Late Growth Research Articles

A cooperative scheme for late leaf spot estimation in peanut using UAV multispectral images.

In Australia, peanuts are mainly grown in Queensland with tropical and subtropical climates. The most common foliar disease that poses a severe threat to quality peanut production is late leaf spot (LLS). Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been widely investigated for various plant trait estimations. The existing works on UAV-based remote sensing have achieved promising results for crop disease estimation using a mean or a threshold value to represent the plot-level image data, but these methods might be insufficient to capture the distribution of pixels within a plot. This study proposes two new methods, namely measurement index (MI) and coefficient of variation (CV), for LLS disease estimation on peanuts. We first investigated the relationship between the UAV-based multispectral vegetation indices (VIs) and the LLS disease scores at the late growth stages of peanuts. We then compared the performances of the proposed MI and CV-based methods with the threshold and mean-based methods for LLS disease estimation. The results showed that the MI-based method achieved the highest coefficient of determination and the lowest error for five of the six chosen VIs whereas the CV-based method performed the best for simple ratio (SR) index among the four methods. By considering the strengths and weaknesses of each method, we finally proposed a cooperative scheme based on the MI, the CV and the mean-based methods for automatic disease estimation, demonstrated by applying this scheme to the LLS estimation in peanuts.

Antifungal activities of a novel triazole fungicide, mefentrifluconazole, against the major maize pathogen Fusarium verticillioides

Fusarium ear rot (FER) is a serious fungal disease occurring the late growth stage of maize. FER not only reduces the yield of maize but also causes mycotoxin contamination, which affects the quality of maize and threatens human and animal health. Fusarium verticillioides is the predominant causative pathogen of FER worldwide. At present, there is no registered fungicide for use against maize FER in China. The novel isopropyl alcohol-triazole fungicide mefentrifluconazole (MFZ) has been shown to be effective against several Fusarium spp., but little is known about its specific activity against F. verticillioides. MFZ exhibited strong antifungal activities against 50 strains of F. verticillioides collected from the major maize-growing areas in China. MFZ inhibited mycelial growth, conidium production, germination and germ tube elongation of F. verticillioides. MFZ treatment significantly reduced fumonisin production and the expression levels of fumonisin biosynthetic genes. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling of F. verticillioides in response to MFZ indicated that the expression of genes involved in ergosterol biosynthesis, including fungicide target genes (cyp51 genes), was significantly downregulated by MFZ. MFZ treatment resulted in reduced ergosterol production and increased glycerol and malonaldehyde production as well as relative conductivity in F. verticillioides. A 2-year field experiment showed a significant reduction in FER severity in maize after spraying with MFZ at the tasseling stage. This study evaluated the potential of MFZ to control FER in maize and provides insights into its antifungal activities and mechanism of action against F. verticillioides.

Role of global sphericity index in evaluation of fetal cardiac remodeling in late onset fetal growth restriction and small for gestational age fetuses

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) fetuses develop cardiovascular remodeling and dysfunction and, in this process, heart first compensates by changing its shape from ellipsoid to spherical and then cardiac dysfunction follows. Our aim was to evaluate global sphericity index (GSI) after 32 weeks of gestation to evaluate this change in cardiac shape and correlate GSI changes associated with fetal growth abnormalities. This was a prospective study conducted at 32-38 weeks of gestation. Women were classified into three groups-Appropriate for gestational age (AGA), small for gestational age (SGA), late onset FGR (LO FGR) and GSI was measured and perinatal outcome studied. Out of 217 women, 131 were of AGA, 31 were SGA, 55 were of late onset FGR. SGA and late onset FGR groups had low GSI compared to AGA group. There was no significant difference in mean GSI between late onset FGR and SGA groups. Neonatal morbidity, adverse perinatal outcomes did not significantly differ with GSI in SGA and late onset FGR groups. This study showed that late gestation small fetuses develop early stages of cardiovascular remodeling as shown by GSI changes. These changes were independent of Doppler changes. This supports the concept that atleast a proportion of them are not constitutionally small but are true forms of FGR.

Effects of Carbon-Based Fertilizer on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties, Soil Enzyme Activity and Soil Microorganism of Maize in Northeast China

The soil environment is an important factor that affects the growth of maize. Our study discusses the effect of carbon-based fertilizer on the rhizosphere soil microenvironment. Xianyu 335 and Jingke 968 maize varieties were selected, and six treatments were set up as follows: no fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, or carbon-based fertilizer (3 t/hm2, 3.75 t/hm2, 4.5 t/hm2, and 5.25 t/hm2). The results showed that the carbon-based fertilizer significantly reduced the soil pH value in the late growth stage. Carbon-based fertilizer can significantly improve the conductivity of soil solution. On 8 July (jointing stage), the conductivity of the two varieties of soil was the highest at 3.75 t treatment, 259.38% and 169.26% higher than that of chemical fertilizer, respectively. Carbon-based fertilizer significantly increased the soil carbon flux. The soil carbon flux of Jingke 968 showed a trend of first rising and then falling with the increase in the application amount of carbon-based fertilizer. On 8 July (jointing stage) and 28 July (tasseling stage), the 4.5 t treatment reached the maximum value, and on 16 August (early filling stage) and 4 September (waxy stage), the 3.75 t treatment reached the maximum value. Carbon-based fertilizer significantly increased the content of nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium in the topsoil. Carbon-based fertilizer had a significant effect on soil enzyme activity and significantly increased soil neutral phosphatase activity in the late growth stage. On 16 August (early stage of grouting), β-Glucosidase activity was significantly higher in 3 t and 3.75 t treatments than other treatments in Xianyu 335 and Jingke 968. The activity of α-Xylosidase reached the highest at 3.75 t. The activities of polyphenol oxidase and catalase reached their maximum at 5.25 t treatment on 4 September (waxy ripening) and 26 September (full ripening). Carbon-based fertilizer significantly increased the soil bacterial diversity index (Shannon index, ACE index and Chao1 index), but had no significant impact on the fungal diversity index, and significantly increased the abundance of soil bacterial and fungal populations.

Negative relationship between photosynthesis and late-stage canopy development and senescence over Tibetan Plateau.

Canopy greening, which is associated with significant canopy structure changes, is the most notable signal of ecosystem changes in response to anthropogenic climate change. However, our knowledge of the changing pattern of canopy development and senescence, and its endogenous and climatic drivers is still limited. Here, we used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to quantify the changes in the speed of canopy development and senescence over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) during 2000-2018, and used a solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence dataset as a proxy for photosynthesis, in combination with climate datasets to decipher the endogenous and climatic drivers of the interannual variation in canopy changes. We found that the canopy development during the early green-up stage (April-May) is accelerating at a rate of 0.45-0.8 × 10-3 month-1 year-1 . However, this accelerating canopy development was largely offset by a decelerating canopy development during June and July (-0.61 to -0.51 × 10-3 month-1 year-1 ), leading to the peak NDVI over the TP increasing at a rate of only one fifth of that in northern temperate regions, and less than one tenth of that in the Arctic and boreal regions. During the green-down period, we observed a significant accelerating canopy senescence during October. Photosynthesis was found to be the dominant driver for canopy changes over the TP. Increasing photosynthesis stimulates canopy development during the early green-up stage. However, slower canopy development and accelerated senescence was found with larger photosynthesis in late growth stages. This negative relationship between photosynthesis and canopy development is probably linked to the source-sink balance of plants and shifts in the allocation regime. These results suggest a sink limitation for plant growth over the TP. The impact of canopy greening on the carbon cycle may be more complicated than the source-oriented paradigm used in current ecosystem models.

Short-term effects of mechanical loading on the transdifferentiation of condylar chondrocytes

Transdifferentiation of chondrocytes into bone cells explains most of the prenatal and early postnatal condylar growth, but its role during later postnatal growth and the mechanisms regulating transdifferentiation remain unknown. This study aimed to quantify the effects of mechanical loading on chondrocyte-derived osteogenesis during late postnatal condylar growth using a short-term mandibular laterotrusion model. Thirty 4-week-old Aggrecan-CreERT2, R26RtdTomato, and 2.3Col1a1-GFP compound mice received tamoxifen injections and were divided into control and experimental groups. Appliances were bonded to shift the mandibles of the experimental mice for 5 days, causing protrusion and retrusion of the right and left condyles, respectively. Radiographic, microcomputed tomographic, and histomorphometric analyses were performed. The experimental and control groups showed substantial transdifferentiation of chondrocytes into bone cells. The experimental mice developed asymmetric mandibles, with the protrusive side significantly longer than the retrusive side. The protrusive condyles showed significantly increased chondrogenesis and greater numbers of chondrocyte-derived osteogenic cells, especially in the posterior third. The opposite effects were seen on the retrusive side. Transdifferentiation of chondrocytes into bone cells occurs during late postnatal condylar growth. Laterotrusion regulates condylar chondrogenesis and chondrocyte transdifferentiation, which alters the amount and direction of condylar growth. Our study demonstrated that chondrocytes are key players in condylar bone formation and should be the focus of studies to control and further understand condylar growth.

If Sand Interlayer Acts Better than Straw Interlayer for Saline Soil Amelioration? A Three-Year Field Experiment

An addition of straw interlayer in the 0.40 m soil depth could effectively reduce salt accumulation in the surface soils by regulating water fluxes, thus mitigating the salt stress to the crop growth and development. However, the positive effects of straw interlayer were weakened with straw decomposition, and whether we could use sand (an indecomposable substance) instead of straw for saline soil amelioration still needs further investigation. Therefore, a three-year field experiment was established with straw and sand interlayers, as well as with no interlayer as a control. Straw interlayer demonstrated an increase of 4.85~13.10% of water content, while the sand interlayer increased 12.41~16.48% of water content in the soil layer of 0–0.40 m depth comparing to the control. Salt contents were lowered by 10.69~17.01% in the same soil layer of the straw interlayer and lowered by 7.00~7.59% in the sand interlayer treatment after irrigation. Data also shows that irrigation significantly increased water content and lowered salt accumulation in the soil plough layer, thus increasing the sunflower emergence rate of 10.49~13.54% in the straw interlayer treatment and 12.53~14.78% in the sand interlayer treatment, respectively. Both the straw interlayer and sand interlayer treatments effectively reduced the evaporation of groundwater and established a beneficial plough layer with a lower salt accumulation throughout the sunflower growth period. At harvesting stage, the evaporation fluxes of salt in the straw interlayer and sand interlayer treatments were significantly lower than that in the control treatment. Lower salt accumulation conferred a beneficial promotion for the growth of sunflower, while the grain yields in the straw interlayer treatment were increased by 8.67% in 2018, 11.00% in 2019 and 17.37% in 2020 compared to the no-interlayer soil, respectively. However, the low water content in the soil layer of 0–0.40 m depth in the sand interlayer treatment inhibited the growth of sunflower, resulting in a significant decrease in the seed yields. It is worth noting that the precipitation effectively alleviated water stress on the sunflower at the middle and late growth stage in the sand interlayer treatment. This study suggests that a maize straw burial of 0.05 m thickness at a depth of 0.40 m soil layer could be used as an effective tillage practice that could improve the distribution of water and salt in saline soils.

Effect of Salicylic Acid and Amino Acid on Pea Plant (<i>Pisum sativum</i>) Late Season, Growth and Production

Salicylic acid and amino acid are plant growth promoters. Therefore, the study entitled “Effect of salicylic acid and amino acid on late season peas growth and production” was conducted. The study has two factors: amino acid (Glycine) and salicylic acid each having four levels that were sprayed on peas. Analysis of data showed that maximum germination percentage (92.50 %), plant height (63.16 cm), primary branches plant-1 (2.80), leaves plant-1 (264.27), leaf chlorophyll content (57.25 SPAD), pods plant-1 (49.25), seeds pod-1 (10.41), pod length (11.74 cm) and yield ha-1 (1922.5 kg) having least days to flowering and pod formation (50.13 and 5.12 days) were noted in 225 mg L-1 amino acid. Salicylic acid levels showed that maximum germination percentage (95.83 %) height of plants (71.85 cm), leaves plant-1 (257.13), primary branches plant-1 (3.25), leaf chlorophyll content (55.81 SPAD), pods plant-1 (52.16), seeds pod-1 (10.91), pod length(11.05 cm) and yield ha-1 (1895.0 kg) having least days to pod formation and flowering (5.26 and 48.30 days) were noted in salicylic acid level of 300 mg L-1. The combined effect of 225 mg L-1 amino acid and 300 mg L-1 salicylic acid levels positively improved primary branches plant-1 (3.93), pod plant-1 (66.33), pod length (13.77 cm), seeds pod-1 (12.44), leaf chlorophyll content (64.49 SPAD) and maximum yield ha-1 (1942.66 kg). It is concluded that for higher growth and yield pea cultivar Climax when cultivated late could be applied with 225 mg L-1 amino acid and 300 mg L-1 salicylic under Peshawar climatic conditions.

Effects of Combined Pollution of Tetracycline and Sulfamethazine on Tomato Growth and Antibiotic Absorption

Antibiotics are widely used in livestock and poultry farming for disease prevention and animal growth promotion. Due to the low absorption rate of antibiotics by animals, antibiotics can remain in livestock and poultry manure as parent or metabolites and enter the farm environment with the application of livestock and poultry manure, which has potential effects on crop growth. This study assessed the effects of single and combined contamination of antibiotics in soil on tomato plants. The accumulation of antibiotics in tomato plants and the impacts on crop growth were investigated. A pot experiment with sandy soil was conducted in a greenhouse, and a 100-day tomato growth experiment was conducted by adding different doses of tetracycline and sulfadiazine (0, 25, and 50 mg/kg). The antibiotic contents in various tissues and organs of the tomato were examined, and the changes in photosynthetic intensity and biomass of the tomato were observed to simulate the effects of exogenous antibiotic addition on the growth and quality of the tomato. The results indicated that tomato plants simultaneously absorbed tetracycline and sulfamethazine from soil. Antibiotics were primarily absorbed by tomato roots and were further delivered to plant leaves, stems, and fruits. Antibiotics exhibited the highest concentration in roots, followed by leaves, stems, and fruits. The contents of tetracycline and sulfamethazine in plant tissues elevated with the increase in soil antibiotics, which were higher in the vegetative growth stage than those in the late growth stage. At concentrations of 25 and 50 mg/kg, tetracycline and sulfamethazine combined pollution significantly reduced leaf photosynthetic rates and plant biomass. Notably, high levels of antibiotics led to decreases in tomato yield and quality. Additionally, high concentrations of antibiotic contamination elevated leaf nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, but reduced the leaf carbon/nitrogen ratio, as well as reduced the vitamin C content in the fruits. Overall, since antibiotics can accumulate in vegetables and enter the food chain, the findings are crucial for evaluating the impacts of soil antibiotic contamination on the production and food safety of tomato products, and will also add to our knowledge of antibiotic migration into the food chain.

Molecular dynamics investigation of loading orientation effect on dynamic behaviors of void in aluminum

The micro-damage mechanisms in ductile metals play a very important role in the spallation process. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) is used to examine the effect of loading orientation on void evolution in single crystal (SC) and nanocrystalline (NC) aluminum under isotropic tensions. Besides void nucleation, growth, and coalescence, a brand-new phenomenon, void collapse, is also discovered in the late growth stage, and the collapse behavior is confirmed by the atomic trajectory tracing approach (ATTA). The loading orientation has a significant impact on the maximum void number, maximum void surface area, and void collapse velocity in the SC model but not in the NC model; while the void volume and its fraction that can capture the void collapse behavior are unaffected by the loading direction in the SC and NC models. In the SC model, the loading orientations [−110][001][110] and [100][010][001] make void collapse hardest and simplest. Meanwhile, with the help of the slicing method, it is discovered that the damage mechanism in the NC model is dominated by intracrystalline, intercrystalline, and transcrystalline fractures, with the second being the directional fracture along the grain boundary, whereas it belongs to the intracrystalline fracture in the SC model. In addition, the material experiences the hardening and softening phases during the nucleation stage, which are distinguished by the maximal tensile stress.

Effects of Tillage and Sowing Methods on Soil Physical Properties and Corn Plant Characters

In the northeast plains of China, the intensive utilization of agricultural soils has been a persistent issue, and finding ways to utilize soil resources efficiently and sustainably through a scientifically-driven management system has become a crucial challenge for agricultural production. Conservation tillage is a crucial technology for sustainable agriculture. Currently, plow and rotary tillage are the dominant methods used in Mollisols, but there is limited information on the effects of different conservation tillage practices in this region. The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term impact of tillage and sowing methods on soil physical properties and corn plant growth and to examine the relationship between soil physical properties and plant characteristics during various stages of growth. This study consisted of four tillage and sowing methods: plow tillage and precision seeder sowing (PTS), rotary tillage and precision seeder sowing (RTS), no-tillage and no-tillage seeder sowing (NTS), and no-tillage and precise sowing in stubble field (STS) (all four treatments involved total straw return). The results indicated that the soil penetration resistance (SPR) in the 10–40 cm soil layer under the PTS treatment was significantly lower (by 11.9% to 18%) compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). On average, the soil moisture content in the NTS treatment was 2.7% and 1.4% higher than that of the PTS and RTS treatments. Additionally, soil temperature was 5.6% to 8.6% lower under the STS treatment compared to the other treatments during late corn growth. The RTS treatment also significantly reduced the bulk density of surface soil. High SPR impeded early crop growth but did not impact mid-crop development, while low soil temperature was one of the main factors affecting late corn growth and development as temperatures decreased. Based on the comparisons, we found that the short-term implementation of conservation tillage did not result in a significant decrease in corn yield. We believe that the short-term implementation of NTS tillage sowing practices in Mollisol regions is a feasible option.

Definitions matter: detection rates and perinatal outcome for infants classified prenatally as having late fetal growth restriction using SMFM biometric vs ISUOG/Delphi consensus criteria.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is often secondary to placental dysfunction and is suspected prenatally based on biometric or circulatory abnormalities detected on ultrasound. The aims of this study were to compare the screening performance of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) biometric criteria (estimated fetal weight (EFW) or abdominal circumference (AC) < 10th centile) with that of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG)-endorsed Delphi consensus criteria for late FGR for delivery of a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant at term, emergency Cesarean section (CS) for non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS), perinatal mortality and composite severe neonatal morbidity. We classified retrospectively non-anomalous singleton infants as having late FGR (diagnosed ≥ 32 weeks) according to SMFM and ISUOG/Delphi criteria in a cohort of women who had been referred to the Mater Mother's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia and who delivered at term between January 2014 and December 2020. The study outcomes were delivery of a SGA infant (birth weight (BW) < 10th or < 3rd centile), emergency CS for NRFS, perinatal mortality (defined as stillbirth or neonatal death within 28 days of a live birth) and a composite of severe neonatal morbidity. We assessed the screening performance of various ultrasound variables by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values, false-positive and false-negative rates, positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and negative likelihood ratio. The SMFM and ISUOG/Delphi consensus criteria collectively classified 1030 cases as having late FGR. Of these, 400 cases were classified by both SMFM and ISUOG/Delphi criteria, whilst 548 cases were classified using only SMFM criteria and 82 cases were classified only by ISUOG/Delphi criteria. Prenatal detection of late FGR by SMFM and ISUOG/Delphi criteria was associated with increased odds of delivery of an infant with BW < 10th centile (SMFM: adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 133.0 (95% CI, 94.7-186.6); ISUOG/Delphi: aOR, 69.5 (95% CI, 49.1-98.2)) or BW < 3rd centile (SMFM: aOR, 348.7 (95% CI, 242.6-501.2); ISUOG/Delphi: aOR, 215.4 (95% CI, 148.4-312.7)). Compared with the SMFM criteria, the ISUOG/Delphi criteria were associated with lower odds (aOR, 0.5 (95% CI, 0.3-0.8)) of predicting a SGA infant with BW < 10th centile, but higher odds of predicting emergency CS for NRFS (aOR, 2.30 (95% CI, 1.14-4.66)) and composite neonatal morbidity (aOR, 1.22 (95% CI, 1.05-1.41)). Both SMFM and ISUOG/Delphi criteria were associated with high LR+, specificity, PPV and NPV for the prediction of infants with BW < 10th and BW < 3rd centile. However, both methods functioned much less efficiently for the prediction of composite severe neonatal morbidity or emergency CS for NRFS, with LR+ < 10. The SMFM biometric criteria alone, particularly AC < 3rd centile, had the highest LR+ values for the prediction of perinatal mortality. Both the SMFM and ISUOG/Delphi criteria had strong screening potential for the detection of infants with BW < 10th or < 3rd centile but not for adverse neonatal outcome. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Growth phase-dependent production of the adhesive nanofiber protein AtaA in Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5.

AtaA, the sticky, long, and peritrichate nanofiber protein from Acinetobacter sp. Tol 5, mediates autoagglutination and is highly adhesive to various material surfaces, resulting in a biofilm. Although the production of the adhesive nanofiber protein is likely to require a large amount of energy and material sources, the relationship between AtaA fiber production and cell growth remains unknown. Here, we report the growth phase-dependent AtaA fiber production in Tol 5. We examined the ataA gene expression in different growth phases using a reporter gene assay with an originally developed reporter plasmid and using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Bacterial cells with surface-displayed AtaA at different growth phases were immunostained and analyzed using fluorescence flow cytometry and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results indicate that Tol 5 modulated the amount of surface-displayed AtaA at the transcriptional level. AtaA production was low in the early growth phase but remarkably increased in the late growth phase, covering the whole bacterial cell with AtaA fibers in the stationary phase. Tol 5 displayed AtaA fibers poorly in the early growth phase and showed less autoagglutination and adhesiveness than those in the stationary phase. Although Tol 5 grew as fast as its ataA-deficient mutant in the early growth phase, the optical density of Tol 5 culture was slightly lower than that of the ataA-deficient mutant in the late growth phase. Based on these experimental results, we propose the growth-phase-dependent production of AtaA fiber for efficient and fast cell growth.

Photosynthetic photon flux density affects fruit biomass radiation-use efficiency of dwarf tomatoes under LED light at the reproductive growth stage.

This study aimed to analyze the effects of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) on fruit biomass radiation-use efficiency (FBRUE) of the dwarf tomato cultivar 'Micro-Tom' and to determine the suitable PPFD for enhancing the FBRUE under LED light at the reproductive growth stage. We performed four PPFD treatments under white LED light: 200, 300, 500, and 700 μmol m-2 s-1. The results demonstrated that a higher PPFD led to higher fresh and dry weights of the plants and lowered specific leaf areas. FBRUE and radiation-use efficiency (RUE) were the highest under 300 μmol m-2 s-1. FBRUE decreased by 37.7% because RUE decreased by 25% and the fraction of dry mass portioned to fruits decreased by 16.9% when PPFD increased from 300 to 700 μmol m-2 s-1. Higher PPFD (500 and 700 μmol m-2 s-1) led to lower RUE owing to lower light absorptance, photosynthetic quantum yield, and photosynthetic capacity of the leaves. High source strength and low fruit sink strength at the late reproductive growth stage led to a low fraction of dry mass portioned to fruits. In conclusion, 300 µmol m-2 s-1 PPFD is recommended for 'Micro-Tom' cultivation to improve the FBRUE at the reproductive growth stage.

Ectodysplasin Signaling through XEDAR Is Required for Mammary Gland Morphogenesis

XEDAR is a member of the TNF receptor subfamily and a mediator of the ectodysplasin (EDA) pathway. EDA signaling plays evolutionarily conserved roles in the development of the ectodermal appendage organ class, which includes hair, eccrine sweat glands, and mammary glands. Loss-of-function sequence variants of EDA, which encodes the two major ligand isoforms, EDA-A1 and EDA-A2, result in X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia characterized by defects in two or more types of ectodermal appendages. EDA-A1 and EDA-A2 signal through the receptors EDAR and XEDAR, respectively. Although the contributions of the EDA-A1/EDAR signaling pathway to EDA-dependent ectodermal appendage phenotypes have been extensively characterized, the significance of the EDA-A2/XEDAR branch of the pathway has remained obscure. In this study, we report the phenotypic consequences of disrupting the EDA-A2/XEDAR pathway on mammary gland differentiation and growth. Using a mouse Xedar knockout model, we show that Xedar has a specific and temporally restricted role in promoting late pubertal growth and branching of the mammary epithelium that can be influenced by genetic background. Our findings implicate Xedar in ectodermal appendage development and suggest that the EDA-A2/XEDAR signaling axis contributes to the etiology of EDA-dependent mammary phenotypes.

Late growth of early-type galaxies in low-z massive clusters

ABSTRACTWe study a sample of 936 early-type galaxies (ETGs) located in 48 low-z regular galaxy clusters with M200 ≥ 1014 M⊙ at z &amp;lt; 0.1. We examine variations in the concentration index, radius, and colour gradient of ETGs as a function of their stellar mass and loci in the projected phase space (PPS) of the clusters. We aim to understand the environmental influence on the growth of ETGs according to the time since infall into their host clusters. Our analysis indicates a significant change in the behaviour of the concentration index C and colour gradient around $M_{\ast } \approx 2\times 10^{11} ~M_\odot \equiv \tilde{M}_{\ast }$. Objects less massive than $\tilde{M}_{\ast }$ present a slight growth of C with M*, with negative and approximately constant colour gradients in all regions of the PPS. Objects more massive than $\tilde{M}_{\ast }$ present a slight decrease of C with M*, with colour gradients becoming less negative and approaching zero. We also find that objects more massive than $\tilde{M}_{\ast }$, in all PPS regions, have smaller R90 for a given R50, suggesting a smaller external growth in these objects or even a shrinkage possibly due to tidal stripping. Finally, we estimate different dark matter fractions for galaxies in different regions of the PPS, with the ancient satellites having the largest fractions, fDM ≈ 65 per cent. These results favour a scenario where cluster ETGs experience environmental influence the longer they remain and the deeper into the gravitational potential they lie, indicating a combination of tidal stripping + harassment, which predominate during infall, followed by mergers + feedback effects affecting the late growth of ancient satellites and BCGs.

Green manure and maize intercropping with reduced chemical N enhances productivity and carbon mitigation of farmland in arid areas

Keeping high productivity and low soil carbon emission (CE) while reducing chemical fertilizer is a significant challenge for crop production in developing modern agriculture. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of intercropping green manure with reduced N on maize productivity and carbon mitigation in northwestern China. The field experiment used a split-plot design with three replicates. Three cropping patterns were maize-common vetch intercropping (M/V), maize-rape intercropping (M/R), and sole maize (M). Two N fertilizer rates formed the subplots: the conventional N rate was reduced by 25% (N1: 270 kg ha−1) and the conventional N rate (N2: 360 kg ha−1). The compensation effect (TCE, %) was used to quantify the degree of recovery of intercropping green manure on maize grain yield (GY) under N reduction. It was shown by the results that the negative effect of N reduction on maize GY was compensated by intercropping green manure. Maize-common vetch intercropping integrated with N reduction (M/VN1) had a more substantial compensation effect (TCE) with the planting years lengthening, and TCE was 1.0%, 0.9%, 4.1%, and 4.9% in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. The CE of the cropping system was decreased by intercropping green manure compared to sole maize. The CE in the intercropping system was further decreased by N reduction, and the CE of M/RN1 and M/VN1 was decreased by 27.7% and 32.1%, respectively, compared to MN2 (i.e., the control). Finally, the CE of the intercropping system was decreased by M/VN1 by 6.5% compared to M/RN1 in 2019–2021. We used the ratio of net primary productivity to carbon emission (NPP/CE) to determine soil C sequestration (CS) potential. Intercropping green manure with N reduction in enhancing soil CS mainly occurred in the late growth period of maize. Over the four years of study, the ratios of NPP/CE for M/RN1 and M/VN1 were 23.3% and 32.9%, respectively, greater than that of MN2; also, it of M/VN1 was increased by 8.9% compared to M/RN1 in 2019–2021. M/VN1 had great potential for enhancing soil CS. Thus, adding green manure as an intercropping component in the maize cropping system while reducing chemical N fertilizer is a promising system to enhance maize productivity and carbon mitigation in the farmlands of arid areas.

Cotton harvest aids promote the translocation of bur-stored photoassimilates to enhance single boll weight

The application of harvest aids is an important prerequisite for realizing cotton mechanical harvesting. It is necessary to clarify the impact of harvest aid application on photoassimilate translocation and partitioning in the cotton boll–leaf system to reduce the negative impacts of harvest aids on seed cotton yield. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of harvest aids on photoassimilate repartitioning in the cotton boll–leaf system and its relationship with boll weight formation in the late growth stage of cotton. The leaf photosynthetic rate decreased sharply 1 d after applying harvest aids, and was only 0.91–6.30 μmol m−2 s−1 3 d after spraying. In addition, the synthesis and transport of leaf photosynthates were rapidly restricted. The contribution rate of leaf photosynthates to boll weight under ethephon application was 0.52–1.97%, showing a positive contribution. The application of harvest aids significantly reduced the single boll weight by 0.21–0.58 g, and the fiber weight per boll and the cottonseed weight per boll were 1.59–1.81 g and 2.19–2.60 g, respectively. About 0.09–0.15 g of photoassimilates in the bur were repartitioned after harvest aid application, and the contribution to the boll weight was 4.47–10.33%. The probability of increasing the boll weight by increasing the photoassimilate translocation rate in the bur was 33.8–46.1%. When the bur weight decreased by 0.10 g, the boll weight increased by 0.01–0.40 g. Therefore, improving the photoassimilate translocation rate in burs is a crucial approach to enhancing the single boll weight under harvest aid application.

Effect of Rational Fertilizer for Eggplants on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollutants in Agricultural Water Bodies

Excessive fertilizer application in the cropping industry leads to excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in surrounding water bodies, which causes farmers to increase economic cost and damage the environment. To address the problem, we built a crop-soil runoff soil column test system, setting eight fertilizer application levels for eggplants. Then, crop yield, soil fertility and pollutant concentrations in the receiving water bodies were measured. The process of fertilizer application on the water quality of surrounding receiving water bodies and the rationality of fertilizer application were analyzed. The results showed that crop yield, soil fertility, and pollutant concentrations in the receiving water increased with the increase in fertilizer application. The crop yield stabilized when the fertilizer application amount was higher than 0.12 kg/m2; the concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in the water increased significantly with the increase in fertilizer application, where particulate nitrogen (PN) and organic phosphorus (OP) were the key pollutants. In addition, crop growth had an interception effect on pollutant migration. The concentration of pollutants in the water was significantly lower in the late crop growth period (after flowering) than in the early. The crop had the best interception effect on pollutants when the fertilizer application was 0.12 kg/m2. The concentrations of TN and TP in the water were 29.7% and 22.3% after the flowering period, being lower than those before the flowering period. Therefore, a reasonable value of 0.12 kg/m2 is recommended for fertilizer application in this article. It can provide a reference for the fertilization system of eggplant planting in North China and theoretical support for the realization of clean production in small rural watershed planting.

Gut Microbiota of 13 Years Old Children Is Associated With BMI- and Height- For-Age Growth Patterns Since Birth

ObjectivesThe relationship between gut microbiota and growth during infancy has been substantiated, but whether this stands true in later childhood is under investigation. We used a new clustering methodology that improves interpretability of later childhood growth patterns. Three distinct patterns were identified (Increasing, Stable, Declining) for BMI-for-age (BMIZ) and height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) in a birth cohort of 4231 Brazilian children. Here, we investigate the association between these growth patterns and gut microbiota diversity in late childhood. MethodsWe sampled 337 children from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort (Brazil) grouped into Increasing (n = 78; 68), Stable (n = 161; 170), or Declining (n = 98; 99) patterns for BMIZ and HAZ, respectively. Feces and anthropometrics were collected at age 13 years. The fecal microbiota was analyzed via Illumina MiSeq (16S rRNA V3-V4 region) and the UNOISE pipeline. Alpha (Kruskal-Wallis) and beta (permutational multivariate analysis of variance) diversity were assessed in QIIME2. ResultsThe microbiota of children in the BMIZ Increasing pattern had lower richness and evenness compared to those in the Stable or Decreasing patterns (Chao1, q < 0.01; Shannon, q < 0.01). Beta diversity also differed between the Increasing vs Stable and Decreasing patterns (Jaccard, q < 0.03; Unweighted UNIFRAC, q < 0.009) but not if using abundance-normalized indices (Bray-Curtis and Weighted UNIFRAC). While alpha diversity did not differ with HAZ patterns, beta diversity did show differences between the Increasing vs Stable and Decreasing patterns (Jaccard, q < 0.006; Bray-Curtis, q < 0.01). ConclusionsIncreasing BMIZ and HAZ patterns during childhood are associated with a distinct microbiota structure at age 13, which is likely driven by less abundant organisms for BMIZ but not for HAZ. Overall, the gut microbiota seems to be related to markers of obesity in late childhood growth. Funding SourcesJoannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, Lawson Family Chair in Microbiome Nutrition Research, CONACyT scholarship. The Wellcome Trust, World Health Organization, National Support Program for Centers of Excellence, Brazilian National Research Council, Brazilian Ministry of Health, and Children’s Pastorate.