Differences In Growth Rates Research Articles

Atmospheric boundary layer height over a rain-shadow region: An intercomparison of multi-observations and model simulations

The lack of reliable and continuous measurements of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) height poses a significant problem for accurate weather forecasting and examining the intricate dynamics between the ABL and the free troposphere (FT). To address this crucial scientific problem, the present study investigates the ABL height from various simultaneous observations of multi-remote sensing instruments Micropulse lidar (MPL), Ceilometer (CL), Wind profiler radar (WPR) and Radiosonde (RS) and four different PBL schemes (Asymmetrical Convective Model version 2 (ACM2), Yonsei University (YSU), Mellor-Yamada Nakanishi and Nino level 2.5 (MYNN2), and Bougeault–Lacarrere (BouLac) during different sky and surface conditions. The diurnal variation of ABL heights between observation and model differs by ∼230 m. The ACM2 and MYNN2 show better performance (R > 0.85) of ABL height than other numerical schemes. The ABL height from different observations such as CL, WPR, MPL, RS and simulated ACM2 and MYNN2 is about 1098 ± 196 m, 1303 ± 217 m, 1461 ± 391 m, and 1716 ± 639 m, 1808 ± 407 m, and 1585 ± 393 m respectively, during the radiosonde launching time (∼11:00–12:00 IST). The difference in mean ABL height is observed due to their different measurement techniques and tracer identity between observation and model simulations. The study underscores a consistent and abrupt reduction in ABL height between observations (<480 m), model simulations (∼700 m), and re-analysis data sets (∼550 m) during wet-surface conditions, highlighting the model's ability to replicate consistent ABL behaviour in different surface conditions. While in cloudy conditions, the WRF-model underestimates ∼50–200 m than the observed ABL. This discrepancy is mainly observed due to the underestimation of sensible heat flux and downward shortwave radiation in model simulations. Due to the distinct ABL growth rate difference between the model (∼100–200 m/h) and observations (∼105–130 m/h), the time of attaining peak ABL height differs by one hour among them during different sky conditions. This is attributed to the large deviation in surface temperature, the incoming solar radiation, and the sensible heat fluxes.

Phenotypic, genotypic and proteomic variations between poor and robust colonizing Campylobacter jejuni strains

Campylobacter jejuni is one of the major causes of bacterial gastrointestinal disease in humans worldwide. This foodborne pathogen colonizes the intestinal tracts of chickens, and consumption of chicken and poultry products is identified as a common route of transmission. We analyzed two C. jejuni strains after oral challenge with 105 CFU/ml of C. jejuni per chick; one strain was a robust colonizer (A74/C) and the other a poor colonizer (A74/O). We also found extensive phenotypic differences in growth rate, biofilm production, and in vitro adherence, invasion, intracellular survival, and transcytosis. Strains A74/C and A74/O were genotypically similar with respect to their whole genome alignment, core genome, and ribosomal MLST, MLST, flaA, porA, and PFGE typing. The global proteomes of the two congenic strains were quantitatively analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and 618 and 453 proteins were identified from A74/C and A74/O isolates, respectively. Cluster of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses showed that carbon metabolism and motility proteins were distinctively overexpressed in strain A74/C. The robust colonizer also exhibited a unique proteome profile characterized by significantly increased expression of proteins linked to adhesion, invasion, chemotaxis, energy, protein synthesis, heat shock proteins, iron regulation, two-component regulatory systems, and multidrug efflux pump. Our study underlines phenotypic, genotypic, and proteomic variations of the poor and robust colonizing C. jejuni strains, suggesting that several factors may contribute to mediating the different colonization potentials of the isogenic isolates.

Physiological effects of feeding whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) with the fresh macroalgae Chaetomorpha clavata

In shrimp farming, the use of commercial feed can generate high nutrient loads in water bodies, and often constitute the most substantial component of production costs. Alternatives that seek to reduce the use of commercial feed can therefore both mitigate environmental impacts and reduce operational expenses. One possible strategy is incorporation of algae that crustaceans can consume with minimal biological effect into integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) systems. Our objective was to determine whether the marine shrimp Penaeus vannamei feeds on the fresh macroalga Chaetomorpha clavata and whether the partial substitution (50 %) of this alga in its diet influences its physiology. Survival, growth, and a range of physiological processes including ingestion, defecation, metabolism, nitrogen excretion, oxidized energy substrate, hepatosomatic index, and energy budget were assessed in P. vannamei shrimp fed commercial feed (100 %, control) versus shrimp fed a combination of commercial feed and algae (50 % each). Our results showed that P. vannamei fed on C. clavata, and that there were no significant differences in mortality and growth rates (∼11 %) between shrimp fed with the two diets. The ingestion rate was higher in the group fed with macroalgae, however the defecation rate and digestibility were not affected. In both groups, no differences were detected in metabolic rates, growth, nitrogenous excretion, and egestion between shrimp fed the different diets, nor in oxidized energy substrates and the hepatosomatic index. Our results show that substituting 50 % of the feed with C. clavata represents a viable alternative to full commercial feed since it had minimal impact on the physiological functions of P. vannamei. In addition to the economic benefit of reducing the amount of feed used during culture, the use of algae also reduces contamination of effluent water, thereby improving environmental sustainability and water quality.

Temporal variability can promote migration between habitats

Understanding the conditions that promote the evolution of migration is important in ecology and evolution. When environments are fixed and there is one most favorable site, migration to other sites lowers overall growth rate and is not favored. Here we ask, can environmental variability favor migration when there is one best site on average? Previous work suggests that the answer is yes, but a general and precise answer remained elusive. Here we establish new, rigorous inequalities to show (and use simulations to illustrate) how stochastic growth rate can increase with migration when fitness (dis)advantages fluctuate over time across sites. The effect of migration between sites on the overall stochastic growth rate depends on the difference in expected growth rates and the variance of the fluctuating difference in growth rates. When fluctuations (variance) are large, a population can benefit from bursts of higher growth in sites that are worse on average. Such bursts become more probable as the between-site variance increases. Our results apply to many (≥ 2) sites, and reveal an interplay between the length of paths between sites, the average differences in site-specific growth rates, and the size of fluctuations. Our findings have implications for evolutionary biology as they provide conditions for departure from the reduction principle, and for ecological dynamics: even when there are superior sites in a sea of poor habitats, variability and habitat quality across space determine the importance of migration.

Pan-Cancer, Genome-Scale Metabolic Network Analysis of over 10,000 Patients Elucidates Relationship between Metabolism and Survival.

Despite the high variability in cancer biology, cancers nevertheless exhibit cohesive hallmarks across multiple cancer types, notably dysregulated metabolism. Metabolism plays a central role in cancer biology, and shifts in metabolic pathways have been linked to tumor aggressiveness and likelihood of response to therapy. We therefore sought to interrogate metabolism across cancer types and understand how intrinsic modes of metabolism vary within and across indications and how they relate to patient prognosis. We used context specific genome-scale metabolic modeling to simulate metabolism across 10,915 patients from 34 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the MMRF-COMMPASS study. We found that cancer metabolism clustered into modes characterized by differential glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and growth rate. We also found that the simulated activities of metabolic pathways are intrinsically prognostic across cancer types, especially tumor growth rate, fatty acid biosynthesis, folate metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, steroid metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. This work shows the prognostic power of individual patient metabolic modeling across multiple cancer types. Additionally, it shows that analyzing large-scale models of cancer metabolism with survival information provides unique insights into underlying relationships across cancer types and suggests how therapies designed for one cancer type may be repurposed for use in others.

An investigation of association between human milk mineral patterns and infant growth.

Human milk is widely acknowledged as the optimal food for infant aged 0 ~ 6 months. While there has been extensive documentation on the mineral and trace element composition of human milk, results on the relationship between mineral content and infant growth remain mixed. This cross-sectional study aims to explore human milk mineral patterns and to investigate associations between human milk mineral patterns, human milk metabolomic profile and infant growth. A total of 200 breast milk samples from seven cities in China was included. Human milk mineral and trace elements was detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). K-means cluster analysis was utilized to derived human milk mineral patterns. Untargeted human milk metabolomic profiles was determined using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). Differences of infant growth rate and metabolomic profiles were then compared across patterns identified. Three human milk mineral patterns were identified. Cluster I was characterized as the highest levels of potassium, magnesium and calcium, while the lowest levels of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium. Cluster II showed the most abundant sodium, iron, zinc, manganese and selenium. Cluster III had the lowest levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron and calcium. Infants of cluster I showed significantly higher length-for-age z score (0.60 ± 2.03, p = 0.03). Compared with other clusters, samples of cluster I showed lower expression of metabolites of arachidonic acid (ARA) and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism pathway. A human milk mineral pattern was identified which is related to increased infant growth rate and altered metabolic signature. Future work is needed to understand these human milk patterns in terms of biologic mechanisms and generalization to other populations.

Effects of four types of natural bait on water quality, feeding, growth, and antioxidant enzyme activity of Monopterus albus in a recirculating aquaculture system

Monopterus albus is one of China’s renowned and superior aquaculture species, with its seedlings mainly sourced from wild capture. One of the bottlenecks in M. albus aquaculture is the high mortality rate and low feeding initiation rate from stocking wild fry to the initiation of feeding. In production, trash fish is commonly used to wean M. albus juveniles onto feeding. In this study, we introduced three other natural feeds, earthworms (EW), yellow mealworms (YMW), and fly maggots (FM), with frozen trash fish (TF) serving as the control group, to evaluate the effects of these four natural feeds on the survival rate, feeding initiation, antioxidant enzymes activity, and body composition of M. albus juveniles under recirculating water aquaculture conditions. The experiment comprised four treatments, each with three replicates. Each replicate consisted of stocking 150 M. albus juveniles weighing 10.02 ± 0.89 g in size, raised for 5 weeks. The survival rate of the YMW group was 73.33%–85.33%, which was significantly higher than that of the other three bait groups (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The four bait groups showed no significant differences in final body weight and specific growth rate (SGR) (p &amp;gt; 0.05). The EW group showed the highest final body weight, with an average SGR of 2.73, whereas the YMW group had an average SGR of 1.87. The average daily feeding amount was significantly higher in EW and YMW groups than in the other two groups (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The percentage of feeding amount to fish weight in the EW group reached 7.3% in the fifth week. After 5 weeks of cultivation, NO2−-N content was significantly higher in the waters of the TF and EW groups than in the waters of the FM and YMW groups (p &amp;lt; 0.05), there was no significant difference in TAN content among the treatment groups (p &amp;gt; 0.05). Liver malondialdehyde content was significantly higher in the TF group than in the other bait groups (p &amp;lt; 0.05). GSH-Px activity was significantly higher in the EW group than in the FM group and YMW group. No significant differences in SOD and CAT activity and T-AOC were observed among the bait groups (p &amp;gt; 0.05). The increase in crude protein content was significantly higher in the TF group than in the FM group, but the increase in crude ash content was significantly lower in the TFgroup. In conclusion, Tenebrio molitor could potentially serve as one of the alternative feeds during the initial stages of M. albus juveniles stocking.

Population differences in dental cementum growth rates: Implications for using cementum thickness as a method for age estimation.

Age at death estimation is a key element to many research questions in biological anthropology, archeology, and forensic science. Dental cementum is a tissue of choice for the estimation of age at death in adult individuals as it continues deposition for the entirety of an individual's life. Previous works have devised regression formulas correlating cementum thickness to age at death. However, interpopulation variances are unknown, and it is therefore not clear whether regressions based on a single population are applicable to individuals with different ancestries. Here, we use a sample (n = 52) of teeth from individuals with known age at tooth extraction/death of European, African, and East Asian ancestry to assess whether there are interpopulations differences in cementum growth rate. We measured growth rate in four different areas (2nd and 5th decile of both the lingual and buccal aspect of the root) of each tooth and used nonparametric tests to evaluate population differences in growth rate between homologous regions of the teeth. The results of the analyses show that, even after controlling for tooth size, individuals of European ancestry have significantly lower growth rates than those of both African and East Asian ancestry across all four tooth areas. These results call into question the applicability of the regression formulas derived from European ancestry individuals to individuals of other ancestries.

Effects of temperature and resource level on interspecific interactions in two species of Odonata larvae.

Identifying how temperature and food resources affect interactions between species is important for understanding how climate change will shape community structure in the future. Here, we tested how temperature and resource density affect survival and growth in the larval stage of two coexisting odonates: the damselfly Lestes sponsa and the dragonfly Sympetrum vulgatum. We performed a laboratory experiment at two temperatures (21 and 24°C) with two resource densities. We estimated the timing of egg hatching of individual egg clutches and thereafter the larval growth rate-, survival- and size-mediated priority effects under interspecific conditions. Eggs of both species hatched slightly faster at 24°C, and S. vulgatum eggs started hatching approximately 1 day earlier than L. sponsa eggs. However, this earlier hatching did not result in a size-mediated priority effect, that is, a higher predation on the later hatching L. sponsa. Nevertheless, L. sponsa larvae were significantly larger than S. vulgatum at hatching. Growth rate and survival were significantly higher: (1) at 24°C compared with 21°C, (2) at high compared with low-resource density and (3) in L. sponsa compared with S. vulgatum. Several significant interaction effects between resource density and temperature and between temperature and species were found. At high temperature, L. sponsa had a higher growth rate than S. vulgatum, but no difference in growth rate between species was found at low temperature. Additionally, a high-resource density resulted in a higher growth rate in both species, but only under high temperature. There was a negative relationship between growth rate and survival in both species, suggesting that the higher growth rate of larvae was to some degree driven by intraguild predation and/or cannibalism. Our results imply that resource levels interact with temperature to affect interactions between the species.

Epigenetic silencing of LDHB to promote hepatocellular carcinoma by remodeling the tumor microenvironment.

e16220 Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a deadly disease with limited therapeutic options. Low expression of the LDHB has been associated with poor prognosis of HCC patients, but the role and underlying mechanism remains unclear. Methods: The HCC dada from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO were obtained to analyze the LDHB expression and DNA methylation levels. Next, the correlation between LDHB and Hallmark gene sets was analyzed by GO and KEGG. RNA-seq, Western blotting, Immunohistochemistry, and Bisulfite DNA sequencing were performed to explore the relationship between DNA methylation and LDHB expression. CCK8 and colony formation assay were used to evaluate the effect of overexpression of LDHB on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro. Finally, the role of LDHB in HCC tumor immunity was assessed in multiple mouse models in vivo. Results: Here, we found that down-regulation of LDHB was coupled with the promoter hypermethylation and knocking down the DNMT 3A restored LDHB expression levels in HCC cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis of the HCC cohort from The Cancer Genome Atlas revealed a significant positive correlation between LDHB expression and immune regulatory signaling pathways and immune cell infiltrations. Notably, HCC patients with high LDHB expression responded better to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Finally, we demonstrated that there was no difference in the tumor growth rate between the LDHB-expressing tumors and the control tumors in immunodeficient BALB/c nude mice. However, the LDHB-expressing tumors were significantly inhibited in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice, suggesting that the host immune system was involved in the LDHB-medicated tumor suppression. Moreover, as compared with the LDHB+/+ mice, LDHB-/- mice showed promoted tumor growth in an NRAS/shp53 plasmid-induced primary liver tumor model. Conclusions: Overall, our findings indicate that DNMT3A-mediated epigenetic silencing of LDHB may contribute to HCC progression through remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment, and LDHB may become a potential prognostic biomarker and target for HCC immunotherapy.

Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum strains DAL-1 and Philadelphia 1 differ in generation times in vitro as well as during experimental rabbit infection.

In this work, we determined that Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (TPA) DAL-1 (belonging to Nichols-like group of TPA strains) grew 1.53 (± 0.08) times faster compared to TPA Philadelphia 1 (SS14-like group) during in vitro cultivations. In longitudinal individual propagation in rabbit testes (n = 12, each TPA strain), infection with DAL-1 manifested clinical symptoms (induration, swelling, and erythema of testes) sooner than Philadelphia 1 infection, which resulted in a significantly shorter period of the experimental passages for DAL-1 (median = 15.0 and 23.5 days, respectively; p < 0.01). To minimize the confounding conditions during rabbit experiments, the growth characteristics of DAL-1 and Philadelphia 1 strains were determined during TPA co-infection of rabbit testes (n = 20, including controls). During two weeks of intratesticular co-infection, DAL-1 overgrew Philadelphia 1 in all twelve testes, regardless of inoculation ratio and dose (median of relative excess DAL-1 multiplication = 84.85×). Moreover, higher DAL-1 to Philadelphia 1 inoculum ratios appeared to increase differences in growth rates, suggesting direct competition between strains for available nutrients during co-infection. These experiments indicate important physiological differences between the two TPA strains and suggest growth differences between Nichols-like and SS14-like strains that are potentially linked to their virulence and pathogenicity.

Cross-species transmission of a novel bisegmented orfanplasmovirus in the phytopathogenic fungus Exserohilum rostratum

Mycoviruses have been found in various fungal species across different taxonomic groups, while no viruses have been reported yet in the fungus Exserohilum rostratum. In this study, a novel orfanplasmovirus, namely Exserohilum rostratum orfanplasmovirus 1 (ErOrfV1), was identified in the Exserohilum rostratum strain JZ1 from maize leaf. The complete genome of ErOrfV1 consists of two positive single-stranded RNA segments, encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and a hypothetical protein with unknown function, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that ErOrfV1 clusters with other orfanplasmoviruses, forming a distinct phyletic clade. A new family, Orfanplasmoviridae, is proposed to encompass this newly discovered ErOrfV1 and its associated orfanplasmoviruses. ErOrfV1 exhibits effective vertical transmission through conidia, as evidenced by its 100% presence in over 200 single conidium isolates. Moreover, it can be horizontally transmitted to Exserohilum turcicum. Additionally, the infection of ErOrfV1 is cryptic in E. turcicum because there were no significant differences in mycelial growth rate and colony morphology between ErOrfV1-infected and ErOrfV1-free strains. This study represents the inaugural report of a mycovirus in E. rostratum, as well as the first documentation of the biological and transmission characteristics of orfanplasmovirus. These discoveries significantly contribute to our understanding of orfanplasmovirus.

Replacing Fishmeal and Fish Oil with Complex Protein and Canola Oil: Effect on Organoleptic and Nutritional Quality of Triploid Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

A twelve-week feeding experiment was undertaken to explore the impact of substituting dietary fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) with complex protein (CP) and canola oil (CO) in the diet of triploid rainbow trout on the quality of their fillets. The control diet (F100) contained FM (60%) and FO (18.6%) as the main protein and lipid sources. Based on this, 50% and 100% of FM and FO were substituted by CP and CO and they were named as F50 and F0, respectively. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the specific growth rates, condition factors, gutted yields, fillet yields and yellowness values as the substitution levels increased (p > 0.05). The F50 treatment obtained the highest values of fillet springiness and chewiness, improved the umami and bitter taste of the fillets by increasing the contents of inosine-5'-monophosphate and histidine, and increased lipid, protein, C18: 1n-9 and C18: 2n-6 contents (p < 0.05). The F0 treatment obtained the highest values of fillet hardness and pH, attenuated the sweet taste of the fillets by decreasing the content of glycine, and decreased the contents of EPA and DHA (p < 0.05). Both F50 and F0 treatments could increase the redness value, decrease the lightness and hue values of fillets, and increase the odor intensity, resulting in the typical fillet odors of green, fatty, orange and fishy (p < 0.05). In general, 50% and 100% of FM and FO substitution did not affect the growth of trout, but it did affect quality. Compared to the F100 treatment, the fillet quality of the F0 treatment was similar to the F50 treatment and could improve the appearance and odor intensity of the fillets. However, the difference was that the F50 treatment increased the springiness, umami, bitterness and lipid nutritional value of the fillets, but the F0 treatment increased the hardness, decreased the sweetness, and decreased the lipid, EPA and DHA contents of the fillets.

An Ecological Approach to the Study of Aquatic Weeds with Special Reference to &lt;i&gt;Salvinia molesta&lt;/i&gt; Mitchell in Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah

The study includes observations on the habit, habitat, association with other aquatic flora and growth behaviour of Salvinia molesta, a problematic weed in the lakes of Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah. The minerals and other characteristics of its aquatic media in which this species thrives and perennates have been studied to explain the differential rates of growth in its two phases which come in succession in January and June each year.

Early Holocene inundation of Doggerland and its impact on hunter-gatherers: An inundation model and dates-as-data approach

Sea-level rise was a key factor changing environments during the Early Holocene in Northwest Europe. It affected Mesolithic hunter-gatherer communities by inundating large areas in the current North Sea, commonly referred to as Doggerland. In this paper we present novel inundation models for the southern North Sea providing visualisations of lateral inundation driven by sea-level rise and relate it to frequency analysis of radiocarbon dates from archaeological sites. These improve on previous studies that relied on bathymetric data, which includes post-inundation overprints of Holocene sedimentation and erosion, and thus significantly underestimates the timing of inundation in some areas.We constructed a paleoDEM (a composite elevation grid of the top of the Pleistocene) for the eastern part of the southern North Sea; and sea level surfaces that combine relative sea-level curves from glacio-isostatic adjustment models optimised for Britain and southern Scandinavia respectively. We corrected our paleoDEMs for tectonic background basin subsidence, and in the inundation modelling account for pre-compaction elevation of peat in coastal areas. We evaluated the impact of these model components on our results and describe the possible inundation history of Doggerland. We suggest earlier inundation than predicted by previous models, showing significant area loss around 10.5–10 ka cal BP.Palaeogeographic changes are compared with archaeological radiocarbon data using a dates-as-data approach. Composite Kernel Density Estimate and permutation tested Summed Probability Distributions are used as a proxy for the visibility, nature and intensity of human activity. Results indicate key periods of growth and decline recorded in the dataset, as well as regional differences in growth rate, some correlating with inundation phases. Chiefly, we find elevated growth rates around 10.5–10 ka in northwest Germany and the Netherlands, contemporaneous with the abovementioned phase of extensive area loss, and moreover, with changes in culture and practices on Early Mesolithic sites.However, the spatiotemporal distribution of archaeological data is significantly influenced by accessibility and preservation of sediments of a certain age. We discuss the importance of inundation modelling and sediment data in understanding how landscape taphonomy affects archaeological patterning, especially in dates-as-data approaches.

GH provocative tests stimulate the growth in children with idiopathic short stature

ContextGrowth hormone (GH) deficiency in a child with short stature is diagnosed by GH secretion provocative tests. When the test response is considered adequate, the short stature is considered idiopathic (ISS).ObjectiveTo determine the effect of GH provocative tests on the growth rate in children with idiopathic short stature.DesignChildren with short stature with a normal response to at least one GH provocative test were enrolled. Height and growth velocity were measured prior to and after stimulus tests during the follow-up.MethodsHeight, mid-parental height, body weight, and body mass index were measured. The height and growth rate were converted to percentiles and Standard Deviation Scores (SDS) using reference ranges standardized by age and sex. GH provocative tests employed arginine or clonidine as secretagogues.ResultsFourty-six children of both genders were enrolled. In thirty-six children, height was measured at the time of testing and on an average time prior to and after the tests of 210 days and 180 days respectively. After testing the children displayed a 3.4-fold increase in their estimated 90-day growth rate. The median (inter-quartile range, IQR) 90 days growth of children pre-and post-tests were 0.7 (0.2–1.0) cm and 2.4 (1.7–3.1) cm respectively with a mean 3,4-fold increase (p < 0.0001). The median (IQR) 90 days growth of children pre- and post-tests calculated as standard deviation scores (SDS) were −4.0 (−5.4–−2.1) SDS and 0.1 (−1.9–1.4) SDS respectively (p < 0.0001). Ten children with ISS were observed for about 5 months before the GH provocative tests. A small increase in the growth rate was seen only in 2 out of 10 children before testing while it increased in all of them after the tests. The difference in the median growth rate at the first and the second observation was not significant (p = 0.219).ConclusionsTwo sequential somatotropic axis provocative tests increase the growth rate in children with idiopathic short stature. The duration of this effect is yet to be determined.

Cytokinin and MAX2 signaling pathways act antagonistically in drought adaptation of Arabidopsis thaliana

Understanding the mechanisms, especially those associated with phytohormones, of plant drought adaptation is crucial for sustaining agricultural production in the era of climate change. Arabidopsis histidine kinases (AHKs), an integral part of the cytokinin signaling pathway, and more axillary growth 2 (MAX2), a key component of the strigolactone and karrikin signaling pathways are reported to act as negative and positive regulators, respectively, in plant adaption to drought. However, the potential interaction between these singaling pathways in plant drought adaptation is not fully understood. To address this query, we assessed drought tolerance levels and associated phenotypic and physiological traits of the max2 single mutant, ahk2 ahk3 double mutant, ahk2 ahk3 max2 triple mutant, and wild-type (WT) Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Our findings revealed a distinct hierarchy in drought tolerance among these genotypes, as indicated by the differences in plant growth and stress survival rates. Specifically, the max2 mutant displayed the lowest drought tolerance level, followed by WT, ahk2 ahk3 max2, and ahk2 ahk3 plants. Additionally, the observed changes in leaf relative water content, leaf surface temperature, and cuticle formation were coherently aligned with the observed hierarchy of drought tolerance levels. Under drought conditions, the max2 mutant exhibited higher oxidative stress and membrane damage, as evidenced by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde, and electrolyte leakage. In contrast, the ahk2 ahk3 and ahk2 ahk3 max2 mutants showed low and intermediate levels, respectively, for these parameters. The max2 mutant displayed reduced sensitivity, whereas ahk2 ahk3 and ahk2 ahk3 max2 mutants demonstrated high and intermediate sensitivities, respectively, to exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. Additionally, the expression analysis of several genes associated with the investigated drought tolerance-related traits showed a positive correlation between the transcript levels and corresponding trait(s) in both mutant and WT plants under drought conditions. Our results collectively indicate the presence of an antagonistic interaction between AHK and MAX2 signaling pathways in plant drought adaptation, impacting ABA responsiveness, leaf water retention, cuticle development, and ROS homestasis. The findings of this study provide a valuable foundation for developing agricultural methods to improve plant drought resilience.

Economic resilience and the dynamics of capital stock

Abstract The role of capital in measuring resilience is investigated. Focusing on the current short-run and potential long-run growth paths of the economic system, we propose new indexes to separately measure adaptability and resistance to shocks, which are the essence of a system’s resilience. Capital dynamics during the transition and along the balanced growth path are used here instead of employment to represent the evolution of the size and composition of the economy. Our indexes measure adaptability and resistance by comparing the two capital growth rates. They are built by mimicking the average and variance of the difference in growth rates. In this new setting, investment and depreciation flows play an important role in explaining what the partial index of adaptability reveals. The available data on the USA and Spanish capital allow us to empirically compute the indexes and draw conclusions about their ability to resist shocks and absorb their effects. We conclude that the US economy is more adaptable and has a greater capacity to absorb impacts than the Spanish economy, but it is less resistant to disturbances.

IMPACT OF FED RATE ON US DOLLAR - INDIAN RUPEE EXCHANGE RATE

Through this study, we attempt to understand the dynamics of Indian Rupee fluctuations against US Dollar that have been caused by the fluctuations in the Fed Rate. We tried to understand how the Fed Rate influence the Indian rupee - US Dollar exchange rate movements. After research work done via secondary method, we have observed that factors like differential interest rate, differential inflation rate, differential money supply in both the markets, differential output growth rate of both the countries, among others, are important factors which impact the fluctuation in the fed rate that accounts for approximately 91% variance of the Dollar-Rupee exchange rates and explain the exchange rate dynamics to a large extent. A few factors that were earlier considered to be important are not as significant as expected.

Patient Selection for Active Surveillance for Small Renal Masses: A Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND: The role of active surveillance (AS) has been recognized as a management strategy for localized small renal masses (SRMs). The EAU guidelines suggest AS can be offered to frail and/or comorbid patients diagnosed with SRM due to the low cancer-specific-mortality (CSM) and higher competing-cause mortality. As specific cut-offs defining the characteristics of frail and comorbid patients who may benefit from AS remain less clear, our objective is to conduct a systematic review aiming to identify potential characteristics that could assist physicians in shared decision-making. METHODS: The systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Two authors independently screened the literature according to the PICOs criteria previously outlined in our registered review protocol (via Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias, using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Studies that analyzed differences in patient’s tumor-related and molecular characteristics associated with any differences in growth rate (GR), overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and metastasis-free survival (MFS), were considered eligible. RESULTS: Nineteen studies comprising a total of 5105 patients were analyzed. Patient-specific factors such as age and cardiovascular index, which demonstrated a predominant impact on OS, exhibited a high degree of consistency across the analyzed studies. Less concordance was found when exploring GR, with the main predictors being ethnicity, age, sex, comorbidity, symptoms, and eGFR. The analysis of tumor-related characteristics, such as tumor size, nephrometry score, and mass histology, among others, yielded contradictory outcomes concerning their impact on GR and CSS. CONCLUSION: Age, cardiovascular index, and chronic kidney disease have shown to be reliable predictors of OS. Nonetheless, significant debates persist regarding tumor characteristics or molecular markers that may influence survival and GR. Further research is awaited to shed light on the potential to identify prognostic factors. This would aid in pinpointing the subgroup of patients who could experience additional benefits from AS, potentially leading to a reduced risk of progression. It is imperative to standardize approaches to AS and reporting of results, as this will be pivotal for future quantitative analyses.