Biohardening of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and seedlings with fraser photinia associated bacterium (PGB_invit) in in vitro conditions

The aim of this study was to analyze possible positive effects of putatively endophytic PGPB (PGB_invit), which was isolated from long-term in vitro cultured fraser photinia microshoots, on seed and 7-day old seedling stages of Arabidopsis thaliana. Seeds and in vitro-germinated seedlings were inoculated with 10(7) CFU/mL and 10(8) CFU/mL active (A) and inactive (I) endophytic bacterial populations along with their mix compositions (A+I) and suspended in MPYE broth together with their controls (untreated ones). 14 days old seedlings were evaluated for various plant growth parameters [i.e., shoot and root fresh weight (FW), shoot length (SL), shoot and root dry weight (DW), root length (RL) and photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids of plantlets] as well as endophytic and rhizospheric trait of bacteria. Positive effects of inactive and active bacterium on FW, DW and photosynthetic pigments for 7-day inoculated seedlings were recorded whereas an increase in photosynthetic contents for seed stage inoculations was observed. Rhizospheric and endophytic colonization of the bacteria was confirmed by PCR with the presence of virD1 gene, which is previously recorded to be existed in the plasmid of bacterium after inoculation (Seker et al., 2017). Overall, these results demonstrated that this peculiar putative endophytic bacterium being beneficial in active and even more useful in inactive form for A. thaliana when optimum conditions and concentrations are used. Moreover, presence of virD1 gene suggested its potential possibility to be used in bioengineering along with various other beneficial PGPR features as biofertilizer

Variable Lower Limb Alignment of Clinical Measures With Digital Photographs and the Footscan Pressure System

WOS:000621856500013PubMed: 33075751Objective: This study examines the effect of the lower limb misalignment and its possible compensatory effect on plantar pressure in a normal population. The aim of this paper is to present a structured method for the analysis of posture and its changes using a standardized digital photography technique and plantar pressure measuring device. Design: Cohort. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: A total of 200 adult volunteers between 18 and 22 years of age who had no current symptoms of pain and foot or ankle pathology participated in the study. Main Outcome Measures: The gold standard measure of lower limb alignment with weight-bearing status is the mechanical axis and their angles using Image J software. Structural and functional measurements of the same foot were taken using a plantar pressure measuring device. in this study, 5 alignment (thigh, knee, leg, ankle, and foot) characteristics were measured on the lower limb using the 2 techniques, and, additionally, the foot contact area, peak pressure, foot axis, rearfoot angle, and subtalar joint flexibility score were analyzed in 10 different regions of the foot. Results: This study has shown a reasonable correlation between digitalized measurements and plantar pressures values. Quadriceps angle affected midfoot impulse, foot axis angle, subtalar joint minimum angle, and rearfoot angle positively. Subtalar joint flexibility scores were analyzed in 10 different regions of the foot. There was a positive correlation between rearfoot angle and quadriceps angle (P = .009, r = .261). Results of both methods show that they endorse each other. Conclusions: The posture of the standing feet may have influence on lower limb alignment. Currently, there are no studies carried out by using digital photogrammetry and foot scan. The authors claim that patient-friendly digital photogrammetry would have a positive contribution to the monitoring of patients, even including new ones in the treatment programs, reducing any possible loss in the personal and national economy

Development of encapsulation techniques for the production and conservation of synthetic seeds in ornamental plants

The synthetic seed ("synseed") technology, initially developed through the encapsulation of somatic embryos, is now available for the use with non-embryogenic in vitro-derived explants, such as buds and nodal segments. For ornamental plants, to date there are few reports dealing with the production and the conservation of synseeds. Hence, the present study was conducted to develop an efficient encapsulation protocol for apical and axillary buds from various ornamental shrubs, i.e., oleander (Nerium oleander L.), photinia (Photinia fraseri Dress.), and lilac (Syringa vulgaris L.). For encapsulation, apical and axillary buds were excised, directly immersed in a Na-alginate solution, and then released dropwise in 100 mM CaCl2 center dot 2H(2)O for bead hardening. With photinia, best results were achieved when the synseeds were prepared using 3% Na-alginate, beads hardened for 30 min and germinated on hormone-free or BA-containing gelled MS medium. Thus, up to 92% of synseeds germinated and converted to shoots in a period of 10-11 days. The synthetic seeds of lilac, containing apical buds, showed a shorter germination time when 10-30 g 1(-1) sucrose was included in their "artificial endosperm". Successful medium-term conservation was then achieved with the storage of synthetic seeds at 4 degrees C in the dark on gelled MS medium, where up to 75% (oleander) and and 9 1 % (photinia) synseeds still germinated after 2 or 3 months of cold storage, respectively. Moreover, promising results have been obtained with the cryopreservation of photinia apical buds by means of the technique of "encapsulation-dehydration"