The Physiology and Proteomics of Drought Tolerance in Maize: Early Stomatal Closure as a Cause of Lower Tolerance to Short-Term Dehydration?

Understanding the response of a crop to drought is the first step in the breeding of tolerant genotypes. In our study, two maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes with contrasting sensitivity to dehydration were subjected to moderate drought conditions. The subsequent analysis of their physiological parameters revealed a decreased stomatal conductance accompanied by a slighter decrease in the relative water content in the sensitive genotype. In contrast, the tolerant genotype maintained open stomata and active photosynthesis, even under dehydration conditions. Drought-induced changes in the leaf proteome were analyzed by two independent approaches, 2D gel electrophoresis and iTRAQ analysis, which provided compatible but only partially overlapping results. Drought caused the up-regulation of protective and stress-related proteins (mainly chaperones and dehydrins) in both genotypes. The differences in the levels of various detoxification proteins corresponded well with the observed changes in the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The number and levels of up-regulated protective proteins were generally lower in the sensitive genotype, implying a reduced level of proteosynthesis, which was also indicated by specific changes in the components of the translation machinery. Based on these results, we propose that the hypersensitive early stomatal closure in the sensitive genotype leads to the inhibition of photosynthesis and, subsequently, to a less efficient synthesis of the protective/detoxification proteins that are associated with drought tolerance

Radiation Diagnostic Techniques for Dynamically Controling the Efficiency of Laser-Induced Thermotherapy for Baker’s Cyst

A popliteal cyst or Baker’s cyst is easily distinguished from other cystic or solid tumors on the magnetic resonance imaging sections. At the current level of medicine development, many options have been developed for medical and surgical treatments for popliteal cysts; however, there are still disputes on their validity and efficiency. In addition, there is no consensus on the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease. MRI is known to show similar intraarticular changes in asymptomatic patients and articular syndrome patients, which could suggest that intraarticular pathological changes played a secondary role in a number of cases of Baker’s cyst formation. Under these conditions, laser-induced thermotherapy is considered by the authors to be justified. Its main goal is to coagulate the wall of the tissue cyst, which subsequently leads to obliteration of its anastomosis and cavity. Ultrasound control is used to visualize and ensure the safety of manipulation. This paper describes a case of MRI for diagnosing a popliteal cyst and monitoring the efficiency of laser-induced thermotherapy

Assessment of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Baker’s Cysts and Their Correlation with the Age of Patients

Objective. To determine the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) morphological features of Baker’s cysts and to assess their correlation with the age of patients.Material and methods. The investigation was based on the assessment of MRI readings in 37 patients with Baker’s cysts; of them there were 29 (78.4%) women and 8 (21.6%) men. The mean age of the examinees was 60.3 years (25 to 82 years).Results. The mean dimensions of the cysts were measured. Their length, width, and height were 34 ± 2.1 mm, 5 ± 1.2 mm (range 4–31 mm), and 58 ± 2.9 mm, respectively. Their mean thickness was 0.7 mm. Intracystic chondral bodies were detected in 3 (7.5%) cases. These parameters were shown to be unrelated to age. It was found that all cysts were multi-chamber and an average of 6.8 chambers was detected. There was a weak, inversely proportional, statistically significant relationship between the age of the patients and the number of chambers in the cyst. The younger participants of the investigation exhibited no meniscal damage in an overwhelming case (57.1%); whereas complete and incomplete meniscal tears much more often occurred in older patients with Baker’s cysts (from 29 (78.4%) to 34 (91.9%) people, respectively).Conclusion. Degenerative bone and cartilage tissue changes in the joint increase with age, regardless of the cyst sizes