Seed Yield and Biological Nitrogen Fixation for Historical Soybean Genotypes

Seed yield formation and biological nitrogen (N) fixation (BNF) were evaluated during the seed filling period (SFP) for historical soybean genotypes under contrasting N strategies. Overall, seed yield increased with the year of release, primarily associated with increments in the seed number component. The study showed that seed weight factor was maintained across decades regardless of the improvement in seed number. Nitrogen factor, evaluated as zero-N application via inorganic fertilizers versus high-N added, influenced seed yield via impacting seed weight factor. The latter plant trait improved with the high-N treatment, which was related to changes in the duration of the SFP rather than in the rate (seed biomass accumulation per day). The BNF parameter also reflected changes during the SFP related to the N treatment implemented, with high BNF (c.a. peak around 70-90%) under zero-N treatment, but still providing N via BNF at a lower rate (c.a. peak around 40-50%) for the high-N treatment. The latter demonstrated that the N fertilization reduced BNF by nearly 50% but did not completely inhibit this process. Thus, the zero-N plants counted on three sources of N to satisfy seed N demand: N-BNF, N-soil, and N-fertilizer. Lastly, the high-N treatment also positively impacted yields (+7 bu/a), which could potentially demonstrate a nitrogen limitation toward the end of the SFP for soybeans. Further testing will be performed during the next growing season to provide an improved yield and BNF characterization under different growing seasons (weather)

Effects of Nitrogen in Soybean Seed Quality Definition During Seed-Filling Period

During the seed filling period (SFP), parallel to the seed changes, translocation of assimilates and nutrients takes place from different plant organs to the seed in order to provide sufficient supply for the seed storage components (i.e., starch, oil, and protein) that ultimately will determine the seed quality. There are two processes that define the final seed weight in any crop: 1) the amount of dry mass deposited per unit of time (rate) and 2) the duration of this process from beginning of seed formation to physiological maturity. As seed number is defined, any source limitation during the SFP can affect the final weight and quality of the seeds. This study aims to investigate if nitrogen (N) is limiting potential seed weight and, in consequence, final seed yield as well as the characterization of the deposition of seed components (i.e., oil and protein) that define soybean seed quality among different N conditions and genotypic background

A platelet lysate antibacterial bioactive patch for tendon repair

Platelet lysate (PL) is a class of platelet-rich hemoderivatives produced by cryogenic disruption of platelet concentrates, originating a pool of supra-physiological concentrations of growth factors (GFs) that is being widely explored in the medical field, namely in sports medicine and orthopaedics. In this concern, patch augmentation strategies have been receiving increased attention as the basis for the development of novel biomaterials aiming at tendon regeneration. In the present work, we assessed PL- membranes as prospective bioinstructive patches under the hypothesis that tendon cells positively respond to PL-derived biochemical signals. For this purpose, PL membranes were fabricated as previously described by Babo et al1 and characterized in terms of degradation, PL-derived proteins and GF release profiles. Cell behaviour was studied in terms of metabolic activity and proliferation, as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) production by culturing human tendon-derived cells (hTDCs) up to 21 days. In addition, the potential of PL membranes as antibacterial surfaces for biomedical implants was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213 by determining the number of viable counts, as well as biofilm formation and distribution up to 72h, using PDMS films as controls. Overall, our results showed that PL membranes remained stable for up to 30 days in PBS. In addition, PL-derived proteins, as well as specific GFs like basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB followed a typical controlled release profile, as described by Babo et al1. Regarding the biological performance, PL-membranes were able to control the proliferation of seeded hTDCs, as demonstrated by maintenance of DNA content over 21 days of culture, in comparison to the controls in standard culture plastic. This result strongly suggests that PL-membranes can avoid an extensive proliferative phase, which in vivo is responsible for the formation of scar tissue, a major concern during tendon healing. These cells were metabolically active over time in culture and deposited tendon-related ECM proteins, including collagen types 1 and 3 and tenascin-C. Additionally, PL- membranes exhibited a significantly reduced number of viable counts of S. aureus, together with diminished bacteria adherence after 24h of incubation. No biofilm formation was observed in comparison to PDMS controls. Altogether, our results demonstrate that these PL-membranes can modulate cellular activity in situ, acting as a reservoir of bioactive molecules derived from PL, which supports their application as bioinstructive and protective patches for tendon regeneration. Finally, exploring the multitude of features of crosslinked PL proteins can potentially uncover uncharted prospective applications in regenerative medicine. References: 1. Babo P. Inflamm Regen. 2014; 34:33-44. Acknowledgements: The authors thank FCTâ Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia in the framework of FCT-POPH-FSE, RC-A PhD grant SFRH/BD/96593/2013, ARF Post-Doc grant SFRH/BPD/100760/2014, and MEG grant IF/00685/2012. FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia in the framework of FCT-POPH-FSE, RC-A PhDgrant SFRH/BD/96593/2013, ARF Post-Doc grant SFRH/BPD/100760/2014, and MEG grant F/00685/2info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Siembra de girasol consociado con leguminosas : Capacidad supresiva del sistema cultivado como alternativa de manejo agroecológico de malezas

Se evaluó el rendimiento del girasol consociado con tres leguminosas forrajeras diferentes y la capacidad supresiva del sistema cultivado sobre las malezas en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Los tratamientos fueron: girasol en monocultura con y sin uso de herbicida, girasol consociado con Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L. o Lotus corniculatus L. sembradas éstas leguminosas a dos densidades y la comunidad vegetal espontánea. El rendimiento en grano del girasol fue semejante entre tratamientos. En todas las consociaciones la biomasa de las malezas fue entre 55-64% menor con respecto al monocultivo de girasol sin herbicidas, tratamiento que tuvo un rendimiento relativo de las malezas mayor al resto. La consociación girasol - Trifolium pratense L. fue el sistema con mayor capacidad supresiva de malezas, por lo que dicha consociación puede considerarse como una herramienta que aporta al manejo agroecológico de malezas.The performance of intercropping sunflower with three forage legumes, sown in two densities, and the suppressive capacity of this system on weeds grown in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were evaluated in this study. The treatments were: sunflower in monoculture with and without herbicide, intercropping sunflower with Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L. or Lotus corniculatus L. sown in two densities, and the naturally occurring vegetation. Grain yield Sunflower was similar among all treatments. In Sunflower-Leguminous systems weed biomass was between 55-64% lower than that produced by the sunflower´s monoculture without herbicides, treatment with a higher relative yield of the others one. In mixtures with Trifolium pratense L. was greater weed suppressive capacity of the system, so that consociation can be considered a tool for the sustainable management of weeds.Eje: A1: Sistemas de producción de base agroecológicaFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Siembra de girasol consociado con leguminosas : Capacidad supresiva del sistema cultivado como alternativa de manejo agroecológico de malezas

Se evaluó el rendimiento del girasol consociado con tres leguminosas forrajeras diferentes y la capacidad supresiva del sistema cultivado sobre las malezas en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Los tratamientos fueron: girasol en monocultura con y sin uso de herbicida, girasol consociado con Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L. o Lotus corniculatus L. sembradas éstas leguminosas a dos densidades y la comunidad vegetal espontánea. El rendimiento en grano del girasol fue semejante entre tratamientos. En todas las consociaciones la biomasa de las malezas fue entre 55-64% menor con respecto al monocultivo de girasol sin herbicidas, tratamiento que tuvo un rendimiento relativo de las malezas mayor al resto. La consociación girasol - Trifolium pratense L. fue el sistema con mayor capacidad supresiva de malezas, por lo que dicha consociación puede considerarse como una herramienta que aporta al manejo agroecológico de malezas.The performance of intercropping sunflower with three forage legumes, sown in two densities, and the suppressive capacity of this system on weeds grown in Buenos Aires, Argentina, were evaluated in this study. The treatments were: sunflower in monoculture with and without herbicide, intercropping sunflower with Trifolium pratense L., Trifolium repens L. or Lotus corniculatus L. sown in two densities, and the naturally occurring vegetation. Grain yield Sunflower was similar among all treatments. In Sunflower-Leguminous systems weed biomass was between 55-64% lower than that produced by the sunflower´s monoculture without herbicides, treatment with a higher relative yield of the others one. In mixtures with Trifolium pratense L. was greater weed suppressive capacity of the system, so that consociation can be considered a tool for the sustainable management of weeds.Eje: A1: Sistemas de producción de base agroecológicaFacultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Loss of CX3CR1 increases accumulation of inflammatory monocytes and promotes gliomagenesis

The most abundant populations of non-neoplastic cells in the glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment are resident microglia, macrophages and infiltrating monocytes from the blood circulation. The mechanisms by which monocytes infiltrate into GBM, their fate following infiltration, and their role in GBM growth are not known. Here we tested the hypothesis that loss of the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 in microglia and monocytes would affect gliomagenesis. Deletion of Cx3cr1 from the microenvironment resulted in increased tumor incidence and shorter survival times in glioma-bearing mice. Loss of Cx3cr1 did not affect accumulation of microglia/macrophages in peri-tumoral areas, but instead indirectly promoted the trafficking of CD11b+CD45hiCX3CR1lowLy-6ChiLy-6G-F4/80-/low circulating inflammatory monocytes into the CNS, resulting in their increased accumulation in the perivascular area. Cx3cr1-deficient microglia/macrophages and monocytes demonstrated upregulation of IL1{beta} expression that was inversely proportional to Cx3cr1 gene dosage. The Proneural subgroup of the TCGA GBM patient dataset with high IL1{beta} expression showed shorter survival compared to patients with low IL1{beta}. IL1{beta} promoted tumor growth and increased the cancer stem cell phenotype in murine and human Proneural glioma stem cells (GSCs). IL1{beta} activated the p38 MAPK signaling pathway and expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1/CCL2) by tumor cells. Loss of Cx3cr1 in microglia in a monocyte-free environment had no impact on tumor growth and did not alter microglial migration. These data suggest that enhancing signaling to CX3CR1 or inhibiting IL1{beta} signaling in intra-tumoral macrophages can be considered as potential strategies to decrease the tumor-promoting effects of monocytes in Proneural GBM

Physiological Changes Across Historical Sorghum Hybrids Released During the Last Six Decades

For the last decades, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) improvement in the United States (US) has been related to targeted modifications in genotype, environ­ment, and management (G × E × M) combinations. Retrospective studies are relevant to document changes in the phenotype associated to breeding process and to explore alternatives to improve yield and its physiological associated traits. This study aims to characterize yield changes over time for hybrids with different year of release. Field trials were conducted during 2018 and 2019 growing seasons in eight environments/site-years across the states of Kansas and Texas including 20 grain sorghum hybrids released between 1963 and 2017. Grain yield was measured across all hybrids and environ­ments. Detailed physiological descriptors were measured in one of the environments including grain filling, grain set efficiency (grains g-1) at flowering, panicle length, and dynamics of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) during the reproductive period. Overall sorghum grain yield improvement was 0.4 bu/a/year (P \u3c 0.005). Grain set per unit of reproductive biomass at flowering was positively associated with the hybrid’s year of release, explaining the increases in grain number. Panicle size increased in newer hybrids, thus, supporting the reported changes in grain number per unit area. Modern sorghum hybrids displayed greater WSC remobilization during the reproductive period (P \u3c 0.05). However, further research on sorghum’s WSC dynamics is needed for understanding its contribution to yield improvement

Encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with Graves' disease: clinical manifestations, follow-up, and outcomes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The encephalopathy associated with autoimmune thyroid disease (EAATD) is characterized by neurological/psychiatric symptoms, high levels of anti-thyroid antibodies, increased cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration, non-specific electroencephalogram abnormalities, and responsiveness to the corticosteroid treatment in patients with an autoimmune thyroid disease. Almost all EAATD patients are affected by Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), although fourteen EAATD patients with Graves' disease (GD) have been also reported.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We have recorded and analyzed the clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological findings and the data on the therapeutic management of all GD patients with EAATD reported so far as well as the clinical outcomes in those followed-up in the long term.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twelve of the fourteen patients with EAATD and GD were women. The majority of GD patients with EAATD presented with mild hyperthyroidism at EAATD onset or shortly before it. Active anti-thyroid autoimmunity was detected in all cases. Most of the patients dramatically responded to corticosteroids. The long term clinical outcome was benign but EAATD can relapse, especially at the time of corticosteroid dose tapering or withdrawal. GD and HT patients with EAATD present with a similar clinical, biological, radiological, and electrophysiological picture and require an unaffected EAATD management.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>GD and HT equally represent the possible background condition for the development of EAATD, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of all patients with encephalopathy of unknown origin and an autoimmune thyroid disease, regardless of the nature of the underlying autoimmune thyroid disease.</p

APP Processing Induced by Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) Yields Several APP Fragments in Human and Rat Neuronal Cells

Lifelong latent infections of the trigeminal ganglion by the neurotropic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) are characterized by periodic reactivation. During these episodes, newly produced virions may also reach the central nervous system (CNS), causing productive but generally asymptomatic infections. Epidemiological and experimental findings suggest that HSV-1 might contribute to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder is related to an overproduction of amyloid beta (Aβ) and other neurotoxic peptides, which occurs during amyloidogenic endoproteolytic processing of the transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP). The aim of our study was to identify the effects of productive HSV-1 infection on APP processing in neuronal cells. We found that infection of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells and rat cortical neurons is followed by multiple cleavages of APP, which result in the intra- and/or extra-cellular accumulation of various neurotoxic species. These include: i) APP fragments (APP-Fs) of 35 and 45 kDa (APP-F35 and APP-F45) that comprise portions of Aβ; ii) N-terminal APP-Fs that are secreted; iii) intracellular C-terminal APP-Fs; and iv) Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42. Western blot analysis of infected-cell lysates treated with formic acid suggests that APP-F35 may be an Aβ oligomer. The multiple cleavages of APP that occur in infected cells are produced in part by known components of the amyloidogenic APP processing pathway, i.e., host-cell β-secretase, γ-secretase, and caspase-3-like enzymes. These findings demonstrate that HSV-1 infection of neuronal cells can generate multiple APP fragments with well-documented neurotoxic potentials. It is tempting to speculate that intra- and extracellular accumulation of these species in the CNS resulting from repeated HSV-1 reactivation could, in the presence of other risk factors, play a co-factorial role in the development of AD