Growth Criteria Research Articles

Effect of body mass index on the prognosis of children and adolescents with high-grade mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Little progress has been made in determining the prognostic factors for children and adolescents with high-grade mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (HG B-NHL). Based on the important role of body mass index (BMI) in cancer, this study explored the effect of BMI on the prognosis of patients with HG B-NHL. Patients aged <18 years with newly diagnosed HG B-NHL were enrolled. Patients were divided into normal, overweight, obese, and emaciated BMI groups according to the growth criteria for children and adolescents. In total, 435 patients were enrolled in this study. There were 329 (75.6%), 46 (10.6%), 13 (3.0%), and 47 (10.8%) patients stratified into the normal, overweight, obese, and emaciated BMI groups, respectively. The event-free survival and overall survival rates of the entire cohort were 89.3% and 92.4%, respectively. The 5-year event-free survival rate for the patients with obese BMI was worse than those with overweight BMI (76.2% vs. 95.6%, p=.04). The 5-year overall survival rate for the patients with emaciated BMI was worse than those with normal (84.5% vs. 93.1%, p=.04) or overweight BMI (84.5% vs. 97.7%, p=.03). Cox multivariate analysis showed that obese or emaciated BMI at diagnosis was associated with an increased risk of death (p=0.04; HR,2.26) and was identified as an independent adverse prognostic factor in pediatric HG B-NHL. Obese or emaciated BMI at diagnosis is associated with poor prognosis in pediatric HG B-NHL and can be used for risk stratification.

Correlation of bone age development with overweight and obesity in 23,305 children from Beijing.

The aim of this study was to observe the influence of differential nutritional status on bone age (BA) change according to body mass index (BMI) and analyze the risk of advanced bone age in children with overweight and obesity. In total 23,305 children from Beijing were included in this cross-sectional study. Childhood overweight and obesity were defined according to the China and World Health Organization growth criteria. The data were analyzed by the R coding platform version 4.3.0. Under the Chinese criteria, 29%, 15%, and 4% of boys with overweight; 33%, 33%, and 3% of boys with obesity; 39%, 25%, and 2% of girls with overweight; and 37%, 42% and 1% of girls with obesity had advanced, significantly advanced and delayed BA, respectively. After adjustment, overweight (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, P under the Chinese criteria: 2.52, 2.30-2.75, <0.001 and 4.54, 4.06-5.09, <0.001) and obesity (4.31, 3.85-4.82, <0.001 and 14.01, 12.39-15.85, <0.001) were risk factors for both advanced BA and significantly advanced BA. Different nutritional statuses lead to differences in children's BA development. Children with overweight and obesity have higher rates of advanced BA under two growth criteria, and girls have more advances in BA than boys do. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for advanced BA.

The Importance of Green Investments in Developed Economies—MCDM Models for Achieving Adequate Green Investments

Green investments help to create less harmful alternatives and adequate funds that contribute to economic growth, sustainable development, and social well-being. The paper aims to evaluate decision making on the choice of green investments based on multi-criteria decision making (MCDM). The applied methods are empirical and analytical based on the study of the literature, multi-criteria modeling, the determination of weights, and the ranking of criteria in deciding the green investment mapping of indicators, and mapping the indicators. The research used groups of indicators that reflect the main characteristics of green growth from the OECD database. The idea is to decide on the best green investment based on green growth criteria, which consist of grouped indicators according to the areas of the green economy rather than according to their values. The results of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP method) showed that half of the investments in the green economy come from public sources (0.51) and the other half are private (0.25) and institutional investors (0.24), while the Best/Worst Method (BWM) revealed that the best criterion for the decision to invest in the green economy is the environmental and resource productivity of the economy, and the worst is the base of natural assets. This paper aims to enable decision-makers to use these results as weights for the overall assessment of green investments in ESG and to simplify the decision-making approach in future analyses.

Growth in healthy infants with cow's milk protein allergy fed extensively hydrolyzed or amino acid-based formulas

BackgroundCow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) is one of the most common food allergies in the first year of life. Special formulas for infants with CMPA include extensively hydrolyzed (EHFs) and amino acid-based (AAFs) formulas. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth of infants fed with these special formulas.MethodsThis was a prospective chart review study that evaluated the growth criteria of infants with CMPA fed with EHFs or AAFs until one year of age. These infants were referred to the gastroenterology clinic of Bahrami Children's Hospital from April 2021 to April 2022. These infants were divided into two groups, the group fed with EHFs and AAFs. Then growth criteria were evaluated in both groups.ResultsFifty-eight children were enrolled in the study, of which 51.7% were girls. Forty were consuming the EHFs formulas. The median time of both diagnosis and treatment was 60 days. The most common clinical manifestations were gastroesophageal reflux, dysentery, eczema, vomiting, and cough, respectively. The diagnosis of the disease in the AAFs group was significantly earlier than in the other group. The growth of children in both groups was completely proportional to their age and growth criteria at birth. Comparing the groups, all growth parameters were higher in the EHFs group.ConclusionThis study showed that the growth criteria (weight, length, and head circumference) were suitable for each group and were in accordance with the WHO growth charts compared to the birth criteria. But in the group fed with EHFs, compared to AAFs, the growth rate was higher.

3D engineered scaffold for large-scale Vigil immunotherapy production

Previously, we reported successful cellular expansion of a murine colorectal carcinoma cell line (CT-26) using a three-dimensional (3D) engineered extracellular matrix (EECM) fibrillar scaffold structure. CCL-247 were grown over a limited time period of 8 days on 3D EECM or tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS). Cells were then assayed for growth, electroporation efficiency and Vigil manufacturing release criteria. Using EECM scaffolds, we report an expansion of CCL-247 (HCT116), a colorectal carcinoma cell line, from a starting concentration of 2.45 × 105 cells to 1.9 × 106 cells per scaffold. Following expansion, 3D EECM-derived cells were assessed based on clinical release criteria of the Vigil manufacturing process utilized for Phase IIb trial operation with the FDA. 3D EECM-derived cells passed all Vigil manufacturing release criteria including cytokine expression. Here, we demonstrate successful Vigil product manufacture achieving the specifications necessary for the clinical trial product release of Vigil treatment. Our results confirm that 3D EECM can be utilized for the expansion of human cancer cell CCL-247, justifying further clinical development involving human tissue sample manufacturing including core needle biopsy and minimal ascites samples.

Phenotypic Characterization and Yield Screening of Quinoa Germplasms in Diverse Low-Altitude Regions: A Preliminary Study

In this study, 300 quinoa accessions were systematically screened for adaptation to low-altitude areas using seventeen traits. The experiment was conducted in Taigu District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province, in 2021, at an altitude of 791 m. Out of the 300 genotypes, 107 were able to produce flowers and fruit, with yields ranging from 538 to 5132 kg ha−1 and with 1000-grain weights between 1.19 g and 2.37 g. These 107 quinoa genotypes were categorized into four groups based on grain yield: below 1500, 1500–2250, 2250–3000, and above 3000 kg ha−1. These groups consisted of 33, 33, 24, and 17 genotypes, respectively. This study found that the 1000-grain weight ranged from 1.19 g to 2.37 g, with an average of 1.72 g, 1.72 g, 1.83 g, and 1.92 g for the respective yield levels. Among the 107 genotypes, 25 had a 1000-grain weight exceeding 2 g, and 13 of these genotypes also had yields exceeding 2250 kg ha−1. The growth period of quinoa genotypes in the low-altitude area was approximately 138–142 days, with longer growth periods associated with higher yield levels. JQ-00084 is the only genotype with a yield &gt; 3000 kg ha−1 and meets all the growth criteria, including a 1000-grain weight exceeding 2 g and a flowering-to-maturity period of over 80 days. Meanwhile, JQ-00315, JQ-00521, JQ-1029, and JQ-02405 fulfilled at least four criteria. These results highlight the importance of germplasm screening for low altitudes, and a large set of germplasms could be screened using the above criteria of phenology, growth, and yield traits.

Regge constraints on local four-point scattering amplitudes of massive particles with spin

In this work, we classify all the possible local four-point couplings relevant for tree-level flat space 2 → 2 scattering of external massive particles of spin one and spin two which do not grow faster than s2 at large s and fixed t. This kinematic constraint on local growth of tree-level S-matrices is known as Classical Regge Growth criteria or CRG [1]. We first construct the spin one and spin two tree-level contact S-matrices as modules of polarisation tensors and momenta over the ring of polynomials generated by Mandelstam invariants. We then consider a general scattering process where the external scattering particles are of different masses but of same spin and constrain this space to obtain a finite number of CRG allowed local Lagrangians. Our concrete results are primarily for D ≥ 8 but the process outlined is easily generalised to lower dimensions to include low dimensional parity violating structures. The space of CRG allowed structures reduces when we specialise to identical scattering and restrict to parity even couplings in D = 4. We show that tree-level scattering amplitudes involving exchange diagrams and contact terms in de Rham-Gabadadze-Tolley massive gravity (dRGT) violate CRG unless the parameters of the theory take special values. The CRG allowed S-matrices, in the context of large N conformal field theories (CFTs), can also be interpreted as bulk AdS counterterms consistent with Chaos bound. Our classified structures therefore can be thought of as ambiguities arising in the context of conformal field theory inversion formula for four point functions of unconserved spin one and spin two operators in large N CFTs.

NPK NUTRIENT STATUS IN SOIL AND LEAVES OF PIPER NIGRUM L. UNDER DIFFERENT GROWTH CRITERIA

The pepper plant (Piper nigrum L.) is Indonesia's leading spice commodity. Bangka Belitung as a producing center still has problems in cultivation, including nutrient availability. Nutrients N, P and K are macro elements that really determine the growth of plants, including pepper. This research aims to identify the status of macro nutrients, namely N, P and K in pepper plants in Simpang Katis Village, Central Bangka Regency, through observing growth status, leaf visuals, nutrient analysis and plant tissue analysis. This research was carried out in Simpang Katis Village, Central Bangka Regency in July-September 2023. The experimental method used in this research was observation and laboratory analysis methods. The results of the observation data show that NPK nutrients in land with very good growth criteria have N-total of 0.22%, P2O5 available is; 383.2 mg/kg and available K2O of; 6.4 mg/kg. Plant growth with poor growth criteria has a total N content of 0.20%, P2O5 of 115.1 mg/kg and K20 of 7.1 mg/kg. kg. while plant tissue has an N-Total content of 2.41%, P-Total of 0.26 percent and K-total of 2.47 percent for plants with very good growth criteria and N-total, P-total and K-total respectively - respectively .2.79, 0.32 and 3.95 mg/kg for plant tissue with poor growth criteria.

Cereal type and conditioning temperature altered protein and carbohydrate molecular structure, nutrient retention and performance in broilers fed pellet diets during starter and grower period

ABSTRACT 1. Effects of cereal type and conditioning temperature (CT) on protein and carbohydrate (CHO) molecular structures, nutrient retention, carcass and blood characteristics, caecal microbial population and growth criteria of broilers fed pellet diet were evaluated for a total period of 35 d. 2. In total, 336-day-old Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly allotted into a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two different cereal types (maize or wheat) processed in two different temperatures (CT; 68°C or 90°C) with seven pen replicates containing 12 birds each. 3. Chicks fed the maize-based diets significantly gained higher body weight (BW) and lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) in comparison to the chicks fed wheat-based diets during the whole grow-out period (p < 0.01). Overall, the highest BW and feed intake (FI) were seen in birds fed wheat-based diets conditioned at 68°C, but the lowest FCR was observed in maize-based diet conditioned at 90°C at 7, 14 and 21 d of age (p < 0.01). However, BW was higher and FCR lower in chicks fed maize-based diets conditioned at 90°C in the grower period (28 and 35 d; p < 0.01). 4. The α-helix height was higher in wheat-based starter diets in comparison to the maize-based diet (p < 0.01). Ratio of amide I to II area and total CHO peak height were increased when diets were processed at 90°C in both maize and wheat-based starter diet (p < 0.05). Increasing the CT from 68°C to 90°C reduced CHO peak 1 and 2 height by 11.6% and 3.95%, respectively, in maize-based starter diets, while increasing the CT from 68°C to 90°C reduced CHO peak 1 and 2 height by 54.3% and 57.2%, respectively, in wheat-based starter diets. In the grower diets, increasing the CT from 68°C to 90°C increased CHO peak 1 by 23% in maize-based diets, but reduced CHO peak 1 by 24.5% in wheat-based diets. 5. Calcium and phosphorous retention were highest in chicks fed wheat-based diets conditioned at 90°C and lowest in chicks fed maize-based diets conditioned at 90°C (p < 0.01). Salmonella, E. coli and coliforms in the caeca reduced significantly (p < 0.05) in chicks fed wheat-based diets conditioned at 90°C on d 11 and increased with the same diet at 35 d of age compared to the chicks fed maize-based diets conditioned at both 68°C and 90°C or wheat-based diets conditioned at 68°C. 6. Conditioning the wheat-based diets at 68°C improved production responses without causing any adverse effects on protein and CHO molecular structures, however increasing the conditioning temperature to 90°C impaired performance due to alteration of protein and CHO molecular structures. In contrast, conditioning of the maize-based diets at 90°C had the opposite effect, and improved production performance compared to diets conditioned at 68°C.

Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria Alleviate Salt and Cadmium Stress in Halophyte Tripolium pannonicum (Jacq.) Dobrocz.

The aim of this study was to investigate how introducing halophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) Halothiobacillus halophilus to the growth substrate affects the physiological and biochemical responses of the halophyte Tripolium pannonicum (also known as sea aster or seashore aster) under salt and cadmium stress conditions. This study assessed the plant's response to these stressors and bacterial inoculation by analyzing various factors including the accumulation of elements such as sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), cadmium (Cd) and sulfur (S); growth parameters; levels of photosynthetic pigments, proline and phenolic compounds; the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA); and the plant's potential to scavenge 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The results revealed that bacterial inoculation was effective in mitigating the deleterious effect of cadmium stress on some growth criteria. For instance, stem length was 2-hold higher, the growth tolerance index was 3-fold higher and there was a 20% increase in the content of photosynthetic pigments compared to non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, the SOB contributed to enhancing cadmium tolerance in Tripolium pannonicum by increasing the availability of sulfur in the plant's leaves, which led to the maintenance of an appropriate, about 2-fold-higher level of phenolic compounds (phenylpropanoids and flavonols), as well as chloride ions. The level of MDA decreased after bacterial application in all experimental variants except when both salt and cadmium stress were present. These findings provide novel insights into how halophytes respond to abiotic stress following inoculation of the growth medium with sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The data suggest that inoculating the substrate with SOB has a beneficial effect on T. pannonicum's tolerance to cadmium stress.

Enhancement of in vitro production of tropane alkaloids and phenolic compounds in Hyoscyamus niger by culture types and elicitor treatments

This study aimed to determine the effects of 24-epibrasinolide (EBL) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) treatments on growth parameters and secondary metabolite synthesis in adventitious root and cell suspension cultures of Hyoscyamus niger. Therefore, different concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 mg L−1) of EBL alone and combined with 224.3 mg L−1 (1 mM) MJ were applied to root and cell suspension cultures. 2 mg L−1 and 1 mg L−1 EBL were determined as the treatments in which the highest values were obtained in terms of growth criteria in root and cell cultures, respectively. In root cultures, the highest scopolamine accumulation (2.57 mg g−1) was obtained from the combination of 2 mg L−1 EBL and MJ, while the highest value (0.66 mg g−1) for hyoscyamine was observed in the roots treated with 1 mg L−1 EBL and MJ. In cell cultures, 2 mg L−1 EBL for scopolamine and 0.5 mg L−1 EBL for hyoscyamine were found to be the best applications and calculated as 0.51 µg g−1 and 0.28 µg g−1, respectively. EBL and MJ treatments also stimulated total phenolic content (TPC). The highest TPC in root cultures was detected as 18.01 mg g−1 with the combination of MJ while in cell cultures, maximum TPC was observed in cells applied with 2 mg L−1 EBL and MJ as 11.56 mg g−1. When EBL and MJ were applied to root and cell suspension cultures, significant changes occurred in the amount of phenolic compounds. Co-application of EBL and MJ significantly increased the amount of gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, cinnamic acid and chlorogenic acid in root cultures. The application of 2 mg L−1 EBL was determined as the most suitable application for gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, p-coumaric acid, and caffeic acid in cell cultures. It was also found that the metabolite production performance of adventitious roots was higher than that of cells. In conclusion, it was suggested that the use of MJ and EBL may be a promising strategy to enhance the accumulation of scopolamine, hyoscyamine and phenolics in root and cell cultures of H. niger.

Effect of polyamine precursors and antioxidants on growth and metabolism of salt-stressed barley

Background Salt stress, a significant environmental problem was studied in barley cultivars Giza 124 and Giza 119 at various stages (seedling, pre-flowering, and yield). This study aimed to investigate the impact of salt stress on these cultivars, examine the effects of polyamine precursors (arginine, methionine, and ornithine) on their response to salt stress, and assess the efficacy of antioxidants (glutathione and ascorbic acid) in alleviating the harmful effects of salt stress on barley plants. Methods Barley grains were germinated and subjected to salinity stress, with subsequent treatment using glutathione, ascorbic acid, or an amino acid mixture. Growth criteria, photosynthetic pigments, metabolites, antioxidant enzymes, mineral content, and polyamines were analyzed. Results The impact of 100Mm NaCl, with or without glutathione, ascorbic acid, or amino acid mixtures, on various physiological parameters in G124 and G119 were investigated. The levels of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids significantly varied under different treatments. For instance, chlorophyll a in G 124 exhibited a 23% reduction under salt stress compared to the control, while the addition of glutathione mitigated this effect, resulting in a 17% increase compared to the NaCl treatment. Similar trends were observed for chlorophyll b and carotenoids. At the yield stage, both cultivars demonstrated a significant decrease in the the weight of grains per plant under salinity, which was alleviated by the addition of ascorbic acid, glutathione, or amino acid mixtures. Conclusion The application of glutathione, ascorbic acid, or an amino acid mixture mitigated the adverse effects of salt stress on various parameters. The results highlight the potentail of these compounds in enhancing plant tolerance to salinity stress and offer insights into the physiological response of barley cultivars under adverse conditions.

Categorical listing criteria, co-investment system and growth manipulation: empirical evidence based on the implementation of the registration system of STAR market

ABSTRACT China’s STAR Market, with its registration-based IPO system, blends market-oriented features with growth criteria, making it an ideal research setting to analyze IPO companies’ growth manipulation and its economic impacts. Using data from 2019 to 2021, our study employs non-parametric methods to reveal significant growth manipulation among STAR Market companies during IPOs. We observe that manipulation intensifies across categorical listing criteria I to V, particularly among higher-valued companies. However, the coinvestment system helps curb manipulation in Pre-IPOs. Notably, lower profitability and industry status amplify the effects of listing criteria and valuation on manipulation. Economic tests confirm that Pre-IPO manipulation hastens listings but results in higher IPO underpricing. Our findings shed light on the repercussions of the registration-based IPO system, vital for refining the STAR Market and extending similar reforms to other segments.

Effect of protein ratio on growth and survival of cultivated common carp larvae

The current experiment was conducted in the Fish Laboratory belonging to Aquaculture Unit, Agriculture College, Basrah University. At the beginning of feeding experiment average larvae weight was 0.031 g. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) larvae brought from Fish Hatchery of Marine Science Center. The experiment used to detect the protein ratio effects on growth and survival of common carp larvae. Three fish feed with protein ratio (T1 35, T2 40, T3 45)% and only fish meal of 55% protein (T4) were used to feeding 25 larvae in each aquarium to satiation six days a week. Twelve aquaria with dimensions of 60×40×30 cm were used for current experiment. Feeding experiment lasted for 54 days from 10th may to 3th July 2022. Results of current experiments revealed that the highest growth criteria were achieved by larvae fed on diet with protein ratio of 40% followed by larvae fed on diet with 45% protein ratio, while lowest growth criteria achieved by larvae fed on fish meal only. Highest survival rate (96.0%) was achieved by larvae fed on diet with 45% protein ratio and lowest survival rate (78.7%) was achieved by larvae fed on diet with 40% protein ratio. There were significant differences P≤0.05 between T2 with T3 and T4 in the survival rate, while there were no significant differences P≥0.05 between T1, T3 and T4.

The Effect of Different Ratios of Internal Organs, Dried Artemia and Frozen Artemia on the Growth Rates of Common Carp Fish

A total of 140 fish with an average weight of 35±2 grams were used and reared for a period of 70 days. The fish were randomly distributed into seven treatments, which included the addition of dried Artemia to the second, third, and fourth treatments at a ratio of 50% of fishmeal. The internal organs powder of the fish was added to the third and fourth treatments at a ratio of 25% and 50% of fishmeal respectively. Frozen Artemia was added to the fifth, sixth, and seventh treatments at a ratio of 50% of fishmeal, and the internal organs powder of the fish was added to the sixth and seventh treatments at a ratio of 25% and 50% of fishmeal respectively. The results showed that the arithmetic mean of the sixth treatment was superior to all other treatments, reaching 82.80 grams/fish. This treatment included the addition of 50% frozen Artemia, 25% fish powder, and 25% internal organs powder. Furthermore, the results showed that the lowest weight gain rate for the fish was in the fourth treatment (51.40 grams/fish), which included the addition of 50% dried Artemia and 50% internal organs powder to the common carp fish feed. In conclusion, the addition of frozen Artemia at a ratio of 50% of fishmeal, enhanced with 25% internal organs powder, was found to be the best among the treatments in terms of growth criteria.

Study of some Growth Parameters of Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella V. Cultured in Floating Cages

This study included different densities to obtain a better culture density, three densities were used (16-20-25 fish/m3), 500 fish in the first treatment, 650 fish in the second treatment, 800 fish in the third treatment, and average weights ranged between 100-200 gm. Saudi origin diet was used. The experiment was conducted in Thi Qar Governorate, city of Nasiriyah on one of the private farms on the Euphrates River, in which grass carp was farmed. Fish samples were collected monthly from 8/11/2022 to 8/4/2023. Air and water temperatures were also measured during sampling. The air temperature varied between 11-29 C, the water temperature ranged between 9-25 C. The results showed the highest weight gain (17.333, 12.000 and 29.331) during April for all treatments. The results showed that there were significant differences (P≤0.05). In January, there was no significant difference for all treatments, as for the rest of the months, a significant difference (P≤0.05) between the three treatments and the studied densities. The highest qualitative growth rate was recorded in T1 (10.170 gm/fish), T2 (8.193 gm/fish), and T3 (9.186 gm/fish), there were no significant differences in December and March for the three treatments, at the rest of the months, there were significant differences between the three studied treatments at the level (P≤0.05, P≤0.01). The relative growth rate recorded the highest concentrations (22.940, 10.460 and 16.820 gm/fish), T1 during the months of January, February, March and April outperformed the rest of the transactions, At December, T2 outperformed compare others. The results showed that there were significant differences in the three treatments (P≤0.05) during April, as for the rest of the months and for all treatments. The highest feed conversion rate was recorded in T3 at February (25,000 feed/gm), T1 at January (17,000 feed/gm) and T2 at February (8,093 feed/gm). There was no significant difference for the three treatments in December, February and March, but in January and April significant differences were recorded at the level (P≤0.05, P≤0.01). The highest feed conversion efficiency rate (97.733, 39.996 and 57.773%) was recorded in March for the three treatments. There were no significant differences in December and for all treatments, as for the rest of the months and for all treatments, there were significant differences (P≤0.05). The results of the current study showed the superiority of the first treatment in most of the growth criteria over the rest of the treatments. The chemical analysis of fish muscles showed that, at the beginning of the experiment and at the end of the experiment, there were slight changes in the elements of the chemical analysis at the end of the experiment compared to the beginning of the experiment.

288 Effect of Increasing Mn from Mn Hydroxychloride on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Grow-Finish Pigs

Abstract A total of 2,025 grow-finish pigs (337 × 1050, PIC; initially 39.9 ± 0.55 kg) were used in a 95-day trial to determine the impact on growth and carcass performance by increasing Mn from Mn hydroxychloride compared with a control diet containing MnSO4. Pigs were housed in mixed gender pens with 27 pigs per pen and 15 pens per treatment. The treatments were structured as a completely randomized design and consisted of a control diet containing 30 mg/kg of Mn from MnSO4 (Eurochem, Veracruz, Mexico) or 15, 30, 45 or 65 mg/kg of Mn from Mn hydroxychloride (IBM; IntelliBond M, Micronutrients USA, LLC, Indianapolis, IN). Experimental diets were corn-soybean meal-DDGS-based and were formulated with a premix without Mn and containing 150 mg/kg of Cu from IntelliBond C (Micronutrients, Indianapolis, IN) and 100 mg/kg of Zn from IntelliBond Z (Micronutrients, Indianapolis, IN). Diets were fed in 4 phases from 39.9 to 49.9, 49.9 to 74.8, 74.8 to 99.8, and 99.8 to 133.3 kg. In the grower period (d 0 to 43), G:F was improved (quadratic, P = 0.035) when IBM level increased up to 45 mg/kg but then worsened thereafter (Table). Overall (d 0 to d 95), there was no evidence of difference (P &amp;gt; 0.05) for any growth or carcass response criteria when comparing the Mn sources at 30 mg/kg of Mn or when increasing the level of IBM in diets. In conclusion, no differences were observed in this trial with the exception of an improvement in G:F observed in the grower phase as Mn from IBM increased up to 45 mg/kg.

Impact of foliar spray with Se, nano-Se and sodium sulfate on growth, yield and metabolic activities of red kidney bean

Sulfur (S) is an essential microelement for plants. Based on the chemical similarity between Se and S, selenium may affects sulphur uptake by plants. This work aimed at investigating the effect of foliar spray with sodium selenate, gum arabic coated selenium nanoparticles (GA-SeNPs ≈ 48.22 nm) and sodium sulfate on red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants. Each treatment was used at 0.0, 1, 5, 10 and 50 µM, alone or combination of sodium sulfate with either Se or nano-Se, each at 0.5, 2.5 and 5 µM concentrations. The effect of foliar spray on vegetative growth, seed quality, and some metabolic constituents of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants were investigated. Selenium nanoparticles have been synthesized through the green route using gum arabic (as a stabilizing and coating agent. Foliar application of different concentrations of Se, nano-Se, Na2SO4 up to 10 μM and their interaction were effective in increasing the growth criteria (i.e. shoot and root lengths, plant fresh and dry weights, number of leaves and photosynthetic area (cm2 plant−1).There was also a significant increase in photosynthetic pigment contents, yield (i.e., 100-seed weight), total carbohydrate, crude proteins and mineral contents in both leaf as compared to their untreated control plants. Furthermore, interaction between sodium sulfate with nano-Se or Se, each at 5 µM significantly increased the vegetative growth, 100-seed weight, and pigment contents in leaves and improved the nutritional value and quality of red kidney bean seeds.

The Exogenous Application of 24-Epibrassinolide (24-EBL) Increases the Cd and Pb Resilience in Zea mays (L.) by Regulating the Growth and Physiological Mechanism.

Heavy metals (HMs) at a concentration above the thresholdlevel act as environmental pollutants and very often threaten theagricultural productivity globally. Finding affordable and environmentally sustainable deliverables to address this issue is therefore a top focus. Phytohormones alleviate the HMs-induced toxicity and positively influence the plant growth. Considering the importance of phytohormones, the present study aimed to assess the effect of 24-epibrassinolide (24-EBL; 10 µM) as seed soaking treatment on growth performance of Zea mays (L.) contaminated separately with increasing concentrations (50-400 mg.kg-1) of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). With increasing metal concentrations, growth and plant biometric criteria were reduced. For instance, Cd at 400 mg.kg-1 soil reduced the germination efficiency (56%), root (77%) and shoot (69%) dry weight, total chlorophyll (64%), and carotenoid content (45%). Contrarily, both HMs caused increase in stress biomarkers and antioxidant enzymes in seedling. However, exogenous administration of 24-EBL significantly enhanced the growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments, proline, MDA, and antioxidant enzyme activity while reducing the harmful effects of HMs stress on Z. mays. For instance, 24-EBL (10 µM) improved the germination percentage, root biomass, chl a, chl b, total chlorophyll, and carotenoid content by 16, 21, 17, 34, 18, and 15%, respectively, in 50 mg.Pb.kg-1 soil-treated Z. mays plants. Furthermore, the amounts of proline, MDA, and antioxidant enzymes in foliage of Z. mays were interestingly and dramatically lowered by 24-EBL application. Uptake of metals in plant organs was significantly reduced when 24-EBL was applied to Pb- and Cd-treated Z. mays. The recent findings help us better understand how 24-EBL regulates growth and development of Z. mays as well as how it boosts HMs' resilience, which could increase the possibility of employing 24-EBL to increase Z. mays productivity. Thus, the present findings confirmed the potentiality of pre-soaking the seed in 24-EBL solution that neutralizes the toxic effects of heavy metals in Z. mays plants. Therefore, it is suggested that applying phytohormones including 24-EBL in removal of heavy metal stress in plants is the best possible solution in sustainable agriculture.

Stabilization of highly nonlinear hybrid neutral stochastic differential equations with multiple time-varying delays and different structures

In this paper, the stabilization of a class of hybrid differently structured neutral stochastic differential equations with multiple time-varying delays is taken into consideration. The coefficients of these hybrid neutral stochastic differential delay equations with Markov switching (hybrid NSDDEs) are highly nonlinear in some modes while satisfying linear growth criteria in others. To ensure the existence and uniqueness of the solution, mild conditions are first applied to the system coefficients. Second, design techniques for discrete-time feedback control for only some of the modes are offered in order to stabilize the above systems that are unstable. New M-matrix criteria that are simple to calculate and verify are also proposed for the control functions. Then, a new theory on asymptotic and exponential stabilization is developed by using the Lyapunov function technique. Finally, the results are demonstrated with an example.