control weeds may cause adverse effects on the environment and human wellbeing. As a mitigation effort, commercial oil palm growers have been encouraged to adopt livestock integration as a holistic approach to manage weeds. Previous studies have suggested utilizing a multi-species livestock grazing may optimize the grazing impacts in silvopastoral agroforestry systems. OBJECTIVEPresent study examined the effects of small ruminant grazing (i.e., goats, sheep and multi-species) on undergrowth vegetation with the following specific objectives: 1) to investigate the effects of small ruminant grazing treatments on undergrowth vegetation composition in oil palm plantations; 2) to examine the variables (canopy cover, grazing treatments, and cycles) that influenced undergrowth vegetation (species richness, coverage, height, and dry weight) in oil palm plantations. METHODSWe established quadrats on experimental plots to detect changes in undergrowth vegetation composition, species diversity, coverage, height, and dry weight resulting from different grazing treatments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSWe found that undergrowth vegetation composition varied between different grazing treatments. The multi-species livestock grazing effectively supress unwanted weeds (i.e., woody broadleaves) compared to single–species livestock grazing (i.e., goats, sheep). The use of single-species livestock grazing is likely to cause oil palm growers to use herbicides to control undesirable weeds. Hence, we concluded managing undergrowth vegetation in oil palm plantations using multi-species livestock grazing is a practical approach, and it should be fine-tuned for example by choosing livestock species based on the targeted objectives and the grazing sequence that will be practiced to regenerate the oil palm silvopastoral system. SIGNIFICANCEMulti-species livestock grazing can reduce oil palm growers' dependence on synthetic herbicides for weed control and optimize land use in oil palm plantation sector. On the other hand, the use of single species, whether goat or sheep-only, has caused unwanted undergrowth to increase after several grazing rotations have been carried out. Therefore, the use of multi-species grazing is a promising biological tool to reduce synthetic herbicide application in environmentally-sustainable oil palm plantations.

Predicting dry weight change in Hemodialysis patients using machine learning

BackgroundMachine Learning has been increasingly used in the medical field, including managing patients undergoing hemodialysis. The random forest classifier is a Machine Learning method that can generate high accuracy and interpretability in the data analysis of various diseases. We attempted to apply Machine Learning to adjust dry weight, the appropriate volume status of patients undergoing hemodialysis, which requires a complex decision-making process considering multiple indicators and the patient’s physical conditions.MethodsAll medical data and 69,375 dialysis records of 314 Asian patients undergoing hemodialysis at a single dialysis center in Japan between July 2018 and April 2020 were collected from the electronic medical record system. Using the random forest classifier, we developed models to predict the probabilities of adjusting the dry weight at each dialysis session.ResultsThe areas under the receiver-operating-characteristic curves of the models for adjusting the dry weight upward and downward were 0.70 and 0.74, respectively. The average probability of upward adjustment of the dry weight had sharp a peak around the actual change over time, while the average probability of downward adjustment of the dry weight formed a gradual peak. Feature importance analysis revealed that median blood pressure decline was a strong predictor for adjusting the dry weight upward. In contrast, elevated serum levels of C-reactive protein and hypoalbuminemia were important indicators for adjusting the dry weight downward.ConclusionsThe random forest classifier should provide a helpful guide to predict the optimal changes to the dry weight with relative accuracy and may be useful in clinical practice.

A preliminary evaluation of phenotypic traits of tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray)

Background: Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) is an underutilised grain legume crop and important source of food, nutrition and income. To date, there are no significant breeding efforts aimed at cultivar development and the crop remains under-utilised and under-researched.Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate eight phenotypic traits and their relationships among 42 genotypes of tepary bean in a controlled drought screening greenhouse environment.Setting: Agricultural Research Council – Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plants, South Africa in drought screening glasshouse.Method: A 6 × 7 rectangular lattice design replicated three times was used in the study.Results: There were highly significant (p 0.01) differences in all the phenotypic traits that were measured. The highest number (30) of secondary roots was recorded for genotype ‘Ac-39’, which exceeded the trial, mean value by 62.87%. In comparison with the check, only Ac-33’, ‘Ac-39’, ‘Ac-40’ and ‘Ac-7’, ‘Ac-8’, ‘Ac-40’, ‘Ac-41’ genotypes achieved a significantly (p 0.05) higher secondary root length (SRL) and shoot dry weight (SDW), respectively. A highly significant (p 0.01) positive association was observed between the shoot fresh weight and the SDW suggesting that there was a strong linear relationship between the two parameters. Similarly, at least 68.0% of the changes in root dry weight were attributed to the changes in the SRL.Conclusion: These results suggested that the observed phenotypic variability in this germplasm which could be exploited for the enhancement of tepary bean.Contribution: There will be merit in validating these results on a field basis together with grain yield evaluation and genotyping over multiple locations and seasons to determine elite germplasm for production and utilisation by growers.

#2543 NEPHROFLOW FOR ESTIMATION OF VASCULAR ACCESS FLOW FOR HEMODIALYSIS: WHEN TO MEASURE?

Abstract Background and Aims Current guidelines emphasize the need for surveillance of vascular access (VA) for hemodialysis (HD), especially arteriovenous fistulas (AVF). Detecting a reduction in VA flow is auseful tool to anticipate the complications of VA as thrombosis. The DMed NephroFlow(NIPRO®) system, based on ultrasound dilution (UD) methods, has been shown tobe comparable to the classic Transonic® measurement system for estimating VA flow and canbe applied for VA surveillance. Our objetctive is to determine if there are significant differences when performing flow measurements with NephroFlow® between the first hour and the second hour of the HD session, as well as between any of the three days in which the patient attends HD. Method For two consecutive weeks, patients with AVF or graft (gAVF) on HD in our unit underwent VA flow measurements using the NephroFlow® system at the first and second hour of HD, on the 3 days that they attended HD sessions. Interspersing the first hour with the second each week to avoid significant loss in HD quality. For the study, we proceeded according to the usual recommendations of stable flow at 250 ml/min, corresponding ultrafiltration rate, needles in the same vein, without change in dry weight, with the same nurse staff, and transferring all patients to conventional HD. Results Twenty-one patients have been included, 13 male and 8 female, mean age 68±12.3 years. The mean time on HD was 36±23 months. The type of VA was: 10 patients presented a radiocephalic AVF, 5 brachiocephalic AVF, 2 patients a brachiobasilic AVF, and 4 patients a gAVF. The estimated mean flow obtained by NephroFlow ® in the first hour of all sessions and in the second hour was 1056 ± 754 and 1130.16 ± 769 ml/min, respectively; intraclass correlation index was 0.737 and K-W Test H 0.349 (p≤0.05). The mean flow on the first day was 1129±794.5ml/min, ICC = 0.662; second day 1027.5±729ml/min, ICC = 0.812; third day 1121.5±±ml/min, ICC = 0.774. In all cases p<0.05. Conclusion No significant differences have been observed in the VA flow estimated with the NephroFlow® ultrasound dilution system, neither at measurement time (the first or the second hour of HD session) nor day of performance (first, second or third day of HD session of the week). NephroFlow® UD system may be a useful tool for VA surveillance and could be applied when is necessary.

Adjusting body weight for edema in severely burned patients.

Weight loss is difficult to quantify in critically ill burn patients, as the presence of edema can mask changes in dry body weight. We sought to estimate dry body weight using measured weights adjusted for reported extremity edema. We evaluated patients with at least 20% total body surface area (TBSA) burns admitted to our intensive care unit over a 3½-year period. Body weights were collected for this analysis from admission to the time of a recorded dry weight after wound healing. Extremity edema was collected at the time of each weight measurement and was categorized into three groups: (1) no edema, (2) 1+pitting edema, (3) 2+or 3+pitting edema. Logistic regression yielded the following formula for estimating dry weight (in kg): 0.66 x measured body weight +25 - (3 for 1+ pitting edema or 4 for 2+ or 3+ pitting edema of either upper extremity) - (4 for any pitting edema to either lower extremity) (p<0.01, R2 = 0.81). These results may allow us to better estimate dry body weight changes in our edematous patients with severe burns. Nutrition goals can be adjusted earlier, when appropriate, based on these estimated dry body weight changes.

How to Efficiently Produce the Selenium-Enriched Cucumber Fruit with High Yield and Qualities via Hydroponic Cultivation? The Balance between Selenium Supply and CO2 Fertilization

Hydroponic-producing selenium (Se)-biofortified vegetables in a greenhouse is a convenient and effective way to provide Se-enriched food and overcome hidden hunger. CO2 fertilization is commonly implemented to increase vegetable yield in greenhouse production. However, this application accompanies decreased mineral concentrations in the edible parts. Here we investigated the effects of [CO2] and Se supply on the growth, gas exchange, and cucumber fruit quality. A hydroponic experiment with two CO2 concentrations ([CO2]) (C1: 410, and C2: 1200 μmol mol−1) and four Se supply levels (Se0: 0, Se1: 0.125, Se2: 0.250, and Se3: 0.500 mg Se L−1) was carried out. A low level of Se supply (Se1: 0.125 mg Se L−1) protected the photosynthetic pigments and stimulated the stomatal opening, especially under [CO2] fertilization. It leads to a higher net photosynthesis rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) than other Se treatments. The most significant changes in dry weight, fruit yield, and soluble sugar concentration were also obtained in Se1 under CO2 fertilization due to the enhanced CO2 fixation. Meanwhile, the Se concentration in fruit was 0.63 mg kg−1 FW in C2Se1, with the highest Se accumulation and use efficiency. According to the recommended dietary allowance of 55 μg Se day−1 for adults, an intake of 87 g of cucumber grown in C2Se1 is sufficient. Because of the improved Tr and better root structure in Se1, the uptake of mineral nutrients through mass flow and interception was well maintained under CO2 fertilization. So, the concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mn in cucumber fruits were not significantly decreased by elevated [CO2] in Se1. However, the concentrations of soluble proteins, S, Mg, Fe, and Zn in cucumber fruits in C2Se1 were lower than those in C1Se1, which was mainly attributed to the dilution effects under CO2 fertilization. Therefore, a selenite supply of 0.125 mg Se L−1 was found to be the optimal dosage for producing Se-enriched cucumber fruits with high yield and better qualities under CO2 fertilization (1200 μmol mol−1).

Efficacy evaluation of some fumigants against Fusarium oxysporum and enhancement of tomato growth as elicitor-induced defense responses

Fusarium wilt, the most serious soil-borne pathogen, is a serious problem for tomato production worldwide. The presented study evaluated the antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici in vitro and in vivo for nine fumigants. In addition, the research examined the possibility of enhancing the growth of tomato plants in order to increase resistance against this disease by using four chemical inducers. The results indicated that at 20 mg/L, the radial growth of the pathogen was inhibited 100% by formaldehyde and > 80% by phosphine. Among the essential oils investigated, neem oil was the most effective, however, it only achieved 40.54% at 500 mg/L. The values of EC50 for all fumigants, except dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and carbon disulfide (CS2), were lower than those for thiophanate-methyl. Phosphine was the highest efficient. The elicitors can be arranged based on their effectiveness, gibberellic acid (GA3) > sorbic acid > cytokinin (6-benzylaminopurine) > indole-3-butyric acid. The change in root length, fresh weight, and dry weight was greater with soil drench than with foliar application. The fumigant generators formaldehyde, phosphine and 1,4-dichlorobenzene and bio-fumigants citrus and neem oils as well as elicitors gibberellic and sorbic acid could be one of the promising alternatives to methyl bromide against Fusarium oxysporum as an important component of integrated management of Fusarium wilt.

FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 differentially reduce Cd uptake and accumulation in Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L.) seedlings by exporting Cd from roots and limiting Cd binding in the root cell walls

Wheat grown in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soils easily accumulates more Cd in edible parts than the Chinese safety limit (0.1 mg/kg). FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 have been used to extract Cd from Cd-contaminated soils. Thus, we hypothesized that FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3, used as iron (Fe) fertilizers, can reduce Cd uptake and accumulation in wheat. Here, a hydroponic experiment was performed with three FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 concentrations under 80 μM CdCl2 stress on dwarf Polish wheat (Triticum polonicum L., 2n = 4x = 28, AABB) seedlings. Compared with Fe deficiency, FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 additions competitively reduced Cd concentrations. The reductions were not associated with changes in dry weight and root morphological parameters. FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 additions reduced Cd concentrations in the following order from smallest to largest reduction: 25 μM Fe2(SO4)3 < 200 μM FeCl3 < 50 μM FeCl3 < 100 μM Fe2(SO4)3. Investigation of subcellular distributions showed that the four Fe fertilizers differentially reduced Cd binding in the root cell walls and enhanced root sucrose and trehalose. Cd chemical form analysis revealed that Fe fertilizer addition also differentially reduced root FE, FW, and FNaCl. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that addition of FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 differentially up-regulated several genes that hydrolyze cell wall polysaccharides and metal transporter genes for Cd uptake (IRT1 and CAX19) and export (ZIP1, ABCG11, ABCG14, ABCG28, ABCG37, ABCG44, and ABCG48) reducing Cd uptake and accumulation. Our results demonstrated that FeCl3 and Fe2(SO4)3 can reduce Cd accumulation in wheat, and 50 μM FeCl3 is the most effective treatment.

Enhanced Fruiting Body Production and Bioactive Phytochemicals from White Cordyceps militaris by Blending Cordyceps militaris and Using Cold Plasma Jet

The impact of cold plasma jet (CPJ) on fruiting body production and bioactive phytochemicals in white Cordyceps militaris blended with Cordyceps militaris (blended C. militaris) cultured on solid media was evaluated. CPJ was driven by a 12 kV neon transformer with a duty cycle of 50% and a fixed flow rate of 5 L/min. Primarily, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) were produced, including nitric oxides, hydroxyl radicals, and atomic oxygen. Before solid media cultivation, the CPJ was activated in liquid media containing potato dextrose agar of blended C. militaris for different treatment times (30–120 s). Changes in fresh and dry weights and cordycepin content of the most sensitive blended C. militaris cultivar increased by 22.49, 22.56, and 25.23%, respectively. CPJ treatment markedly increased antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase, by 34.71 and 17.42%, respectively. Moreover, CPJ treatment significantly increased the contents of bioactive compounds, including total phenolic content and total flavonoid content. The changes in antioxidant activities in the fruiting bodies of blended C. militaris were assayed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities to assess ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Therefore, CPJ treatment can represent a promising nonthermal method to enhance fruiting body production and nutritional value of blended C. militaris, which has implications for human health.

The Effect of Electrical Conductivity on Fruit Growth Pattern in Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes

Osmotic stress enhances fruit quality, including the dry matter content, in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). This study aimed at providing further insight into the precision control of fruit yield and quality on the long-term moderate osmotic stress conditions in tomato fruit production. We compared the growth pattern between fruits of two cultivars, typical Japanese and Dutch cultivars, under two different nutrient concentrations (2.3 and 5.0 dS·m−1) to understand the effect of electrical conductivity (EC) on dry mass and water content of fruits. The experiment was performed with a rockwool bag culture system in a controlled greenhouse. Increasing EC resulted in an approximately 20% decrease in fruit yield and a 0.5–1% increase in fruit dry matter content in both cultivars. This yield reduction was not caused by the fruit number, but by an approximately 25% decrease in individual fresh fruit weight. Non-linear models were used to describe the changes in dry matter content, water content, and dry weight of tomato fruit as a function of cumulative temperature. The decay rate of dry matter content in the fruit decreased with high EC treatments in the Japanese cultivar. The points at which the rates of changes in water and dry weight increased the in fruit were around 585 and 480 °C-days after anthesis, respectively, under the low EC condition. Rates of water increase in the fruit were changed by high EC treatment, while the shifts were opposite with respect to the cultivars. Dry weight increase in the fruit was not affected by EC treatment. Collectively, our findings clarify the effect of EC on the fruit growth characteristics of Japanese and Dutch tomato cultivars, and provide new insights into the yield of high-Brix tomato cultivation.

A preliminary study on nickel tolerance of some barley genotypes

In this study, nickel tolerance (NiSO4.7H2O) of some Turkish national barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes (Bülbül-89, Kalaycı-97, Karatay-94, Larende, Tarm-92, Tokak-157/37, Yesevi-93 and Zeynel Ağa) was investigated. Barley genotypes were exposed to different nickel concentrations [0 mM (control), 250, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 ppm]. Nickel toxicity significantly inhibited root and coleoptile growth in all barley genotypes in a concentration-dependent manner. However, root growth was much more inhibited by nickel applications in comparison with coleoptile growth, probably due to a higher level of sensitivity of root meristems against nickel toxicity or direct contact of roots with nickel ions in the growth medium. Root growth in the genotype Karatay-94 and coleoptile growth in the genotype Yesevi-93 was more remarkably reduced by nickel toxicity. Root and coleoptile growth in the genotypes Larende and Kalaycı-97 were less affected under nickel toxicity, respectively. In addition, nickel toxicity disturbed water relations in barley genotypes dependent on the organ type, as demonstrated by more severe inhibition in root fresh weight as compared to coleoptile fresh weight. These results could show that nickel toxicity reduced water uptake from growth medium in barley genotypes used in this study. Changes in dry weight of roots and coleoptiles indicated that nickel toxicity more severely decreased biomass accumulation in roots of barley genotypes. The calculated tolerance indices demonstrated that the genotype Kalaycı-97 is the most tolerant to nickel toxicity, while the genotype Karatay-94 is the most susceptible one.

구릿대 건전 종묘 생산을 위한 채종 적기 구명과 트레이 육묘 방법

Background: Angelica dahurica is a perennial plant of the Apiaceae family, and its root is used as a medicine named "Baek-Ji". However, there are no registered varieties and seed production systems to date. This study was carried out to investigate the proper seed harvest time and seedling raising method for plug seedling production in A. dahurica.Methods and Results: Seeds were harvested at approximately five-day intervals from 5 to 60 days after the flowering period, and seed yield and 1,000 grain weight were determined. For plug seedling production, seedlings were grown in different plug cell sizes and for different raising periods. Angelica dahurica flowered on August 1, and the seed yield was the highest at 40 days after flowering. Furthermore, 1,013℃ of accumulated temperature from the flowering period was required to obtain the maximum seed yield. Seedling growth by raising method tended to increase as cell size and raising period increased. The change of dry weight according to cell size and days after seeding were well expressed with an exponential function. Root balls were formed 63 days after seeding. However, there was no difference in the rooting rate and root yield based on the seedling raising method used.Conclusions: Seeds of A. dahuica should be harvested 40 days after flowering to obtain the highest yield. On hundred five cells per tray and 63 days of raising were appropriate for optimum seedling raising efficiency and ease of transplanting.