CO2 enrichment and increasing light intensity till a threshold level, enhance growth and water use efficiency of lettuce plants in controlled environment

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and light intensity are the two main environmental drivers known to play important roles in crop growth and yield. In the current study, lettuce seedlings were exposed to four different light intensities [(75, 150, 300 and 600 Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD)] and four different concentrations of CO2 (400, 800, 1200 and 1600 ppm). By increasing light intensity and CO2 concentration growth parameters such as fresh weight, dry weight and leaf area were stepwise increased from 75 to 300 PPFD and from 400 ppm to 1200 ppm CO2 concentration. Maximum fresh weight was observed in 300 PPFD under both 1200 ppm and 1600 ppm CO2 concentrations. Highest dry weight was obtained in plants exposed to 300 and 600 PPFD under both 1200 and 1600 ppm CO2 concentrations. Highest leaf area was detected in 300 PPFD under both 1200 and 1600 ppm CO2 concentrations. Widest stomatal pore aperture was detected in 600 PPFD under 400 ppm and 800 ppm CO2 concentrations. Evapotranspiration increased in a light intensity and CO2 concentration-dependent manner; higher light intensity or higher CO2 concentration, more evapotranspiration. Highest water use efficiency (WUE) was achieved in plants exposed to 300 PPFD under 1200 ppm CO2 concentration. In conclusion, to achieve best growth performance and WUE, lettuce should be produced under 300 PPFD light intensity and 1200 ppm CO2

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Malignancies among children and young people with HIV in Western and Eastern Europe and Thailand the European Pregnancy and Paediatric Infections Cohort Collaboration (EPPICC) study group

Objectives: Investigate trends over time and predictors of malignancies among children and young people with HIV. Design: Pooled data from 17 cohorts in 15 countries across Europe and Thailand. Methods: Individuals diagnosed with HIV and presenting to paediatric care less than 18 years of age were included. Time at risk began at birth for children with documented vertically acquired HIV, and from first HIV-care visit for others. Children were followed until death, loss-to-follow-up, or last visit in paediatric or adult care (where data after transfer to adult care were available). Rates of reported malignancies were calculated overall and for AIDS-defining malignancies (ADM) and non-AIDS-defining malignancies (NADM) separately. Risk factors for any malignancy were explored using Poisson regression, and for mortality following a malignancy diagnosis using Cox regression. Results: Among 9632 individuals included, 140 (1.5%) were ever diagnosed with a malignancy, of which 112 (80%) were ADM. Overall, the rate of any malignancy was 1.18 per 1000 person-years; the rate of ADM decreased over time whereas the rate of NADM increased. Male sex, being from a European cohort, vertically acquired HIV, current severe immunosuppression, current viral load greater than 400 copies/ml, older age, and, for those not on treatment, earlier calendar year, were risk factors for a malignancy diagnosis. Fifty-eight (41%) individuals with a malignancy died, a median 2.4 months (IQR 0.6-8.8) after malignancy diagnosis. Conclusion: The rate of ADM has declined since widespread availability of combination ART, although of NADM, there was a small increase. Mortality following a malignancy was high, warranting further investigation