Phosphorus and Potassium Placement for No-Till Corn

The information presented is part of ongoing research to identify effective fertilizer placement methods and diagnostic tools for phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in no-till and ridge-till corn and soybean. Results for no-till cornfields will be emphasized here. There is uncertainty about soil test interpretations and cost-effective methods of fertilizer application for the no-till system. Moreover, producers are uncertain about the value of soil testing in conservation tillage because of large variability and lack of knowledge concerning techniques for collection of samples. Broadcast placements are less costly than banded placements but they seem inefficient for no-till fields because fertilizers are not incorporated. Because of the reduced movement of P and K in soils, broadcast applications result in stratification of these nutrients and accumulations within the top 2 or 3 inches of the soils. Although residue cover usually improves root growth and root absorption efficiency at shallow soil layers, the stratification could result in lower P or K uptake by plants during dry periods

Longitudinal associations of skipping breakfast with ethnicity and cardiometabolic risk: the Determinants of Adolescence, now young Adults, Social well-being and Health Study (DASH)

Ethnic inequalities in cardiometabolic disease(1,2) may be explained by differences in diet and lifestyle. Poor dietary habits, such as skipping breakfast and consumption of fizzy drinks and fast foods are more common amongst ethnic minority children and adolescents(3,4) . The long-term effects of these childhood behaviours on adult cardiometabolic risk factors have not yet been investigated in an ethnically diverse population. We aimed to assess ethnic patterns in adolescent and young adult breakfast skipping and its influence on cardiometabolic risk in young adulthood amongst a diverse UK cohort. The DASH cohort was recruited in 2002/03 and consisted of 6643 11–13 year olds, sampled to represent the main ethnic groups of the UK population. The ‘DASH 10 years on’ study is a longitudinal follow-up of a subset of the cohort who are now young adults (21–23 years). Participants had anthropometric measures (weight, BMI, waist circumference), blood pressure, total and HDL-cholesterol and HbA1c assessed and completed a short dietary behaviours questionnaire indicating how frequently they consume breakfast (daily, 3–4 days a week, 1–2 days a week, never/hardly ever). The cohort consisted of 311 males (age 22·8 (95 % CI 22·7, 22·9) years; BMI 24·7 (95 % CI 24·3, 25·2) kg/m2 ) and 316 females (age 22·7 (95 % CI 22·6, 22·8) years; BMI 24·9 (95 % CI 24·3, 25·5) kg/m2 ). A total of 107 White British, 102 Black Caribbean, 132 Black African, 99 Indian, 111 Bangladeshi or Pakistani and 115 Other (mainly mixed) were included in the follow-up. In young adulthood regular breakfast skipping was reported by 56 % of participants; Black African participants were more likely to skip breakfast than White British (OR: 1·81, 1·04 to 3·17, p = 0·004). The highest proportion of breakfast skipping occurred amongst the Black Caribbean (66 %) and Black African (64 %) groups and the lowest amongst Indian participants (46 %). The impact of skipping breakfast during both adolescence and young adulthood on cardiometabolic risk factors during young adulthood were investigated using multivariate regression modelling. Skipping breakfast at 11–13 years was a significant determinant of BMI at 21–23 years (1·45 (95 % CI 0·61, 2·29), p = 0·001) as was skipping breakfast at 21–23 years, although the effect was slightly attenuated in this age group (0·92 (95 % CI 0·1, 1·73), p = 0·027). Skipping breakfast at both 11–13 years and 21–23 years were also important determinants of total cholesterol levels (11–13 years: 0·17 (95 % CI 0·01, 0·33), p = 0·041; 21–23 years: 0·23 (95 % CI 0·07, 0·38), p = 0·003). This is the first longitudinal assessment of breakfast skipping and its impact on cardiometabolic risk factors amongst an ethnically diverse cohort of young adults in the UK. In this work we have recognised the detrimental impact of childhood breakfast skipping on cardiometabolic risk factors, such as BMI and cholesterol concentrations, in young adulthood. Furthermore we have identified distinct ethnic patterns in breakfast skipping, such that skipping breakfast is most prevalent amongst Black African and Caribbean groups and less common amongst Indians. Our findings provide a useful insight into dietary behaviours that health promotion campaigns could target in aiming to improve the diets of young people, and highlights the importance of targeting interventions to improve dietary behaviours such as breakfast consumption at specific groups of young adults in the population. 1. Becker E et al. (2006) National Centre for Social Research. 2. Zhang Q et al. (2009) Ethnicity & Health 14(5): 439–57. 3. Harding S et al. (2008) Int J Epi 37(1): 162–72. 4. Nicklas TA et al. (1998) J Am Diet Assoc 98(12): 1432–8

Speciation of phosphorus in a fertilized, reduced-till soil system: in-field treatment incubation study

Citation: Khatiwada, Raju, Ganga M. Hettiarachchi, David B. Mengel, and Mingwei Fei. “Speciation of Phosphorus in a Fertilized, Reduced-Till Soil System: In-Field Treatment Incubation Study.” Soil Science Society of America Journal 76, no. 6 (2012): 2006–18. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2011.0299.Phosphorus management in reduced-tillage systems is a great concern for farmers. Conclusive positive results of deep-banding P fertilizers compared with broadcast application and the chemistry of reduced-tillage systems remain unclear. Knowledge of the dominant solid P species present in soil following application of P fertilizers and the resulting potential P availability would help us understand and efficiently manage P in reduced-tillage systems. The objective of this research was to study the influence of placement (broadcast vs. deep-band P), fertilizer source (granular vs. liquid P), and time on the reaction products of P under field conditions. Changes in soil pH, resin-extractable P, total P, and speciation of P were determined at different distances from the point of fertilizer application at 5 wk and 6 mo after P application at a rate of 75 kg ha−1 to a soil system that was under long-term reduced tillage. Resin-extractable P was lower for broadcast treatments compared with deep-band treatments for both time periods. Resin-extractable P was greater in the liquid P-treated soils than in the granular P-treated soils. Speciation results showed that granular P fertilizers tended to form Fe–P-like forms, whereas liquid forms remained in adsorbed P-like forms in the soil 5 wk after application; moreover, speciation results showed granular P fertilizers precipitated less when deep-banded. During the 6-mo period following application, reaction products of broadcast granular, broadcast liquid, and deep-band granular fertilizers transformed to Ca-phosphate or mixtures of Ca-, Fe- and adsorbed-phosphate-like forms, whereas deep-band liquid P remained as mainly adsorbed P-like forms. Deep-banding of P would most likely provide a solution that is both agronomically and environmentally efficient for reduced-till farmers

The protein structure initiative structural genomics knowledgebase

The Protein Structure Initiative Structural Genomics Knowledgebase (PSI SGKB, http://kb.psi-structuralgenomics.org) has been created to turn the products of the PSI structural genomics effort into knowledge that can be used by the biological research community to understand living systems and disease. This resource provides central access to structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), along with functional annotations, associated homology models, worldwide protein target tracking information, available protocols and the potential to obtain DNA materials for many of the targets. It also offers the ability to search all of the structural and methodological publications and the innovative technologies that were catalyzed by the PSI's high-throughput research efforts. In collaboration with the Nature Publishing Group, the PSI SGKB provides a research library, editorials about new research advances, news and an events calendar to present a broader view of structural biology and structural genomics. By making these resources freely available, the PSI SGKB serves as a bridge to connect the structural biology and the greater biomedical communitie

The protein structure initiative structural genomics knowledgebase

The Protein Structure Initiative Structural Genomics Knowledgebase (PSI SGKB, http://kb.psi-structuralgenomics.org) has been created to turn the products of the PSI structural genomics effort into knowledge that can be used by the biological research community to understand living systems and disease. This resource provides central access to structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB), along with functional annotations, associated homology models, worldwide protein target tracking information, available protocols and the potential to obtain DNA materials for many of the targets. It also offers the ability to search all of the structural and methodological publications and the innovative technologies that were catalyzed by the PSI's high-throughput research efforts. In collaboration with the Nature Publishing Group, the PSI SGKB provides a research library, editorials about new research advances, news and an events calendar to present a broader view of structural biology and structural genomics. By making these resources freely available, the PSI SGKB serves as a bridge to connect the structural biology and the greater biomedical communities

Structural Basis for Specificity of Propeptide-Enzyme Interaction in Barley C1A Cysteine Peptidases

C1A cysteine peptidases are synthesized as inactive proenzymes. Activation takes place by proteolysis cleaving off the inhibitory propeptide. The inhibitory capacity of propeptides from barley cathepsin L and B-like peptidases towards commercial and barley cathepsins has been characterized. Differences in selectivity have been found for propeptides from L-cathepsins against their cognate and non cognate enzymes. Besides, the propeptide from barley cathepsin B was not able to inhibit bovine cathepsin B. Modelling of their three-dimensional structures suggests that most propeptide inhibitory properties can be explained from the interaction between the propeptide and the mature cathepsin structures. Their potential use as biotechnological tools is discussed

Genome-wide assessment of differential roles for p300 and CBP in transcription regulation

Despite high levels of homology, transcription coactivators p300 and CREB binding protein (CBP) are both indispensable during embryogenesis. They are largely known to regulate the same genes. To identify genes preferentially regulated by p300 or CBP, we performed an extensive genome-wide survey using the ChIP-seq on cell-cycle synchronized cells. We found that 57% of the tags were within genes or proximal promoters, with an overall preference for binding to transcription start and end sites. The heterogeneous binding patterns possibly reflect the divergent roles of CBP and p300 in transcriptional regulation. Most of the 16 103 genes were bound by both CBP and p300. However, after stimulation 89 and 1944 genes were preferentially bound by CBP or p300, respectively. Target genes were found to be primarily involved in the regulation of metabolic and developmental processes, and transcription, with CBP showing a stronger preference than p300 for genes active in negative regulation of transcription. Analysis of transcription factor binding sites suggest that CBP and p300 have many partners in common, but AP-1 and Serum Response Factor (SRF) appear to be more prominent in CBP-specific sequences, whereas AP-2 and SP1 are enriched in p300-specific targets. Taken together, our findings further elucidate the distinct roles of coactivators p300 and CBP in transcriptional regulation

A barley cysteine-protease inhibitor reduces teh performance of two aphid species in artificial diets and transgenic arabidopsis plants

Cystatins from plants have been implicated in plant defense towards insects, based on their role as inhibitors of heterologous cysteine-proteinases. We have previously characterized thirteen genes encoding cystatins (HvCPI-1 to HvCPI-13) from barley (Hordeum vulgare), but only HvCPI-1 C68 → G, a variant generated by direct-mutagenesis, has been tested against insects. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the whole gene family members of barley cystatins against two aphids, Myzus persicae and Acyrthosiphon pisum. All the cystatins, except HvCPI-7, HvCPI-10 and HvCPI-12, inhibited in vitro the activity of cathepsin L- and/or B-like proteinases, with HvCPI-6 being the most effective inhibitor for both aphid species. When administered in artificial diets, HvCPI-6 was toxic to A. pisum nymphs (LC50 = 150 μg/ml), whereas no significant mortality was observed on M. persicae nymphs up to 1000 μg/ml. The effects of HvCPI-6 ingestion on A. pisum were correlated with a decrease of cathepsin B- and L-like proteinase activities. In the case of M. persicae, there was an increase of these proteolytic activities, but also of the aminopeptidase-like activity, suggesting that this species is regulating both target and insensitive enzymes to overcome the effects of the cystatin. To further analyze the potential of barley cystatins as insecticidal proteins against aphids, Arabidopsis plants expressing HvCPI-6 were tested against M. persicae. For A. pisum, which does not feed on Arabidopsis, a combined diet-Vicia faba plant bioassay was performed. A significant delay in the development time to reach the adult stage was observed in both species. The present study demonstrates the potential of barley cystatins to interfere with the performance of two aphid specie

The toxicity of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors to larvae of the disease vectors Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae

The control of mosquitoes is threatened by the appearance of insecticide resistance and therefore new control chemicals are urgently required. Here we show that inhibitors of mosquito peptidyl dipeptidase, a peptidase related to mammalian angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), are insecticidal to larvae of the mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. ACE inhibitors (captopril, fosinopril and fosinoprilat) and two peptides (trypsin-modulating oostatic factor/TMOF and a bradykinin-potentiating peptide, BPP-12b) were all inhibitors of the larval ACE activity of both mosquitoes. Two inhibitors, captopril and fosinopril (a pro-drug ester of fosinoprilat), were tested for larvicidal activity. Within 24 h captopril had killed >90% of the early instars of both species with 3rd instars showing greater resistance. Mortality was also high within 24 h of exposure of 1st, 2nd and 3rd instars of An. gambiae to fosinopril. Fosinopril was also toxic to Ae. aegypti larvae, although the 1st instars appeared to be less susceptible to this pro-drug even after 72 h exposure. Homology models of the larval An. gambiae ACE proteins (AnoACE2 and AnoACE3) reveal structural differences compared to human ACE, suggesting that structure-based drug design offers a fruitful approach to the development of selective inhibitors of mosquito ACE enzymes as novel larvicides