Terms Of Total Yield Research Articles

The effects of double-stemmed grafted tomato plants on yield and quality of tomato cultivation

In this study, the effect of the production of double-stemmed grafted and non-grafted tomato plants on yield and quality was investigated. Android F1 and Torry F1 tomato (S. lycopersicum L.) cultivars were grafted on “Classmate” tomato rootstock, and grafting was doneaccording to one or two stems for treatments. There were 12 plants in each treatment over 4 grafting and 2 varieties and the plants were provided seedling nursery. The number of stems left in tomato seedlings as grafted and non-grafted was taken as the basis. The plants which are consisting of two stems are formed from the cotyledon axillary buds. The grafting in the experiment were created as follows;.1- grafted-double stem: Shoots were formed with the development of cotyledon axillary buds, 2- Non-grafted-double stem: Shoots were formed with the development of cotyledon axillary buds on cultivars, 3- Grafted-single stem and 4- non-grafted-single stem (control) were formed. In the experiment conducted, the highest plant height (167.25 cm) was obtained from the control treatment and the highest stem diameter (16.58 mm) was obtained from the grafted double stem treatment. L and Hue angel values measured in fruit color of treatments were not statistically significant. The highest total soluble solids (4.46%) was obtained from the non-grafted double stem treatment. In terms of total yield, the highest value (12.27 kg m-2) was obtained in the control plants. The effect of double stem in cotyledon axillary buds on grafted tomato cultivation was found statistically significant on yield, and grafting with double stem decreased the yield, as compare to the control treatment.

Evaluating Iodine-125 DNA Damage Benchmarks of Monte Carlo DNA Damage Models.

Simple SummarySimulation of initial radiation-induced DNA damage remains a major area of research, with numerous Monte Carlo models having been developed to model radiation effects on the cellular scale. While many models have been reasonably fit to a range of biological endpoints, there remains a lack of robust benchmarking data. Here, we investigate the application of a dataset on strand breaking in a single DNA strand through incorporation of radioactive Iodine-125 to distinguish between different Monte Carlo nanoscale physics models. We find that, while all models are able to effectively fit this data, they do so using significantly different best-fitting parameters and make substantially different predictions for other endpoints. These observations suggest that most nanoscale models broadly agree on the distribution of energy and can be made to fit to single datasets, but robust, multi-endpoint analysis is required to fully optimize and validate these approaches.A wide range of Monte Carlo models have been applied to predict yields of DNA damage based on nanoscale track structure calculations. While often similar on the macroscopic scale, these models frequently employ different assumptions which lead to significant differences in nanoscale dose deposition. However, the impact of these differences on key biological readouts remains unclear. A major challenge in this area is the lack of robust datasets which can be used to benchmark models, due to a lack of resolution at the base pair level required to deeply test nanoscale dose deposition. Studies investigating the distribution of strand breakage in short DNA strands following the decay of incorporated 125I offer one of the few benchmarks for model predictions on this scale. In this work, we have used TOPAS-nBio to evaluate the performance of three Geant4-DNA physics models at predicting the distribution and yield of strand breaks in this irradiation scenario. For each model, energy and OH radical distributions were simulated and used to generate predictions of strand breakage, varying energy thresholds for strand breakage and OH interaction rates to fit to the experimental data. All three models could fit well to the observed data, although the best-fitting strand break energy thresholds ranged from 29.5 to 32.5 eV, significantly higher than previous studies. However, despite well describing the resulting DNA fragment distribution, these fit models differed significantly with other endpoints, such as the total yield of breaks, which varied by 70%. Limitations in the underlying data due to inherent normalisation mean it is not possible to distinguish clearly between the models in terms of total yield. This suggests that, while these physics models can effectively fit some biological data, they may not always generalise in the same way to other endpoints, requiring caution in their extrapolation to new systems and the use of multiple different data sources for robust model benchmarking.

Residual Birch Wood Lignocellulose after 2-Furaldehyde Production as a Potential Feedstock for Obtaining Fiber.

From birch wood, it is possible to obtain both acetic acid and 2-furaldehyde as valuable value-added products. The main objective of this study was to develop a new wasteless technology for obtaining 2-furaldehyde, acetic acid, and lignocellulose (LC) residue usable as feedstock in further processing such as thermomechanical (TMP), alkaline peroxide mechanical (APMP), and sulfate pulping processes. To achieve this objective several screening tests were performed, and a further experimental plan was developed using DesignExpert11. Process yields were analyzed both in terms of total yield and at individual time increments. In addition, the obtained LC residue was also characterized. A unique bench-scale reactor system was used to obtain an LC material without pentoses and with maximum preservation of cellulose fiber for further research. Studies on the deacetylation and dehydration of birch wood hemicelluloses of pentose monosaccharides to 2-furaldehyde and acetic acid using orthophosphoric acid as a catalyst were carried out. Results showed that, depending on the used pre-treatment conditions, the 2-furaldehyde yield was from 0.04% to 10.84% oven dry mass (o.d.m.), the acetic acid yield was from 0.51% to 6.50% o.d.m., and the LC residue yield was from 68.13% to 98.07% o.d.m. with minimal content of admixtures. Process optimization using DesignExpert11 revealed that the main pre-treatment process parameters that influenced the yield of 2-furaldehyde in the pre-treatment process were process temperature (53.3%) and process duration (29.8%).

Production of Extracts Composed of Pectic Oligo/Polysaccharides and Polyphenolic Compounds from Cranberry Pomace by Microwave-Assisted Extraction Process

Using cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon L.) pomace as a starting material, the microwave-assisted production of extracts and their structural characterization were investigated. Three methods (acidic, alkaline, and sequential acid/alkaline) and two microwave power settings (36 and 72 W/g) were compared in terms of total yield and recovery of oligo/polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. Acid extraction led to the lowest yields of 3.4–4.9% (w/w), while alkaline extraction at 32 W/g resulted in a yield of 12.6% (w/w). Higher microwave power favored the release of high molecular weight polysaccharides (200–700 kDa). As compared to acidic and alkaline extractions, sequential one yielded pectic polysaccharides with the highest arabinan (Ara:Rha, 6.6:1) and galactan branching chains (Gal:Rha, 5.2:1) and the lowest proportion of monosaccharides (Glu, Xyl/Man) from hemicellulosic polysaccharides. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the microwave-assisted sequential extraction as it was identified as the most appropriate method for the production of highly branched pectic polysaccharides. Variables included pomace concentration (3.33–50.00 mg/ml solvent), sodium hydroxide concentration (0–2 M), time (1–6 min), and microwave power (35–80 W/g cell wall material). The sequential extraction conditions for the optimal extract yield (28.65%) were determined to be 0.1 M HCl/1.51 M NaOH, 65 W/g, 16.33 mg pomace/ml, and 4.73 min, at which polyphenols and oligo/polysaccharides recovery of 57.0% and 10.56%, respectively, were obtained. The composition and the molecular weight distribution confirmed the isolation of arabinan-rich RGI (GalA:Rha of 15.8:1; Ara:Rha of 5.7:1) type pectic polysaccharide extracts enriched with polyphenolic compounds.

Variation in seedling vigour and camptothecin content of Pyrenacantha volubilis Wight: insights for domestication

As a pioneering work in the field of domestication of Pyrenacantha volubilis Wight, an anti-cancer drug (camptothecin) yielding plant, this study identifies superior seed sources of southern peninsular India for various parameters related to its growth and yield. The experiment was set up following the common garden experiment protocol in Completely Randomised Design. Laboratory extraction of camptothecin from whole seeds was carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Whereas seeds from Kizhoor population were the heaviest (test weight of 171.5 g), seedlings obtained by sowing the seeds from Villiampakkam population performed better in terms of total yield per plant (5.25 g dry weight) as well as total camptothecin yield per hectare (223.125 g). Almost three times variation was observed in the experiment between the poorest and the best performing populations. We attempt to discuss the potential for domestication, large-scale planting and sustainable harvesting of this promising and versatile new cash crop.

Recovery of bioactive phenolic compounds from papaya seeds agroindustrial residue using subcritical water extraction

Abstract The novelty of this study was the use of a subcritical water unit to recover phenolic compounds from papaya seeds, a relevant agroindustrial waste. The effect of temperature conditions on subcritical water extraction (SWE) was compared to Soxhlet extraction (SOX) in terms of total yield, phenolic content (TPC), Maillard reaction products (MRPs), and antioxidant activity, detected by DPPH and β-carotene bleaching methods. TPC and MRPs values were maximized by SWE at 150 °C for 5min, which provided the best antioxidant potential by DPPH method. Liquid chromatography analysis of papaya seed extracts identified 30 phenolic compounds within the samples tested. The main compounds were ferulic acid, mandelic acid, and vanillic acid. It was also found that the subcritical water equipment was successfully applied for the recovery of bioactive compounds from papaya seeds in a simple and effective method.

Evaluation of New Cotton Linesin View of Selection

The selection value of 8 new cotton lines and the standard variety was studied on the base of significant differences between the most important agronomic characters and their phenotypic stability, over a four-year period 2014-2017. The years of the investigation appeared to be as different ecological environments. Four stability parameters - bi (Finlay and Wilkinson, 1963), σ2i and S2i (Shukla, 1972) and YSi (Kang, 1993) were used. It was found that the studied cotton lines interacted significantly with the environmental conditions (years) in terms of total yield, boll weigt, fiber length and lint persentage. All lines had bigger breeding value than the standard cultivar Chirpan-539 exceeding it by one or more traits. In a complex assessment as best line for the studied period outlined No. 550 distinguished by 9.7% higher yield than the standard, 0.4 mm longer fiber and 1.2% higher lint percentage. This line showed stability for the ball weight and fiber length, and responsiveness above the average to the environmental conditions for the seed cotton yield and lint percentage, but both traits were with low stability. Lines Nos. 553 and 426 showed a high average level and high stability for yield, Nos. 489 and 535 – for ball weight, No. 553 – for fiber lint percentage and No. 489 – for fiber length, which makes them very valuable for the selection of these traits. A complex breeding value (average level and stability) for all studied traits was found for line No. 553.

Germination changes the isoflavone profile and increases the antioxidant potential of soybean

Isoflavones, which exist in their conjugated or aglycone forms, are well recognized for their potential health benefits. However, isoflavones as aglycone have been regarded as the most bioactive form. In the present study, the profile of isoflavones and their scavenging activity as affected by germination were investigated in several soybean fractions, namely cotyledons, epicotyls, radicles, and hypocotyls. Only aglycones were detected in the radicles from 144 h until 168 h of germination, which makes this component a potential feedstock for studies aiming at isolation, especially of daidzein, which was present in higher concentrations. In terms of total yield and contribution to the total weight of the germinated soybeans, the cotyledons are the best source of aglycones, which was achieved at 144 h of germination. The higher scavenging activity of high-aglycone components from germinated soybeans supports the use of germination to obtain functional foods and/or ingredients with potentially superior bioactivities.

Climate change adaptation and water saving by innovative irrigation management applied on open field globe artichoke

The setting up of innovative irrigation water management might contribute to the mitigation of negative issues related to climate change. Our hypothesis was that globe artichoke irrigated with a traditionally drip system could be converted to an innovative water management system based on precision irrigation techniques and on evaporative cooling application in order to improve crop physiological status with positive impacts on earliness, total heads yield and water saving. Over two experiments carried out at plot- and field-scale, two irrigation management systems, differing in type and application time, were compared: (i) conventional, and (ii) canopy-cooling. Plant physiological status at a weekly sampling interval and the head atrophy incidence (as the ratio of the total primary heads collected) were monitored. We also recorded and determined heads production, and yield components. In both experiments, throughout the application period of evaporative cooling (three months), canopy-cooling showed the lowest value of leaf temperature and the highest photosynthesis values compared with the conventional one (+3 °C and −30%, respectively). The physiological advantage gained by the crop with evaporative cooling has led to a higher production both in terms of total yield (+30%), and in terms of harvested first order heads that from an economic viewpoint are the most profitable for farmers. At farm-scale, the canopy-cooling treatment resulted in a higher earliness (35 days) and water productivity (+36%) compared with conventional one. Our findings show that by combining evaporative cooling practice with precision irrigation technique the heads yield can be optimized also leading to a relevant water saving (−34%). Moreover, the study proved that canopy-cooling set up might be a winning strategy in order to mitigate climatic changes and heat stress conditions.

Use of Rainfall Data to Improve Ground‐Based Active Optical Sensors Yield Estimates

Optical sensors are commonly used by the researchers to improve yield estimated in commercial crops. This study was carried out in two states in two different crops, corn and potatoes, 2011–2013 and 2017, respectively. The objectives of the study were to evaluate ground based optical sensors to predict yield potential across multiple locations, soils types, cultivation systems, and rainfall differences. Ground‐based active optical sensors (GBAOS) have been successfully used in agriculture to predict crop yield potential (YP) early in the season and to improvise N rates for optimal crop yield. However, the models were found weak or inconsistent due to environmental variation especially rainfall. The objectives of the study were to evaluate if GBAOS could predict YP across multiple locations, soil types, cultivation systems, and rainfall differences. This study was carried from 2011 to 2013 on corn (Zea mays L.) in North Dakota, and in 2017 in potatoes in Maine. Six N rates were used on 50 sites in North Dakota and 12 N rates on two sites, one dryland and one irrigated, in Maine. Two active GBAOS used for this study were GreenSeeker and Holland Scientific Crop Circle Sensor ACS 470 (HSCCACS‐470) and 430 (HSCCACS‐430). Rainfall data, with or without including crop height, improved the YP models in term of reliability and consistency. The polynomial model was relatively better compared to the exponential model. A significant difference in the relationship between sensor reading multiplied by rainfall data and crop yield was observed in terms of soil type, clay and medium textured, and cultivation system, conventional and no‐till, respectively, in the North Dakota corn study. The two potato sites in Maine, irrigated and dryland, performed differently in terms of total yield and rainfall data helped to improve sensor YP models. In conclusion, this study strongly advocates the use of rainfall data while using sensor‐based N calculator algorithms.

Effect of Planting Systems and Growing Media on Earliness, Yield and Quality of Strawberry Cultivation under Soilless Culture

Soilless growing is becoming an attractive option because of the contamination of agricultural land due to the use of excessive fertilisers and insecticides to get higher productivity per unit area and the yield advantage with soilless culture getting more yield per unit area than the conventional growing.  Effects of two planting systems and various growing media on earliness, yield and quality (colour L, C, ho, the rupture of calyx, firmness, total soluble solid, acidity and vitamin C) in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivation under soilless culture was studied. Two different planting seasons i.e., summer and fall were chosen and growing media was composed of peat (Pt), perlite (Pr), cocopeat (Co), volcanic tuff (Vlc) and their combinations. Results showed that fall planting system was favourable in terms of earliness but summer planting gave better results in terms of total yield. Moreover, the first harvest of summer planting was February, whereas the first harvest of the fall planting was in December. Early yield in the fall planting comprised 36.0% of the total yield. The Co and the Co+Vlc media were more favourable than other media with regard to yield, earliness and fruit quality. In addition vegetation period was found from January to May and it was observed that as the total soluble solids values increased in fruits, acidity and vitamin C values decreased.

Effect of Planting Systems and Growing Media on Earliness, Yield and Quality of Strawberry Cultivation under Soilless Culture

Soilless growing is becoming an attractive option because of the contamination of agricultural land due to the use of excessive fertilisers and insecticides to get higher productivity per unit area and the yield advantage with soilless culture getting more yield per unit area than the conventional growing. Effects of two planting systems and various growing media on earliness, yield and quality (colour L, C, ho, the rupture of calyx, firmness, total soluble solid, acidity and vitamin C) in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cultivation under soilless culture was studied. Two different planting seasons i.e., summer and fall were chosen and growing media was composed of peat (Pt), perlite (Pr), cocopeat (Co), volcanic tuff (Vlc) and their combinations. Results showed that fall planting system was favourable in terms of earliness but summer planting gave better results in terms of total yield. Moreover, the first harvest of summer planting was February, whereas the first harvest of the fall planting was in December. Early yield in the fall planting comprised 36.0% of the total yield. The Co and the Co+Vlc media were more favourable than other media with regard to yield, earliness and fruit quality. In addition vegetation period was found from January to May and it was observed that as the total soluble solids values increased in fruits, acidity and vitamin C values decreased.

A Comparison of Different Methods for Rna and Dna Extraction From Formalin – Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues From Different Cancer Samples

RNA and DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue is problematic due to chemical modifications and continued degradation over time. we compared quantity of RNA extracted by two different protocols from 14 recently archived from patients suffered from different cancers distributed among formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast cancer tissues ,thyroid cancer tissues and Cervical uterus carcinoma tissues by using Guanidine isothiocyanate (GTC)with phenol-chloroform (protocol-1) and Silica Gel Column(SGC) dependent on spin column purification-based ( protocol- 2), to assess, which technique is the most efficient and reproducible in terms of total yield and purity. The results showed RNA isolated with SGC technique was characterized by higher mean concentration in a range (80-180) µg/ml ,but it give positive results to 12 sample with degradation in comparison with RNA isolated by the (GTC) technique (protocol-1), comparison with total RNA extraction from human blood ( two distinguished bands ) .In this study comparative methods have been performed to analyze the efficiency for extraction and purification of Genomic DNA from six selective FFPE Tissues samples, revealing that the extraction of DNA by using extraction modified method give good result with yield higher mean concentration of DNA in a range (160-260) µg/ml.The lysis of FFPE Tissues was enhanced by increased the concentration of proteinase K to30 mg\ml for 2 hour at 65C, which considered the best time for lysis tissues and heated comparable with results that obtained from lysis tissues by using 20mg\ml for (24 -48 hours) at 55C

Measurement and modeling of supercritical fluid extraction curves of Eucalyptus globulus bark: Influence of the operating conditions upon yields and extract composition

Eucalyptus globulus bark is an interesting source of triterpenic acids (TTAs), mainly ursolic, betulinic, oleanolic, betulonic, 3-acetylursolic, and 3-acetyloleanolic acids, which possess confirmed bioactivity. In this work, the supercritical fluid extraction of E. globulus bark has been carried out in order to measure the cumulative curves in terms of total yield, TTAs yield, free TTAs yield, acetylated TTAs yield, and TTAs concentration in the extracts. The influence of pressure, temperature, ethanol (cosolvent) content, and carbon dioxide flow rate upon the previous responses have been analyzed by performing experiments in the ranges of 120–200bar, 40–60°C, 0–5% EtOH, and 6−14 gCO2 min−1. The experimental curves have been modeled with Logistic, Desorption, Simple Single Plate, and Diffusion models. In the whole, results showed that pressure and ethanol content imparted a significant effect upon extraction curves, final yields, and extract concentrations, and that external limitations to mass transfer affected some runs. The individual families of free and acetylated TTAs exhibited distinct extraction trends. Modeling allowed us to confirm not only the major role played by intraparticle diffusion upon the SFE but also the contribution of film resistance in some assays. After analyzing all results, a two-step experiment in series has been performed, making possible to enrich the TTAs content in the extract due to the distinct conditions adopted in each stage.

Influence of plant prunings on soil properties and yield of yam minisett

The importance of the application of agroforestry prunings on improvement of the soil organic matter cannot be overemphasized. The study focused on the influence of plant prunings on soil properties and yield of yam minisett. There is no doubt that effective production of seed yam through minisett technique requires adequate plant nutrient to be available in the soil. The study revealed that application of agroforestry prunings improved soil exchangeable K. The study showed that the plant prunings of Gliricidia sepium seem to be the best of the prunings used in this study in terms of total yield (t/ha), nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium addition to the soil. The resulting effect of this is improvement in the yield of yam minisett.

The Effects of Feeding Level and Stocking Density on the Growth and Feed Efficiency of Himri Barbel Fry, Barbus luteus (Heckel, 1843)

Two stocking densities (20 and 40 fry/80-l tank) with 4 feeding rates (2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% body weight/day) were used to determine the optimum feeding level for himri barbel fry during a 60-day culture period. Water quality parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and total ammonia nitrogen) were monitored during the experiment. Final body weight and specific growth rate (SGR) was significantly lower with the 2.5% feeding rate than with the others, at both stocking densities; however, no significant differences were observed between the other feeding rates and between stocking densities. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.37 was achieved with the 2.5% feeding rate and stocking density of 40 fry/80 l; yet, in terms of total yield and survival the optimal FCR of 1.50 was obtained with the 5.0% feeding rate and 40 fry/80 l. At the 10.0% feeding rate survival rates were significantly lower. Both feeding ratio and stocking density also affected water quality parameters.

A procedure for highly specific, sensitive, and unbiased whole-genome amplification

Highly specific amplification of complex DNA pools without bias or template-independent products (TIPs) remains a challenge. We have developed a method using phi29 DNA polymerase and trehalose and optimized control of amplification to create micrograms of specific amplicons without TIPs from down to subfemtograms of DNA. With an input of as little as 0.5-2.5 ng of human gDNA or a few cells, the product could be close to native DNA in locus representation. The amplicons from 5 and 0.5 ng of DNA faithfully demonstrated all previously known heterozygous segmental duplications and deletions (3 Mb to 18 kb) located on chromosome 22 and even a homozygous deletion smaller than 1 kb with high-resolution chromosome-wide comparative genomic hybridization. With 550k Infinium BeadChip SNP typing, the >99.7% accuracy was compared favorably with results on unamplified DNA. Importantly, underrepresentation of chromosome termini that occurred with GenomiPhi v2 was greatly rescued with the present procedure, and the call rate and accuracy of SNP typing were also improved for the amplicons with a 0.5-ng, partially degraded DNA input. In addition, the amplification proceeded logarithmically in terms of total yield before saturation; the intact cells was amplified >50 times more efficiently than an equivalent amount of extracted DNA; and the locus imbalance for amplicons with 0.1 ng or lower input of DNA was variable, whereas for higher input it was largely reproducible. This procedure facilitates genomic analysis with single cells or other traces of DNA, and generates products suitable for analysis by massively parallel sequencing as well as microarray hybridization.

Greenhouse Microclimate and Soilless Pepper Crop Production and Quality as Affected by a Fog Evaporative Cooling System

The influence of greenhouse humidity control on greenhouse microclimate, crop transpiration rate, and yield and fruit quality of a soilless grown pepper crop was studied in a greenhouse located at the coastal area of western Greece. Measurements were carried out during summer and autumn in two distinct greenhouse compartments involving: (1) no air humidity control and (2) a fog system operating when the relative humidity of the greenhouse air was lower than 80%. Under fog conditions, the greenhouse air and the crop leaf temperature were about 3°C lower than those measured under no fog conditions. The fog system allowed maintenance of the greenhouse air temperature under 30°C, while a maximum value of about 35°C was reached under no fog conditions. In addition, under fog conditions, the air vapor pressure deficit was lower than 2 kPa, even during the warmest part of the day, while under no fog conditions it reached values near 4 kPa. However, the transpiration rate was not affected to such an extent by fog as the air vapor pressure deficit, and under fog conditions it decreased by about 26%. This is attributed to the values reached by the bulk stomatal conductance, which were about 1.5 times higher under fog than under no fog conditions. The crop leaf area index values observed after the middle of the experimental period and later, under fog conditions, were higher than that observed under no fog conditions. Finally, the fog system enhanced the mean fruit weight and the percentage of marketable fruits but reduced appreciably the total number of fruits per plant. The free (titratable) acidity and the total soluble solids in the pepper fruit sap were slightly reduced by the fog cooling system, while the fruit size was increased. The use of a fog cooling system proved to be beneficial for summer crops of pepper grown under Mediterranean climatic conditions due to a favorable impact of the reduced vapor pressure deficit on both the mean fruit weight and the quality in terms of fruits graded Class I. Nevertheless, the high air humidity imposed by a cooling fog system may reduce the number of fruits per plant, thereby offsetting the benefits from the increased mean fruit weight in terms of total yield.

Direct stimulation of T cells by membrane vesicles from antigen-presenting cells

Activation of naïve T cells generally requires T cell receptor-mediated contact with MHC-bound peptides on viable antigen-presenting cells such as dendritic cells (DC). Here evidence is presented that dissociated cell membrane fragments from a DC line can be used as an effective substitute for viable DC. Ultracentrifuged material derived from sonicates of IFN-gamma-matured DC is enriched in small membrane vesicles that closely resemble exosomes. When complexed with MHC class I-restricted specific peptide, vesicles from DC sonicates generate strong responses by purified naïve CD8(+) cells in vitro in the absence of normal antigen-presenting cells and can also efficiently prime T cells for tumor rejection in vivo. Both in terms of total yields from DC and relative immunogenicity, membrane vesicles from DC sonicates are much more effective than classic exosomes and may be a valuable tool for tumor immunotherapy.

Effect of Potassium on Yield, Fruit Quality, and Chemical Composition of Greenhouse-Grown Galia Melon

ABSTRACT The effect of different potassium (K) rates on yield, fruit quality, and chemical composition of greenhouse-grown melon (Cucumis melo L., cv. Galia) was investigated. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse similar to that used by farmers in the coastal Mediterranean region of Turkey. Control and three rates of potassium (0, 200, 400, 600 mg L−1) were applied to cv. Galia in a randomized complete block design with 3 replications. Leaf and fruit quality analyses were carried out and yield was determined. Different rates of potassium had no effect on yield. However, fruit number and fruit firmness were higher than the control at the 400 and 600 mg L−1 rates. Total soluble solids were higher than the control at the 600 mg L−1 rate. Average fruit weight was lower than the control at the 600 mg L−1 rate. Treatments did not affect nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and zinc (Zn) contents of leaves, but leaf K content was higher than the control at all three rates. Iron (Fe) content was lower than the control at the 600 mg L−1 rate and manganese (Mn) content was lower at the 400 and 600 mg L−1rates. The data from our study indicate that 300 mg L−1 K in the root zone was sufficient for optimum yield of greenhouse-grown Galia melons. In terms of total yield, it is not necessary to apply higher rates of K. However, results show that it is possible to improve fruit quality by applying as much as 600 mg L−1 additional K to the plants without a reduction in yield.