Genotype variation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) tolerance to Fe toxicity might be linked to root cell wall lignification

Iron (Fe) is an essential element to plants, but can be harmful if accumulated to toxic concentrations. Fe toxicity can be a major nutritional disorder in rice (Oryza sativa) when cultivated under waterlogged conditions, as a result of excessive Fe solubilization of in the soil. However, little is known about the basis of Fe toxicity and tolerance at both physiological and molecular level. To identify mechanisms and potential candidate genes for Fe tolerance in rice, we comparatively analyzed the effects of excess Fe on two cultivars with distinct tolerance to Fe toxicity, EPAGRI 108 (tolerant) and BR-IRGA 409 (susceptible). After excess Fe treatment, BR-IRGA 409 plants showed reduced biomass and photosynthetic parameters, compared to EPAGRI 108. EPAGRI 108 plants accumulated lower amounts of Fe in both shoots and roots compared to BR-IRGA 409. We conducted transcriptomic analyses of roots from susceptible and tolerant plants under control and excess Fe conditions. We found 423 up-regulated and 92 down-regulated genes in the susceptible cultivar, and 42 up-regulated and 305 down-regulated genes in the tolerant one. We observed striking differences in root gene expression profiles following exposure to excess Fe: the two cultivars showed no genes regulated in the same way (up or down in both), and 264 genes were oppositely regulated in both cultivars. Plants from the susceptible cultivar showed down-regulation of known Fe uptake-related genes, indicating that plants are actively decreasing Fe acquisition. On the other hand, plants from the tolerant cultivar showed up-regulation of genes involved in root cell wall biosynthesis and lignification. We confirmed that the tolerant cultivar has increased lignification in the outer layers of the cortex and in the vascular bundle compared to the susceptible cultivar, suggesting that the capacity to avoid excessive Fe uptake could rely in root cell wall remodeling. Moreover, we showed that increased lignin concentrations in roots might be linked to Fe tolerance in other rice cultivars, suggesting that a similar mechanism might operate in multiple genotypes. Our results indicate that changes in root cell wall and Fe permeability might be related to Fe toxicity tolerance in rice natural variation

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants

Background Hypertension can be detected at the primary health-care level and low-cost treatments can effectively control hypertension. We aimed to measure the prevalence of hypertension and progress in its detection, treatment, and control from 1990 to 2019 for 200 countries and territories. Methods We used data from 1990 to 2019 on people aged 30–79 years from population-representative studies with measurement of blood pressure and data on blood pressure treatment. We defined hypertension as having systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or greater, diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or greater, or taking medication for hypertension. We applied a Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and the proportion of people with hypertension who had a previous diagnosis (detection), who were taking medication for hypertension (treatment), and whose hypertension was controlled to below 140/90 mm Hg (control). The model allowed for trends over time to be non-linear and to vary by age. Findings The number of people aged 30–79 years with hypertension doubled from 1990 to 2019, from 331 (95% credible interval 306–359) million women and 317 (292–344) million men in 1990 to 626 (584–668) million women and 652 (604–698) million men in 2019, despite stable global age-standardised prevalence. In 2019, age-standardised hypertension prevalence was lowest in Canada and Peru for both men and women; in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, and some countries in western Europe including Switzerland, Spain, and the UK for women; and in several low-income and middle-income countries such as Eritrea, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Solomon Islands for men. Hypertension prevalence surpassed 50% for women in two countries and men in nine countries, in central and eastern Europe, central Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Globally, 59% (55–62) of women and 49% (46–52) of men with hypertension reported a previous diagnosis of hypertension in 2019, and 47% (43–51) of women and 38% (35–41) of men were treated. Control rates among people with hypertension in 2019 were 23% (20–27) for women and 18% (16–21) for men. In 2019, treatment and control rates were highest in South Korea, Canada, and Iceland (treatment >70%; control >50%), followed by the USA, Costa Rica, Germany, Portugal, and Taiwan. Treatment rates were less than 25% for women and less than 20% for men in Nepal, Indonesia, and some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Control rates were below 10% for women and men in these countries and for men in some countries in north Africa, central and south Asia, and eastern Europe. Treatment and control rates have improved in most countries since 1990, but we found little change in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania. Improvements were largest in high-income countries, central Europe, and some upper-middle-income and recently high-income countries including Costa Rica, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, and Iran. Interpretation Improvements in the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension have varied substantially across countries, with some middle-income countries now outperforming most high-income nations. The dual approach of reducing hypertension prevalence through primary prevention and enhancing its treatment and control is achievable not only in high-income countries but also in low-income and middle-income settings

Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)

From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions

Crescimento e limitações à assimilação de carbono em Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) sob condições de estresse hídrico do solo

A disponibilidade hídrica pode infl uenciar o ganho de carbono e o crescimento, com grande impacto na produtividade das plantas. Ricinus communis (L.), uma espécie resistente à seca, é uma cultura de grande importância econômica no Brasil, devido ao seu uso na indústria química e para a produção de biocombustíveis. Alguns dos mecanismos envolvidos na resistência à seca desta espécie foram analisados através de um progressivo estresse hídrico em plantas cultivadas em vasos sob condições de casa de vegetação. A suspensão da irrigação por 53 dias decresceu o conteúdo gravimétrico de água no solo e o potencial hídrico das folhas. O crescimento das plantas foi negativamente e signifi cativamente reduzido pelo aumento do défi cit hídrico do solo. Com a suspensão da irrigação, a assimilação de carbono e a transpiração foram reduzidas e permaneceram praticamente constantes ao longo do dia. A análise das curvas A/Ci demonstrou o aumento da limitação estomática, indicando que a limitação imposta pelo fechamento dos estômatos é o principal responsável pela redução da fotossíntese. A efi ciência de carboxilação e a taxa de transporte de elétrons não foram afetadas pelo estresse hídrico até 15 dias de suspensão da irrigação. A resistência à seca da mamona parece estar relacionada a uma resposta inicial e pronunciada do crescimento, a um efi ciente controle estomático e a capacidade de manter uma alta taxa de fi xação de CO2 sob condições de estresse hídrico.Water availability may infl uence plant carbon gain and growth, with large impacts on plant yield. Ricinus communis (L.), a drought resistant species, is a crop with increasing economic importance in Brazil, due to its use in chemical industry and for the production of biofuels. Some of the mechanisms involved in this drought resistance were analyzed in this study by imposing progressive water stress to pot-grown plants under glasshouse conditions. Water withholding for 53 days decreased soil water gravimetric content and the leaf water potential. Plant growth was negatively and signifi cantly reduced by increasing soil water defi cits. With irrigation suspension, carbon assimilation and transpiration were reduced and remained mostly constant throughout the day. Analysis of A/ Ci curves showed increased stomatal limitation, indicating that limitation imposed by stomatal closure is the main factor responsible for photosynthesis reduction. Carboxylation effi ciency and electron transport rate were not affected by water stress up to 15 days after withholding water. Drought resistance of castor bean seems to be related to a pronounced, early growth response, an effi cient stomatal control and the capacity to keep high net CO2 fi xation rates under water stress conditions

Modelo de simulación mejorado de la pérdida de agua por el canopeo del maíz : un estudio piloto para Brasil

The precise determination of water loss from plant canopies is important for monitoring crop water usage and for many agricultural management operations related to water use planning. The aim of this study was to estimate water loss from sunlit and shaded fractions of a maize (Zea mays L.) canopy, under wellwatered conditions, using the Penman-Monteith energy balance equation. Estimated values were validated by a heat pulse system, which was used to measure stem sap flow and by a weighing lysimeter. Water loss was corrected to account for the effect of row structure in the early stages of maize. Results showed that estimated transpiration of the shaded canopy ranged from 30% to 45% for total transpiration, under fluctuation of atmospheric demand. Hourly and daily estimations of transpiration showed good agreement with lysimeter and heat pulse measurements.La determinación exacta de la pérdida de agua por el canopeo de las plantas es importante para conocer el consumo de agua por los cultivos y para muchas actividades agrícolas relacionadas con la planificación del uso de agua. El objetivo de este estudio fue estimar la pérdida de agua del canopeo del maíz expuesto al sol y parcialmente sombreado, sin restricciones hídricas. Para ello se utilizó la ecuación del balance de energía de Penman-Monteith. Las estimaciones obtenidas fueron validadas por un sistema de pulsos de calor, el cual fue usado para medir el flujo de savia del tallo, y por un lisímetro de pesadas. La pérdida de agua fue corregida para considerar el efecto del surco en los estadios juveniles del maíz. Los resultados logrados mostraron que la transpiración del canopeo sombreado oscilaba entre el 30 y 45 % del total transpirado considerando las fluctuaciones de la demanda atmosf érica. Las estimaciones horarias y diarias de la transpiración presentaron una buena relación con las mediciones del lisímetro y los pulsos de calor

Desenvolvimento do método do "pulso de calor" para determinação da absorção hídrica em milho

A determinação a campo das necessidades hídricas de plantas é um aspecto importante da produção agrícola, para o manejo correto do uso da água pelos cultivos. A absorção de água por uma cultura de milho (Zea mays L.), cultivado a campo, em condições de não limitação hídrica, foi verificada através da técnica do pulso de calor. Após a emissão de um pulso, procedeu-se a medições, a cada 0,3 segundos, do diferencial de temperatura entre dois termopares, inseridos radialmente no caule da planta. O primeiro foi colocado 9 mm acima e o segundo 4 mm abaixo de uma fonte de calor ("heater"). Foram feitas comparações entre as medições feitas pela técnica do pulso de calor, lisímetro e estimativas da transpiração computadas em modelo, numa base horária e diária. Comparações entre medições horárias feitas pelo pulso de calor e as estimativas da transpiração, feitas pelo modelo, mostraram concordância entre a determinação da transpiração através da medição do fluxo de seiva e, estimativa, baseada em desenvolvimento teórico. A taxa da perda d’água pelo dossel e a velocidade de propagação de energia térmica no caule do milho mostraram-se fenômenos proporcionais e um fator de calibração de 1,51 foi encontrado, para condição de cobertura total do solo pela folhagem do milho.Plant water requirements are important aspects of crop production to be determined in the field, in order to judiciously manage crop water usage. Water uptake by field grown maize (Zea mays L.), under well-watered conditions was verified with the heatpulse system. The temperature difference between two radially inserted thermocouples, one 9 mm above and the other 4 mm below a heater piercing the maize stem, was measured every 0.3 seconds following emission of a heat-pulse. Comparisons of the heat-pulse system outputs, lysimetric measurement and transpiration model estimates were monitored on an hourly and daily basis. At normal and low atmospheric demand daily and hourly values of heat-pulse outputs and lysimetric measurement showed good agreement. Hourly agreement of a modified Penman- Monteith energy balance equation estimate and heat-pulse outputs showed accordance between measurement of sap flow and the plant water-loss theory. Study of the relationship between maize canopy water loss rate and heat velocity in the stem showed that these two parameters were proportional and a calibration factor of 1.51 for full soil foliage coverage was verified

Efeito do heliotropismo e da disponibilidade hídrica na dinâmica de florescimento e produção de sementes de MacroptilumLlathyroides

O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, em vasos, com uma planta por vaso e nove repetições por tratamento. Os tratamentos constituíram: plantas com folhas livremente orientadas ou restritas, submetidas às condições hídricas de 90-100% e 60-70% da capacidade de campo. Foram observados efeitos independentes da disponibilidade hídrica e da movimentação foliar para os componentes do rendimento de sementes ao longo do período experimental. Plantas submetidas a alta disponibilidade hídrica e com folhas livremente orientadas apresentaram maior número de ramificações por planta. Este melhor desenvolvimento favoreceu a emissão de maior número de inflorescências por planta, proporcionando maior número de flores, legumes verdes e legumes maduros por planta que, por sua vez, gerou maior produção diária de sementes. Esta resposta foi evidenciada ao se avaliar o efeito da disponibilidade hídrica. Apesar da massa individual da semente ter apresentado valores superiores para o tratamento com restrição hídrica, a produção total de sementes foi superior no tratamento com alta disponibilidade hídrica, não se observando efeito significativo para a movimentação foliar.The experiment was carried out in pots in a glasshouse, with one plant per pot and nine repetitions per treatment. The treatments consisted of free or restricted leaves, submited to 90-100% or 60-70% soil field capacity (FC). Only independent effects of water availability or leaf movement were observed on yield components. Plants under well-watered conditions and with freely orienting leaves were taller, and had a larger number of ramifications. The greater development favored the setting of a higher number of inflorescences per plant in these treatments. This behavior resulted in a high number of flowers, green and mature legumes per plant, thus resulting in high seed production which was the most evident response to water availability. Although individual seed weight was higher in the water stress treatment, total seed production was higher for wellwatered plants, with no statistically significant effect of leaf movements

Avaliação de absorção de água baseada na técnica do pulso de calor sob condições de estresse hídrico

Crop water monitoring is an important aspect for precise control of irrigation. A reliable and movable technique is needed to properly assess water uptake of crops in the field. Water uptake by field grown maize (Zea mays L.), in water-limited conditions was verified with the heat pulse system. The temperature difference between two radially inserted thermocouples, one 9 mm above and the other 4 mm below a heater piercing the maize stem, was measured every 0.3 sec following emission of a heat pulse in conditions of varied atmospheric demand. Comparisons of heat pulse system outputs and a high precision transpiration model estimates were done on hourly and daily basis, when low sap velocities were expected to occur. Hourly and daily basis of the heat pulse outputs and model estimates were in agreement. Sensitiveness of the technique was observed even for very low sap velocities.O monitoramento das necessidades hídricas é um aspecto importante para o controle preciso da irrigação. Técnicas portáteis e de boa confiabilidade se fazem necessárias para a correta determinação do consumo hídrico das culturas em campo. A absorção de água pela cultura do milho (Zea mays L.), cultivada, em condições de limitação hídrica no solo, foi verificada através da técnica do pulso de calor. Após a emissão de um pulso de calor, procedeu-se a medições, a cada 0,3 seg, do diferencial de temperatura entre dois termopares, inseridos radialmente no caule da planta. O primeiro foi colocado 9 mm acima e o segundo 4 mm abaixo de uma fonte de calor (“heater”). Foram feitas comparações entre as medições pela técnica do pulso de calor e estimativas da transpiração computadas por um modelo de alta precisão, numa base horária e diária. Medições pelo pulso de calor e as estimativas pelo modelo apresentaram concordância, tanto para valores horários como diários. Foi constatado sensibilidade da técnica, mesmo para valores muito baixos de velocidade da seiva