Efectos de la nutrición y de Bacillus amyloliquefaciens en tomate (Solanum lycopersicum, L.) cultivado en perlita

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are free-living bacteria that, as their name suggests, promote plant growth. However, they can also be of help in the biological control of plant diseases. This study reports the effects of two different commercially available strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (FZB24 and FZB42) on tomato production in open and closed systems in the presence of different amounts of nutrients. Three factors were tested: (1) the type of nutrition system (open or closed), (2) the concentration of the nutrient solution (full or half strength), and (3) the PGPR applied (either B. amyloliquefaciens FZB24 or B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42, or a no-PGPR control). Perlite was used as the growth medium. Variables related to water use efficiency, yield and fruit quality were assessed. The use of half strength nutrient solution was sufficient for full growth in the open system in both spring and autumn seasons. However, the same strength nutrient solution was associated with reduced yields in the closed system during the autumn season. The application of either strain of B. amyloliquefaciens increased the yield of the tomato plants by 8-9% in the open system in the spring, whereas they had an adverse effect on yield in the closed system under half strength nutrient solution conditions during the autumn.Las rhizobacterias promotoras del crecimiento de las plantas (PGPR) son bacterias que viven libres y, como su nombre indica, promueven el crecimiento de las plantas. Sin embargo, también pueden ser de ayuda en el control biológico de las enfermedades de las plantas. En este estudio se investigaron los efectos de dos cepas comerciales de Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (FZB24 y FZB42) sobre la producción de tomate en sistemas abiertos y cerrados, en presencia de diferentes cantidades de nutrientes. Los tratamientos fueron: (1) tipo de sistema de nutrición (abierto o cerrado), (2) concentración de nutrientes (solución nutritiva completa o incompleta), (3) la PGPR aplicada (B. amyloliquefaciens FZB24, B. amyloliquefaciens FZB42, o un control sin PGPR). Se utilizó perlita como medio de crecimiento. Se evaluaron las variables relacionadas con la eficiencia del uso del agua, producción de tomate y calidad del fruto. La solución de nutrientes menos concentrada fue suficiente para un pleno crecimiento en el sistema abierto en ambas estaciones (primavera y otoño). Sin embargo, la misma solución de nutrientes disminuyó en otoño la producción en el sistema cerrado. La aplicación de ambas cepas de B. amyloliquefaciens aumentó la producción de las plantas de tomate un 8-9% en el sistema abierto en primavera, mientras que tuvo un efecto adverso sobre la producción en otoño en el sistema cerrado con la solución menos concentrada

DIFFERENT SOILLESS CULTURE SYSTEMS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT

Soilless culture is growing plants without use of soil as a rooting medium, and divided into water culture and substrate culture. Among the water culture techniques, float hydroponics is adopted for the cultivation of fresh-cut leafy vegetables and aromatic plants. Substrate culture by using plastic bags has been applied successfully at commercial level for fruiting vegetables. Production scale, crops, growing cycles and length of each cycle, cost and management skills should be considered as well as environmental concerns in the decision of soilless culture system. Therefore, closed loop systems have gained importance for increasing sustainability in soilless cultivation. This presentation aims to summarize different soilless culture systems and the potential of their use in vegetable production

Podwyższony poziom greliny w stanie przedrzucawkowym: czy grelina jest przyjacielem czy wrogiem?

Objectives: To investigate maternal serum ghrelin levels in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and to explore the relationship between ghrelin level and disease severity. Materials and methods: This case-control study included 40 healthy pregnant women, 42 women with mild preeclampsia, and 40 women with severe preeclampsia. The groups were matched in terms of maternal and gestational age and body mass index. Serum ghrelin levels were measured via enzyme immunoassay. Results: Serum ghrelin levels were significantly higher in women with mild and severe preeclampsia than in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Although serum ghrelin levels were somewhat higher in the severe compared to the mild preeclampsia group, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In the control group, no significant correlation was observed between ghrelin level and any other parameter, but in the preeclampsia group, serum ghrelin levels were negatively correlated with uterine artery Doppler index values and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure (all p-values < 0.05). Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that systolic blood pressure (β = 0.493, p = 0.023) was independently associated with serum ghrelin level. Conclusion: Elevated blood ghrelin levels were correlated with disease severity in pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia.Cel pracy: Ocena poziomu greliny w surowicy kobiet w ciąży powikłanej stanem przedrzucawkowym i określenie związku między poziomem greliny a ciężkością choroby. Materiał i metoda: Do badania włączono 40 zdrowych kobiet w ciąży, 42 z łagodnym stanem przedrzucawkowym i 40 z ciężkim stanem przedrzucawkowym. Grupy były dobrane pod względem wieku ciążowego, wieku matek i wskaźnika masy ciała. Poziom greliny w surowicy był mierzony metodą immunoenzymatyczną. Wyniki: Poziom greliny w surowicy był istotnie wyższy u kobiet z łagodnym i ciężkim stanem przedrzucawkowym niż w grupie kontrolnej (p < 0,001). Chociaż poziom greliny w surowicy był wyższy w grupie z ciężkim stanem przedrzucawkowym niż w grupie z łagodnym stanem przedrzucawkowym, to ta różnica nie była istotna statystycznie (p > 0,05). W grupie kontrolnej nie obserwowano żadnych istotnych związków pomiędzy poziomem greliny a jakimkolwiek innym parametrem, ale w grupie ze stanem przedrzucawkowym poziom greliny w surowicy był ujemnie skorelowany z indeksami przepływów Dopplera w tętnicy macicznej oraz ciśnieniem krwi skurczowym i rozkurczowym (all p-values < 0,05). Wieloczynnikowa analiza regresji liniowej wykazała, że skurczowe ciśnienie krwi było niezależnym czynnikiem związanym z poziomem greliny w surowicy (β = 0,493, p = 0,023). Wnioski: Podwyższony poziom greliny we krwi był związany z ciężkością choroby w ciążach powikłanych stanem przedrzucawkowym

Thrombotic risk assessment in antiphospholipid syndrome: do noncriteria antibodies contribute?

BACKGROUND/AIM: In this cross-sectional study, it was aimed to test the predictive value of noncriteria antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in addition to the global antiphospholipid syndrome score (GAPSS) in predicting vascular thrombosis (VT) in a cohort of patients with APS and aPL (+) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 50 patients with primary APS, 68 with SLE/APS, and 52 with aPL (+) SLE who were classified according to VT as VT ± pregnancy morbidity (PM), PM only or aPL (+) SLE. Antiphospholipid serology consisting of lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin (aCL) immunoglobulin G (IgG)/IgM/IgA, antibeta2 glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) IgG/IgM/IgA, antiphosphatidylserine/prothrombin (aPS/PT) IgG/IgM and antidomain-I (aDI) IgG was determined for each patient. The GAPSS and adjusted GAPSS (aGAPSS) were calculated for each patient, as previously defined. Logistic regression analysis was carried out with thrombosis as the dependent variable and high GAPSS, aCL IgA, aβ2GPI IgA, and aDI IgG as independent variables. RESULTS: The mean GAPSS and aGAPSS of the study population were 11.6 ± 4.4 and 9.6 ± 3.8. Both the VT ± PM APS (n = 105) and PM only APS (n = 13) groups had significantly higher GAPSS and aGAPSS values compared to the aPL (+) SLE (n = 52) group. The patients with recurrent thrombosis had higher aGAPSS but not GAPSS than those with a single thrombotic event. The computed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve demonstrated that a GAPSS ≥13 and aGAPSS ≥10 had the best predictive values for thrombosis. Logistic regression analysis including a GAPSS ≥13, aCL IgA, aβ2GPI IgA, and aDI IgG showed that none of the factors other than a GAPSS ≥13 could predict thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Both the GAPSS and aGAPSS successfully predict the thrombotic risk in aPL (+) patients and aCL IgA, aβ2GPI IgA, and aDI IgG do not contribute to high a GAPSS or aGAPSS

Time-Kill Kinetics and In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility of Non-fumigatus Aspergillus Species Isolated from Patients with Ocular Mycoses

Aspergillus species can cause ocular morbidity and blindness, and thus, appropriate antifungal therapy is needed. We investigated the in vitro activity of itraconazole, voriconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, anidulafungin, and amphotericin B against 14 Aspergillus isolates obtained from patients with ocular mycoses, using the CLSI reference broth microdilution methodology. In addition, time-kill assays were performed, exposing each isolate separately to 1-, 4-, and 16-fold concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of each antifungal agent. A sigmoid maximum-effect (Emax) model was used to fit the time-kill curve data. The drug effect was further evaluated by measuring an increase/decrease in the killing rate of the tested isolates. The MICs of amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole were 0.5–1.0, 1.0, 0.5–1.0, and 0.25 µg/ml for A. brasiliensis, A. niger, and A. tubingensis isolates, respectively, and 2.0–4.0, 0.5, 1.0 for A. flavus, and 0.12–0.25 µg/ml for A. nomius isolates, respectively. A. calidoustus had the highest MIC range for the azoles (4.0–16.0 µg/ml) among all isolates tested. The minimum effective concentrations of caspofungin and anidulafungin were ≤0.03–0.5 µg/ml and ≤0.03 µg/ml for all isolates, respectively. Posaconazole demonstrated maximal killing rates (Emax = 0.63 h−1, r2 = 0.71) against 14 ocular Aspergillus isolates, followed by amphotericin B (Emax = 0.39 h−1, r2 = 0.87), voriconazole (Emax = 0.35 h−1, r2 = 0.098), and itraconazole (Emax = 0.01 h−1, r2 = 0.98). Overall, the antifungal susceptibility of the non-fumigatusAspergillus isolates tested was species and antifungal agent dependent. Analysis of the kinetic growth assays, along with consideration of the killing rates, revealed that posaconazole was the most effective antifungal against all of the isolates

Determination of periodic deformation from InSAR results using the FFT time series analysis method in Gediz Graben

Permanent Scatterers (PS) point velocities obtained by the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) method are generally determined using the linear regression model, which ignores periodic and seasonal effects. In this study, software was developed that can detect periodic effects by applying fast Fourier transformation (FFT) time series analysis to InSAR results. Using the FFT time series analysis, the periodic components of the surface movements at the PS points were determined, and then the annual velocity values free from periodic effects were obtained. The study area was chosen as the Gediz Graben, a tectonically active region where aseismic surface deformations have been observed in recent years. As a result, using the developed method, seasonal effects were successfully determined with the InSAR method at the PS points in the study area with a period of 384 days and an average amplitude of 19 mm. In addition, groundwater level changes of a water well in the region were modeled, and 0.93 correlation coefficient values were calculated between seasonal InSAR displacement values and water level changes. Thus, using the developed methodology, the relationship between the tectonic movement in the Gediz Graben in Turkey and the seasonal movements and the change in the groundwater level was determined

Economic analysis of soilless and soil-based greenhouse cucumber production in Turkey

Since the onset of the commercial application of soilless culture, this production approach has evoluted at a fast pace, gaining popularity among growers throughout the world. As a result, a lot of information has been developed by growers, advisors, researchers, and suppliers of equipment and substrate. This study aimed to determine the cost and return of soilless greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production and to prepare a sample budget for growers. Soilless cultivation is an alternative production method for Turkish growers and it is being practised on a commercial basis on 180 ha. Cost and return budgets can be useful for growers because they allows growers to compare total production cost and revenue varying grower type, production time, geographical location, operation size, and cost structure. Growers can identify items in their budget that have a greater effect on profitability, and make adjustments. In this study, economic aspects of soilless and soil-based greenhouse cucumber production was analysed as comparative. Total costs were subtracted from total gross revenue to calculate the net return of soilless and soil-based greenhouse cucumber production. The cost items of soilless and soil-based greenhouse cucumber production were initial investment costs, variable costs, and fixed costs. Net return obtained from cucumbers grown in a mixture of perlite and zeolite was determined as € 1.84 m-2, whereas it was € 1.48 m-2 in conventional soil-based production. Production and market risks both affect profitability and economic viability of soilless grown vegetables.Desde o início da implantação de cultivos comerciais sem solo suas técnicas de produção tem evoluido em ritmo acelerado, ganhando popularidade entre agricultores de todo o mundo. Como resultado, uma grande quantidade de informação tem sido desenvolvida pelos produtores, consultores, pesquisadores e fornecedores de equipamentos e substratos. Determinaram-se o custo e retorno financeiro da produção de pepino (Cucumis sativus L.) e preparou-se um exemplo de orçamento para produtores. Na Turquia o cultivo sem solo é um método alternativo de produção para agricultores e é praticado em bases comerciais em 180 hectares. Por conseguinte, avaliações de custos e retornos podem ser úteis para produtores porque permitem aos mesmos comparar o custo total da produção e o retorno segundo variações de tipo de olericultor, tempo de produção, localização geográfica, tamanho do empreendimento e custo das estruturas. Os produtores podem assim identificar quais itens em seus orçamantos tem maior efeito na rentabilidade e fazer ajustes. Nesse estudo aspectos econômicos de cultivos de pepino em casas de vegetação sem solo e com solo foram analisados e comparados.Os custos totais foram subtraidos das receitas brutas para fins de cálculo do retorno líquido de produções de pepino em cultivos com e sem solo. Os custos dos itens dos cultivos com e sem solo foram: investimentos iniciais, custos variáveis e custos fixos. O retorno líquido obtido pelos produtores de pepino cultivados em um substrato de perlita e zeolita foi de € 1.84 m-2 e de € 1.48 m-2 para o cultivo convencional com solo. Contudo, riscos de produção e de mercado afetam a rentabilidade e viabilidade econômica de hortaliças cultivadas sem solo

Turner syndrome and associated problems in turkish children: A multicenter study

Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder caused by complete or partial X chromosome monosomy that manifests various clinical features depending on the karyotype and on the genetic background of affected girls. This study aimed to systematically investigate the key clinical features of TS in relationship to karyotype in a large pediatric Turkish patient population. Methods: Our retrospective study included 842 karyotype-proven TS patients aged 0-18 years who were evaluated in 35 different centers in Turkey in the years 2013-2014. Results: The most common karyotype was 45,X (50.7%), followed by 45,X/46,XX (10.8%), 46,X,i(Xq) (10.1%) and 45,X/46,X,i(Xq) (9.5%). Mean age at diagnosis was 10.2±4.4 years. The most common presenting complaints were short stature and delayed puberty. Among patients diagnosed before age one year, the ratio of karyotype 45,X was significantly higher than that of other karyotype groups. Cardiac defects (bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta and aortic stenosi) were the most common congenital anomalies, occurring in 25% of the TS cases. This was followed by urinary system anomalies (horseshoe kidney, double collector duct system and renal rotation) detected in 16.3%. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was found in 11.1% of patients, gastrointestinal abnormalities in 8.9%, ear nose and throat problems in 22.6%, dermatologic problems in 21.8% and osteoporosis in 15.3%. Learning difficulties and/or psychosocial problems were encountered in 39.1%. Insulin resistance and impaired fasting glucose were detected in 3.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Dyslipidemia prevalence was 11.4%. Conclusion: This comprehensive study systematically evaluated the largest group of karyotype-proven TS girls to date. The karyotype distribution, congenital anomaly and comorbidity profile closely parallel that from other countries and support the need for close medical surveillance of these complex patients throughout their lifespan. © Journal of Clinical Research in Pediatric Endocrinology