Soil Phosphorus Uptake by Continuously Cropped Lupinus albus: A New Microcosm Design

When grown in soils with sparingly available phosphorus (P), white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) forms special root structures, called cluster roots, which secrete large amounts of organic acids and concomitantly acidify the rhizosphere. Many studies dealing with the understanding of this P acquisition strategy have been performed in short time experiments either in hydroponic cultures or in small microcosm designs with sand or sand:soil mixtures. In the present study, we applied an experimental design which came nearer to the natural field conditions: we performed a one-year experiment on large microcosms containing 7kg of soil and allowing separation of rhizosphere soil and bulk soil. We planted six successive generations of lupins and analysed P uptake, organic P desorption, phosphatase activities and organic acid concentrations in different soil samples along a spatio-temporal gradient. We compared the rhizosphere soil samples of cluster (RSC) and non-cluster roots (RSNC) as well as the bulk soil (BS) samples. A total shoot biomass of 55.69 ± 1.51g(d.w.)y−1 was produced and P uptake reached 220.59 ± 5.99mgy−1. More P was desorbed from RSC than from RSNC or BS (P < 0.05). RSC and RSNC showed a higher activity of acid and alkaline phosphatases than BS samples and a higher acid phosphatase activity was observed in RSC than in RSNC throughout the one-year experiment. Fumarate was the most abundant organic acid in all rhizosphere soil samples. Citrate was only present in detectable amounts in RSC while malate and fumarate were recovered from both RSC and RSNC. Almost no organic acids could be detected in the BS samples. Our results demonstrated that over a one-year cultivation period in the absence of an external P supply, white lupin was able to acquire phosphate from the soil and that the processes leading to this P uptake took place preferentially in the rhizosphere of cluster root

Oral administration of the KATP channel opener diazoxide ameliorates disease progression in a murine model of multiple sclerosis

Background Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an acquired inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) and is the leading cause of nontraumatic disability among young adults. Activated microglial cells are important effectors of demyelination and neurodegeneration, by secreting cytokines and others neurotoxic agents. Previous studies have demonstrated that microglia expresses ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels and its pharmacological activation can provide neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, we have examined the effect of oral administration of KATP channel opener diazoxide on induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a mouse model of MS. Methods Anti-inflammatory effects of diazoxide were studied on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon gamma (IFNy)-activated microglial cells. EAE was induced in C57BL/6J mice by immunization with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide (MOG35-55). Mice were orally treated daily with diazoxide or vehicle for 15 days from the day of EAE symptom onset. Treatment starting at the same time as immunization was also assayed. Clinical signs of EAE were monitored and histological studies were performed to analyze tissue damage, demyelination, glial reactivity, axonal loss, neuronal preservation and lymphocyte infiltration. Results Diazoxide inhibited in vitro nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-¿) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression by activated microglia without affecting cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and phagocytosis. Oral treatment of mice with diazoxide ameliorated EAE clinical signs but did not prevent disease. Histological analysis demonstrated that diazoxide elicited a significant reduction in myelin and axonal loss accompanied by a decrease in glial activation and neuronal damage. Diazoxide did not affect the number of infiltrating lymphocytes positive for CD3 and CD20 in the spinal cord. Conclusion Taken together, these results demonstrate novel actions of diazoxide as an anti-inflammatory agent, which might contribute to its beneficial effects on EAE through neuroprotection. Treatment with this widely used and well-tolerated drug may be a useful therapeutic intervention in ameliorating MS disease

TerrHum: an iPhone app for classifying forest humipedons.

The knowledge of a little number of specific terms is necessary to investigate and describe the forest topsoils: diagnostic components, diagnostic organic and organic-mineral horizons and the 17 series of humus horizons composing all the observed real forest not submerged topsoils. Diagnostic horizons are grouped in humus forms, which represent five humus systems. To become a good topsoil investigator is then only a question of field experience. No mean to do otherwise: you must go in the field with a blade and a good manual and put your hand in the soil. You have to make a hole and to observe on your knee a wall of the pit, from the top to the bottom, detecting all the characters that you find indicated in the manual. At the beginning you will be discouraged, things change from a site to another and never are exactly as in the manual. After few days of difficult survey, you will be able to know your soil even without doing a hole. Be patient and follow what it is indicated in the published first eight articles of Humusica (http://intra.tesaf.unipd.it/people/zanella/hmanual.html). On the poster, you find some examples of diagnostic properties of forest topsoils, and a dichotomy key of classification, you can copy paste and take with you in the field. An iPhone application (Terrhum) allows to bring in the field the necessary information for a fast classification of the topsoil

Electromagnetic Transmission of Intellectual Property Data to Protect FPGA Designs

International audienceOver the past 10 years, the designers of intellectual properties(IP) have faced increasing threats including cloning, counterfeiting, andreverse-engineering. This is now a critical issue for the microelectronicsindustry. The design of a secure, efficient, lightweight protection scheme fordesign data is a serious challenge for the hardware security community. In thiscontext, this chapter presents two ultra-lightweight transmitters using sidechannel leakage based on electromagnetic emanation to send embedded IPidentity discreetly and quickl

Pleosporales

One hundred and five generic types of Pleosporales are described and illustrated. A brief introduction and detailed history with short notes on morphology, molecular phylogeny as well as a general conclusion of each genus are provided. For those genera where the type or a representative specimen is unavailable, a brief note is given. Altogether 174 genera of Pleosporales are treated. Phaeotrichaceae as well as Kriegeriella, Zeuctomorpha and Muroia are excluded from Pleosporales. Based on the multigene phylogenetic analysis, the suborder Massarineae is emended to accommodate five families, viz. Lentitheciaceae, Massarinaceae, Montagnulaceae, Morosphaeriaceae and Trematosphaeriaceae

A Standardized Morpho-Functional Classification of the Planet’s Humipedons

It was time to take stock. We modified the humipedon classification key published in 2018 to make it easier and more practical. This morpho-functional taxonomy of the topsoil (humipedon) was only available in English; we also translated it into French and Italian. A standardized morphofunctional classification of humipedons (roughly the top 30–40 cm of soil: organic and organomineral surface horizons) would allow for a better understanding of the functioning of the soil ecosystem. This paper provides the founding principles of the classification of humipedon into humus systems and forms. With the recognition of a few diagnostic horizons, all humus systems can be determined. The humus forms that make up these humus systems are revealed by measuring the thicknesses of the diagnostic horizons. In the final part of the article, several figures represent the screenshots of a mobile phone or tablet application that allows for a fast recall of the diagnostic elements of the classification in the field. The article attempts to promote a standardized classification of humipedons for a global and shared management of soil at planet level

A standardized morpho-functional classification of the planet’s humipedons

It was time to take stock. We modified the humipedon classification key published in 2018 to make it easier and more practical. This morpho-functional taxonomy of the topsoil (humipedon) was only available in English; we also translated it into French and Italian. A standardized morphofunctional classification of humipedons (roughly the top 30–40 cm of soil: organic and organomineral surface horizons) would allow for a better understanding of the functioning of the soil ecosystem. This paper provides the founding principles of the classification of humipedon into humus systems and forms. With the recognition of a few diagnostic horizons, all humus systems can be determined. The humus forms that make up these humus systems are revealed by measuring the thicknesses of the diagnostic horizons. In the final part of the article, several figures represent the screenshots of a mobile phone or tablet application that allows for a fast recall of the diagnostic elements of the classification in the field. The article attempts to promote a standardized classification of humipedons for a global and shared management of soil at planet level