Using Light to Improve Commercial Value

The plasticity of plant morphology has evolved to maximize reproductive fitness in response to prevailing environmental conditions. Leaf architecture elaborates to maximize light harvesting, while the transition to flowering can either be accelerated or delayed to improve an individual's fitness. One of the most important environmental signals is light, with plants using light for both photosynthesis and as an environmental signal. Plants perceive different wavelengths of light using distinct photoreceptors. Recent advances in LED technology now enable light quality to be manipulated at a commercial scale, and as such opportunities now exist to take advantage of plants' developmental plasticity to enhance crop yield and quality through precise manipulation of a crops' lighting regime. This review will discuss how plants perceive and respond to light, and consider how these specific signaling pathways can be manipulated to improve crop yield and quality

Global urban environmental change drives adaptation in white clover.

Urbanization transforms environments in ways that alter biological evolution. We examined whether urban environmental change drives parallel evolution by sampling 110,019 white clover plants from 6169 populations in 160 cities globally. Plants were assayed for a Mendelian antiherbivore defense that also affects tolerance to abiotic stressors. Urban-rural gradients were associated with the evolution of clines in defense in 47% of cities throughout the world. Variation in the strength of clines was explained by environmental changes in drought stress and vegetation cover that varied among cities. Sequencing 2074 genomes from 26 cities revealed that the evolution of urban-rural clines was best explained by adaptive evolution, but the degree of parallel adaptation varied among cities. Our results demonstrate that urbanization leads to adaptation at a global scale

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Botany, chemistry, and pharmaceutical significance of Sida cordifolia: a traditional medicinal plant

Sida cordifolia Linn. belonging to the family, Malvaceae has been widely employed in traditional medications in many parts of the world including India, Brazil, and other Asian and African countries. The plant is extensively used in the Ayurvedic medicine preparation. There are more than 200 plant species within the genus Sida, which are distributed predominantly in the tropical regions. The correct taxonomic identification is a major concern due to the fact that S. cordifolia looks morphologically similar with its related species. It possesses activity against various human ailments, including cancer, asthma, cough, diarrhea, malaria, gonorrhea, tuberculosis, obesity, ulcer, Parkinson’s disease, urinary infections, and many others. The medical importance of this plant is mainly correlated to the occurrence of diverse biologically active phytochemical compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and steroids. The major compounds include β-phenylamines, 2-carboxylated tryptamines, quinazoline, quinoline, indole, ephedrine, vasicinone, 5-3-isoprenyl flavone, 5,7-dihydroxy-3-isoprenyl flavone, and 6-(isoprenyl)- 3-methoxy- 8-C-β-D-glucosyl-kaempferol 3-O-β-D-glucosyl[1–4]-α-D-glucoside. The literature survey reveals that most of the pharmacological investigations on S. cordifolia are limited to crude plant extracts and few isolated pure compounds. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate many other unexplored bioactive phytoconstituents with evidences so as to justify the traditional usages of S. cordifolia. Furthermore, detailed studies on the action of mechanisms of these isolated compounds supported by clinical research are necessary for validating their application in contemporary medicines. The aim of the present chapter is to provide a detailed information on the ethnobotanical, phytochemical, and pharmacological aspects of S. cordifolia

Evaluation of appendicitis risk prediction models in adults with suspected appendicitis

Background Appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency worldwide, but its diagnosis remains challenging. The aim of this study was to determine whether existing risk prediction models can reliably identify patients presenting to hospital in the UK with acute right iliac fossa (RIF) pain who are at low risk of appendicitis. Methods A systematic search was completed to identify all existing appendicitis risk prediction models. Models were validated using UK data from an international prospective cohort study that captured consecutive patients aged 16–45 years presenting to hospital with acute RIF in March to June 2017. The main outcome was best achievable model specificity (proportion of patients who did not have appendicitis correctly classified as low risk) whilst maintaining a failure rate below 5 per cent (proportion of patients identified as low risk who actually had appendicitis). Results Some 5345 patients across 154 UK hospitals were identified, of which two‐thirds (3613 of 5345, 67·6 per cent) were women. Women were more than twice as likely to undergo surgery with removal of a histologically normal appendix (272 of 964, 28·2 per cent) than men (120 of 993, 12·1 per cent) (relative risk 2·33, 95 per cent c.i. 1·92 to 2·84; P < 0·001). Of 15 validated risk prediction models, the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best (cut‐off score 8 or less, specificity 63·1 per cent, failure rate 3·7 per cent). The Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score performed best for men (cut‐off score 2 or less, specificity 24·7 per cent, failure rate 2·4 per cent). Conclusion Women in the UK had a disproportionate risk of admission without surgical intervention and had high rates of normal appendicectomy. Risk prediction models to support shared decision‐making by identifying adults in the UK at low risk of appendicitis were identified

Produtividade de híbridos de abobrinha italiana cultivados sob diferentes coberturas de solo Yield of italian hibrid squash on different soil coverings

Um experimento foi realizado na empresa Sakata Seed Sudamerica Ltda., em Bragança Paulista-SP, de 22 de agosto a 11 de outubro de 2006, com o objetivo de avaliar diferentes tipos de materiais para cobertura do solo e seu efeito na ocorrência de frutos com sintomas de viroses e na produtividade de dois híbridos de abobrinha. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram arranjados em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, sendo as parcelas constituídas por seis tipos de cobertura de solo (polietileno preto, polietileno prata, polietileno branco, polipropileno preto, casca de arroz e solo descoberto); as sub-parcelas foram constituídas de dois híbridos de abobrinha [Novita Plus (cv. tipo caserta) e Samira (cv. tipo libanesa)]. Observou-se que a técnica de cobertura de solo com plástico, independentemente da coloração utilizada, mostrou-se superior ao solo descoberto para todas as características avaliadas. Entre os tipos de materiais coube o destaque para o polietileno prata que promoveu a maior produtividade e menor infecção de viroses, em relação às demais coberturas de solo. Entre os híbridos, Novita Plus foi superior a Samira para as características de pegamento de frutos, número de frutos por planta e produtividade, além de apresentar 12% a menos de frutos com sintomas de viroses em relação à Samira. Para o híbrido Novita Plus, cabe destacar que a detecção da ocorrência de sintomas de viroses nos frutos teve início somente a partir da oitava colheita nos tratamentos com polietileno prata, branco e casca de arroz. Para 'Samira', os sintomas nos frutos começaram já na segunda colheita nos tratamentos com solo descoberto e polipropileno preto, e a partir da quarta para as outras coberturas de solo.<br>The experiment was carried out in an area of Sakata Seed Sudamerica Ltda. in Bragança Paulista, Brazil, from August 22nd to October 11th, 2006, to evaluate different types of materials for soil covering and its effect on fruits with virus symptoms and on the yield of two hybrids of squash. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with four replications. The treatments followed a split-plot cheme, evaluating six soil coverings (black, silver and white polyethylene, black polypropylene, rice husk and bare soil) and two hybrids [(Novita Plus (cv. type Caserta) and Samira (cv. type Libanese)]. The technique of plastic soil covering, independently of the material used, was superior to bare soil. Among the materials the treatments using silver polyethylene promoted the highest yield and the lowest percentage of fruits with viruses in comparison to the other soil coverings. Among the hybrids, Novita Plus was superior to Samira in relation to the characteristics of fruit set, number of fruits per plants and yield, besides presenting 12% less fruits with virus symptoms in relation to Samira. For 'Novita Plus', the occurrence of virus symptoms began only at the eighth harvest on the treatments using silver and white polyethylene and rice husk. For 'Samira' the symptoms started at the second harvest on plants submitted to bare soil or black polypropylene and at fourth harvest on the other treatments