Fast screening of total nutrient contents in strawberry leaves and spent growing media using NIRS

IntroductionIn closed-loop soilless cultivation, the main nutrient sinks are nutrients retained either by the crop or in spent growing media. Measurement of nutrients in spent growing media and in the aboveground vegetative plant biomass at crop termination can be a tool for assessing and optimizing nutrient efficiency. The first aim of this study was to test the potential of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to forecast the various nutrient contents in strawberry leaves, which would then allow for assessment of crop nutrient status and total nutrient uptake by strawberry plants. The second aim was to test NIRS as a high throughput technique for assessing the N, K, Ca, Mg and organic matter (OM) content and the pH, EC and C:N and C:P ratios for a dataset of composts, plant fibers and spent growing media. The NIRS prediction model for fast screening of the total nutrient contents in spent growing media was compared with a single extraction method.MethodsA database with 369 dried and ground strawberry leaf samples with known contents of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were scanned using NIRS. The database covered a range of leaf contents of 6-35 g N/kg dry matter (DM), 0.7-6.3 g P/kg DM and 2-29 g K/kg DM. A dataset of 458 samples of different types of materials used in growing media was validated with a dataset of 109 samples.ResultsValidation for the strawberry leaves indicated potential for this application, with R2 values of 0.90 or higher for N, K and Ca, and R2 values higher than 0.85 for P and Mg. Validation for the dataset of composts, plant fibers and spent growing media also indicated the potential for this application, with R2 values of 0.90 or higher for organic matter, and with R2 values of 0.85 or higher for total Ca, pH and C:N. A first test indicated potential for the calibration based on fresh samples of compost, plant fiber as well as spent growing media or dried (not ground) samples.DiscussionUse of NIRS on fresh samples would eliminate the need for drying and grinding the samples and would reduce screening time. The ammonium acetate extraction is a reliable alternative to NIRS for fast screening of the total P, K, Ca, and Mg contents in composts, plant fibers and spent growing media

Genomic, Pathway Network, and Immunologic Features Distinguishing Squamous Carcinomas

This integrated, multiplatform PanCancer Atlas study co-mapped and identified distinguishing molecular features of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) from five sites associated with smokin

Transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation (tES and TMS) for addiction medicine: A consensus paper on the present state of the science and the road ahead

There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a novel treatment option for substance-use disorders (SUDs). Recent momentum stems from a foundation of preclinical neuroscience demonstrating links between neural circuits and drug consuming behavior, as well as recent FDA-approval of NIBS treatments for mental health disorders that share overlapping pathology with SUDs. As with any emerging field, enthusiasm must be tempered by reason; lessons learned from the past should be prudently applied to future therapies. Here, an international ensemble of experts provides an overview of the state of transcranial-electrical (tES) and transcranial-magnetic (TMS) stimulation applied in SUDs. This consensus paper provides a systematic literature review on published data – emphasizing the heterogeneity of methods and outcome measures while suggesting strategies to help bridge knowledge gaps. The goal of this effort is to provide the community with guidelines for best practices in tES/TMS SUD research. We hope this will accelerate the speed at which the community translates basic neuroscience into advanced neuromodulation tools for clinical practice in addiction medicine

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Multiplatform Analysis of 12 Cancer Types Reveals Molecular Classification within and across Tissues of Origin

Recent genomic analyses of pathologically-defined tumor types identify “within-a-tissue” disease subtypes. However, the extent to which genomic signatures are shared across tissues is still unclear. We performed an integrative analysis using five genome-wide platforms and one proteomic platform on 3,527 specimens from 12 cancer types, revealing a unified classification into 11 major subtypes. Five subtypes were nearly identical to their tissue-of-origin counterparts, but several distinct cancer types were found to converge into common subtypes. Lung squamous, head & neck, and a subset of bladder cancers coalesced into one subtype typified by TP53 alterations, TP63 amplifications, and high expression of immune and proliferation pathway genes. Of note, bladder cancers split into three pan-cancer subtypes. The multi-platform classification, while correlated with tissue-of-origin, provides independent information for predicting clinical outcomes. All datasets are available for data-mining from a unified resource to support further biological discoveries and insights into novel therapeutic strategies

Effect of grass species and ploidy on clover content in grass-clover mixtures

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) is of increasing interest in Western Europe, mainly because of its good drought resistance. Agronomic data on this species are relatively scarce and little is known about the compatibility of tall fescue with clover. We established field trials in 2009 to compare the yield, botanical composition, feeding value and N-fixation of different grass species associated with clover. A first trial compared tall fescue, diploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and tetraploid perennial ryegrass sown with white clover (Trifolium repens L.). A second trial compared tall fescue, diploid Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) and tetraploid Italian ryegrass sown with red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). In all plots 5 cuts were taken in both 2010 and 2011and the yield, botanical composition, nitrogen content and digestibility of the harvested material were determined. Preliminary conclusions show no effect of grass species on white clover content in the mixtures. Red clover content in turn was consistently higher in combination with tall fescue than with Italian ryegrass

Tall fescue and Italian ryegrass: an ideal mixture for intensive cutting management

We established a trial in 2009 to compare the agronomic performance of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea, Fa) with Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum, Lm) growing in monoculture and in different mixtures of both species. Mixtures differed in the ploidy of the Italian ryegrass component (diploid vs. tetraploid) and the contribution of both species to the mixtures (1/4 or 1/8 of Lm seeds on a number base). Five cuts were taken in both 2010 and 2011. N-fertilization was around 300 kg N ha–1 per year. Dry matter (DM) content and botanical composition and feeding value were determined at each cut. Lm outyielded Fa in the first year after sowing but Fa outyielded Lm in the second year. In one of the mixtures, transgressive overyielding occurred in both years. The proportion of Fa in the DM yield of the mixtures was initially much lower than the sown proportion but increased gradually. We conclude that mixtures of Fa and Lm are particularly suited for an intensive cutting management

Silica content, leaf softness and digestibility in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)

In tall fescue breeding, a great deal of effort is devoted to develop soft-leaved varieties as it is generally accepted that leaf softness is positively correlated with digestibility and animal preference. In advanced breeding programs, it becomes difficult to discriminate the leaf softness between genotypes. Moreover, there is evidence that the digestibility of the softest varieties is not necessarily higher compared to varieties with coarser leaves. We studied the presence of trichomes (dentation) on the leaf margins and the silica content of plants in relation to the leaf softness and digestibility on a selection of 19 tall fescue clones. On average, soft genotypes had fewer trichomes (2.74 mm −1 ) on the leaf margins than coarse genotypes (9.03 mm −1 ), but there was no relation between leaf softness or trichome number and digestibility (R 2 = 0.05), nor between silica content and softness or digestibility (R 2 = 0.09)