Volatile organic compounds in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grafted onto 21 local and two commercial bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) rootstocks

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are responsible for flavour development in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). The objective of this study was to investigate the rootstock effects of 21 local bottle gourd [Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.] accessions collected from the Mediterranean region (Turkey) on the concentrations of VOCs in watermelon over 2 years. The watermelon cultivar 'Crimson Tide' was used as the scion and two commercial bottle gourd rootstocks were also used for comparison. The VOCs in each rootstock-scion combination were analysed using static headspace (SHS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 24 VOCs were identified in watermelon fruit, including 11 aldehydes, seven alcohols, four ketones, one heterocyclic compound, and one acid. Acetaldehyde (25.9 - 39.5% of the total peak areas), propanal (5.0 - 8.3%), 2-propanone (2.5 - 4.9%), pentanal (2.1 - 3.6%), hexenal (14.5 - 22.6%), (E)-2-hexenal (0.4 - 2.3%), 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one (10.0 - 19.05%), nonanal (1.6 - 4.4%), (Z)-6-nonenal (4.0 - 9.8%), (E)-2-nonenal (0.6 - 2.0%), (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal (2.1 - 3.7%), (Z)-6-nonenol (1.0 - 3.2%), and (E,Z)-3,6-nonadienol (1.0 - 3.7%) were the most abundant VOCs found in all watermelon scions.There was no significant effect (P ? 0.05) of rootstock on the concentrations of acetaldehyde, propanal, pentanal, heptanal, ethanol, 1-pentanol, 2-propanone, 2-pentyl furan, or acetic acid. Propanal, 2-propanone, and acetic acid were identified as VOCs in watermelon for the first time. Hexanal, (Z)-6-nonanal, and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one concentrations were strongly affected by rootstock.The results showed that the local bottle gourd accessions 07-06 and 31-09, in particular, were the most promising genotypes in terms of producing favourable VOCs. Except for the local bottle gourd accessions 33-35, 01-17, and 07-04, the other 18 gourds accessions had high potential as rootstocks for breeding programmes in watermelon with regard to desirable VOC concentrations. Rootstock 31-09 should be considered for commercial production in terms of improved disease resistance, fruit yield, and fruit quality

Some physiological and growth responses of watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. and Nakai] grafted onto Lagenaria siceraria to flooding

In this study, the effect of flooding on plant growth and photosynthetic activity of grafted watermelon were investigated. The watermelon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum and Nakai] cv. 'Crimson Tide' was grafted onto Lagenaria siceraria SKP (Landrace). Grafted and ungrafted watermelon plants were flooded at the soil surface for 20 days. For every 5 days, three plants were sampled to determine plant fresh and dry weight, leaf number and main stem. length. Leaf colour, single leaf CO(2) exchange rate (CER), stomatal conductance (SC) and transpiration rate (Ts) were determined at T days interval. Flooding caused chlorosis on both grafted and ungrafted plants but such effect was more pronounced on ungrafted watermelon plants. CER, SC and Ts began to decrease from the 4th day of the flooding in both grafted and ungrafted plants as compared with non-flooded controls. However, grafted plants showed higher tolerance to flooding and had two-folds more CER, SC and Ts. Plant growth rate was also significantly lower in flooded plants than when compared to unflooded controls. Ungrafted plants had lower dry weight than grafted plants under flooding conditions. At the end of the experiment, decrease in fresh weight of plants was about 180% in ungrafted and 50% in grafted watermelons. Dry weight also decreased about 230% in ungrafted and 80% in grafted watermelons. Similar results were found in leaf number and main stem length. Adventitious roots and aerenchyma formation were observed in grafted watermelon but not in ungrafted watermelon under flooding. Adventitious root formation began from 3rd or 4th day of flooding and adventitious roots grew towards the soil surface. Flooding tolerance of watermelon could be improved by grafting onto L. siceraria. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The impact of blinding on the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled multiple sclerosis clinical trial.

In the randomized, placebo-controlled, physician-blinded Canadian cooperative trial of cyclophosphamide and plasma exchange, neither active treatment regimens (group I: i.v. cyclophosphamide and prednisone; group II: weekly plasma exchange, oral cyclophosphamide, and prednisone) were superior to placebo (group III: sham plasma exchange and placebo medications) using the blinded, evaluating neurologists' assessments of disease course (primary analysis). All patients were examined by both a blinded and an unblinded neurologist at each assessment in this trial. We compared the blinded and unblinded neurologists' judgment of treatment response and analyzed the clinical behavior of patients who correctly guessed their treatment. The unblinded (but not the blinded) neurologists' scores demonstrated an apparent treatment benefit at 6, 12, and 24 months for the group II patients (not group I or placebo; p < 0.05, two-tailed). There were no significant differences in the time to treatment failure or in the proportions of patients improved, stable, or worse between the group II and group III patients who correctly guessed their treatment assignments and those who did not. Physician blinding prevented an erroneous conclusion about treatment efficacy (false positive, type 1 error)

The impact of blinding on the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled multiple sclerosis clinical trial

In the randomized, placebo-controlled, physician-blinded Canadian cooperative trial of cyclophosphamide and plasma exchange, neither active treatment regimens (group I: IV cyclophosphamide and prednisone; group II: weekly plasma exchange, oral cyclophosphamide, and prednisone) were superior to placebo (group III: sham plasma exchange and placebo medications) using the blinded, evaluating neurologists' assessments of disease course (primary analysis). All patients were examined by both a blinded and an unblinded neurologist at each assessment in this trial. We compared the blinded and unblinded neurologists' judgment of treatment response and analyzed the clinical behavior of patients who correctly guessed their treatment. The unblinded (but not the blinded) neurologists' scores demonstrated an apparent treatment benefit at 6, 12, and 24 months for the group II patients (not group I or placebo; p < 0.05, two-tailed). There were no significant differences in the time to treatment failure or in the proportions of patients improved, stable, or worse between the group II and group III patients who correctly guessed their treatment assignments and those who did not. Physician blinding prevented an erroneous conclusion about treatment efficacy (false positive, type 1 error)

The impact of blinding on the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled multiple sclerosis clinical trial

In the randomized, placebo-controlled, physician-blinded Canadian cooperative trial of cyclophosphamide and plasma exchange, neither active treatment regimens (group I: IV cyclophosphamide and prednisone; group II: weekly plasma exchange, oral cyclophosphamide, and prednisone) were superior to placebo (group III: sham plasma exchange and placebo medications) using the blinded, evaluating neurologists' assessments of disease course (primary analysis). All patients were examined by both a blinded and an unblinded neurologist at each assessment in this trial. We compared the blinded and unblinded neurologists' judgment of treatment response and analyzed the clinical behavior of patients who correctly guessed their treatment. The unblinded (but not the blinded) neurologists' scores demonstrated an apparent treatment benefit at 6, 12, and 24 months for the group II patients (not group I or placebo; p &lt; 0.05, two-tailed). There were no significant differences in the time to treatment failure or in the proportions of patients improved, stable, or worse between the group II and group III patients who correctly guessed their treatment assignments and those who did not. Physician blinding prevented an erroneous conclusion about treatment efficacy (false positive, type 1 error)

A metastatic RCC case report undergoing multiple treatment options

9th International Eurasian Hematology Oncology Congress (EHOC) -- OCT 17-20, 2018 -- Istanbul, TURKEYWOS: 000447176600145

The Effectiveness of Grafting to Improve Salt Tolerance of Sensitive Melon When the Tolerant Melon is Use as Rootstock

4th International Conference on Agriculture and Horticulture (AGRI) -- FEB 15-17, 2015 -- Amsterdam, NETHERLANDSWOS: 000380953000147Melon is one of the important species of the Cucurbitaceae family. However the salinity sensitivity of the melon is the significant limitation in melon production areas. Grafting can be an alternative solution for saline conditions however the rootstock affinity of melons with the other species of the Cucurbitaceae family, mainly different squashes, is still economically uncertain. Therefore may be the melon itself can be good rootstock for the melon scions. In this research, the melon rootstock for melon scion was studied for salinity tolerance. Melon cultivars that are sensitive and tolerant to salinity were reciprocally grafted and plants were grown under salt stress with control plants. Growing culture was vermiculite and plants were irrigated by the complete nutrient solution. Thirty days old melon plants, grafted and un-grafted were subjected to salinity stress during 25 days with 100mM NaCI. Some physiological parameters were investigated. Grafting on the tolerant melon increased the responses of the sensitive melon to salinity in comparison to the un-grafted one. The shoot fresh weight and leaf area both were increased by 27%, leaf water potential was increased by 65%. Leaf membrane injury was decreased by 13 and stomatal conductance was increased by 18%. Grafting technique and salt tolerant-melon-rootstock can be good solution for melon production under the saline conditions. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V