Photosynthesis and Leaf Water Potential of Cotton Under Trickle and Level Basin Irrigation

The 1985 and 1986 Cotton Reports have the same publication and P-Series numbers.Deltapine 90 was grown under daily trickle, and weekly and bimonthly level-basin irrigation treatments. The cotton in each treatment received equal amounts of irrigation water over the course of the growing season. The daily irrigated plants maintained more constant leaf water potential (WP) and net photosynthesis (Pn) than the level-basin irrigated plants. The level-basin irrigated plants experienced water stress-induced reductions in WP and Pn prior to irrigation

Lesquerella growth and selenium uptake affected by saline irrigation water composition

Abstract A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the effects of waters differing in salt composition on growth and selenium (Se) accumulation by lesquerella (Lesquerella fendleri Gray S. Wats.). Plants were established by direct seeding into sand cultures and irrigated with solutions containing either (a) Cl − as the dominant anion or (b) a mixture of salts of SO 4 2 − and Cl − . Four treatments of each salinity type were imposed. Electrical conductivities of the irrigation waters were 1.7, 4, 8, and 13 dS m − 1 . Two months after salinization, Se (l mg l − 1 , 12.7 mM) was added to all solutions as Na 2 SeO 4 . Shoot growth was significantly reduced by increasing Cl-salinity. Regardless of salinity type, concentrations of Ca 2 + , Mg 2 + , Cl − , total-S, and Se were higher in the leaves than the stems, whereas K + and Na + were higher in the stem. Leaf-Se concentrations were not significantly affected by Cl-based irrigation waters, averaging 503 mg Se kg − 1 dry wt across salinity levels, whereas leaf-Se decreased consistently and significantly from 218 to 13 mg kg − 1 as mixed salt salinity increased. The dramatic reduction in Se was attributed to SO 4 2 − :SeO 4 2 − competition during plant uptake. The strong Se-accumulating ability of lesquerella suggests that the crop should be further evaluated as a potentially valuable phytoremediator of Se-contaminated soils and waters of low to moderate salinity in areas where the dominant anion in the substrate is Cl − . Published by Elsevier Science B.V

Effect of Planting Date, Nitrogen Fertility and Postemergence Herbicides on Lesquerella Production

Lesquerella is a potential crop plant that produces seeds containing hydroxy fatty acids similar to those in castor beans. An important step in the commercialization of this plant for Arizona farms is the development of an efficient agronomic production system. Research on cultural practices for lesquerella was conducted during the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons. Results of planting date experiments indicate that early fall planting dates are superior to late fall or winter dates in terms of dry matter production and seed yield. Lesquerella produced a marked response to nitrogen (N) in tests comparing different N rates. In a postemergence weed control test, several herbicides gave good control of small winter weeds

Outbreak investigation for toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae wound infections in refugees from Northeast Africa and Syria in Switzerland and Germany by whole genome sequencing

Toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae is an important and potentially fatal threat to patients and public health. During the current dramatic influx of refugees into Europe, our objective was to use whole genome sequencing for the characterization of a suspected outbreak of C. diphtheriae wound infections among refugees. After conventional culture, we identified C. diphtheriae using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) and investigated toxigenicity by PCR. Whole genome sequencing was performed on a MiSeq Illumina with >70×coverage, 2×250 bp read length, and mapping against a reference genome. Twenty cases of cutaneous C. diphtheriae in refugees from East African countries and Syria identified between April and August 2015 were included. Patients presented with wound infections shortly after arrival in Switzerland and Germany. Toxin production was detected in 9/20 (45%) isolates. Whole genome sequencing-based typing revealed relatedness between isolates using neighbour-joining algorithms. We detected three separate clusters among epidemiologically related refugees. Although the isolates within a cluster showed strong relatedness, isolates differed by >50 nucleotide polymorphisms. Toxigenic C. diphtheriae associated wound infections are currently observed more frequently in Europe, due to refugees travelling under poor hygienic conditions. Close genetic relatedness of C. diphtheriae isolates from 20 refugees with wound infections indicates likely transmission between patients. However, the diversity within each cluster and phylogenetic time-tree analysis suggest that transmissions happened several months ago, most likely outside Europe. Whole genome sequencing offers the potential to describe outbreaks at very high resolution and is a helpful tool in infection tracking and identification of transmission routes

A phase IIb, open-label, randomized controlled dose ranging multi-centre trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and exposure-response relationship of different doses of delpazolid in combination with bedaquiline delamanid moxifloxacin in adult subjects with newly diagnosed, uncomplicated, smear-positive, drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis

Background: Linezolid is an effective, but toxic anti-tuberculosis drug that is currently recommended for the treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Improved oxazolidinones should have a better safety profile, while preserving efficacy. Delpazolid is a novel oxazolidinone developed by LegoChem Biosciences Inc. that has been evaluated up to phase 2a clinical trials. Since oxazolidinone toxicity can occur late in treatment, LegoChem Biosciences Inc. and the PanACEA Consortium designed DECODE to be an innovative dose-ranging study with long-term follow-up for determining the exposure-response and exposure-toxicity relationship of delpazolid to support dose selection for later studies. Delpazolid is administered in combination with bedaquiline, delamanid and moxifloxacin. Methods: Seventy-five participants with drug-sensitive, pulmonary tuberculosis will receive bedaquiline, delamanid and moxifloxacin, and will be randomized to delpazolid dosages of 0 mg, 400 mg, 800 mg, 1200 mg once daily, or 800 mg twice daily, for 16 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint will be the rate of decline of bacterial load on treatment, measured by MGIT liquid culture time to detection from weekly sputum cultures. The primary safety endpoint will be the proportion of oxazolidinone class toxicities; neuropathy, myelosuppression, or tyramine pressor response. Participants who convert to negative liquid media culture by week 8 will stop treatment after the end of their 16-week course and will be observed for relapse until week 52. Participants who do not convert to negative culture will receive continuation phase treatment with rifampicin and isoniazid to complete a six-month treatment course. Discussion: DECODE is an innovative dose-finding trial, designed to support exposure-response modelling for safe and effective dose selection. The trial design allows assessment of occurrence of late toxicities as observed with linezolid, which is necessary in clinical evaluation of novel oxazolidinones. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in bacterial load, an endpoint conventionally used in shorter dose-finding trials. Long-term follow-up after shortened treatment is possible through a safety rule excluding slow-and non-responders from potentially poorly performing dosages