Relationships of Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density, air Temperature and Humidity with Tomato Leaf Diffusive Conductance and Temperature

The objective was to study the leaf temperature (LT) and leaf diffusive vapor conductance (gs) responses to temperature, humidity and incident flux density of photosynthetically active photons (PPFD) of tomato plants grown without water restriction in a plastic greenhouse in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. The plants were grown in substrate and irrigated daily. The gs was measured using a steady-state null-balance porometer on the abaxial face of the leaves during the daytime. Both leaf surfaces were measured in one day. The PPFD and LT were measured using the porometer. Leaf temperature was determined using an infrared thermometer, and air temperature and humidity were measured using a thermohygrograph. The leaves on the upper layer of the plants had higher gs than the lower layer. The relationship between the gs and PPFD was different for the two layers in the plants. A consistent relationship between the gs and atmospheric water demand was observed only in the lower layer. The LT tended to be lower than the air temperature. The mean value for the gs was 2.88 times higher on the abaxial than adaxial leaf surface.

Low Bone Mineral Density in Middle-Aged Breast Cancer Survivors: Prevalence and Associated Factors

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) and associated factors in middle-aged breast cancer survivors (BCS). Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 70 BCS of 45-65 years of age undergoing complete oncology treatment. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with low BMD (osteopenia and osteoporosis taken together as a single group). Results: The mean age of participants was 53.2 +/- 5.9 years. BMD was low at the femoral neck in 28.6% of patients and at the lumbar spine in 45.7%. Body mass index <= 30 kg/m(2) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0-11.3) and postmenopausal status (OR adjusted 20.42; 95% CI 2.0-201.2) were associated with low BMD at the lumbar spine. Femoral neck measurements, age > 50 years (OR 3.41; 95% CI 1.0-11.6), and time since diagnosis > 50 months (OR adjusted 3.34; 95% CI 1.0-11.3) increased the likelihood of low BMD. Conclusion: These findings show that low BMD is common in middle-aged BCS. Factors were identified that may affect BMD in BCS and should be considered when implementing strategies to minimize bone loss in middle-aged women with breast cancer.

Vertical growth of mini watermelon according to the training height and plant density

The watermelon is traditionally cultivated horizontally on the ground. The cultivars of small fruits (1 to 3 kg), which reach better market prices, are also being grown in a greenhouse, where the plants are trained upward on vertical supports, with branches pruning and fruits thinning. These practices make possible an increase of the plant density, fruit quality and yield compared to the traditional growth system. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of three training heights (1.7, 2.2 and 2.7 m) and two planting densities (3.17 and 4.76 plants m-2) over the productive and qualitative characteristics of mini watermelon "Smile" cultivated in greenhouse. The pruning was done at 43, 55 and 66 days after transplanting (DAT), when the plant height reached 1.7, 2.2 and 2.7 m, respectively. The dry mass of branches, petioles, leaves and total were affected by the training height, where the highest values were obtained by the plants pruned at 2.2 and 2.7 m. Leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf area index were not affected by the height of the plants. The training height of 2.7 m raised the total yield, however, marketable yield, average fruit mass and all the quality characteristics did not differ significantly from those obtained by the training height of 2.2 m. Regarding to plant density, the best option was 4.76 plants m-2, due to the increasing of marketable yield in 37.4% without reducing the average weight of fruits.

Bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with and without breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: The values of bone mineral density (BMD) were compared in postmenopausal women with and without breast cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 51 breast cancer survivors (BCS) and 71 women without breast cancer, who were non-users of hormone therapy, tamoxifen, or aromatase inhibitors. BMD T-scores and measurements in grams per centimeter squared (g/cm²) were obtained at the femoral neck, trochanter, Ward's triangle, and lumbar spine. Osteopenia and osteoporosis were grouped and categorized as abnormal BMD. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios (OR) of abnormal BMD values as measures of association, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for age, years since menopause, parity, and body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The mean age of the women with and without breast cancer was 54.7 ± 5.8 years and 58.2 ± 4.8 years (p < 0.01), respectively. After adjusting for age, parity and BMI, abnormal BMD at the femoral neck (adjusted OR: 4.8; 95% CI: 1.5-15.4), trochanter (adjusted OR: 4.6; 95% CI: 1.4-15.5), and Ward's triangle (adjusted OR: 4.5; 95% CI: 1.5-12.9) were significantly more frequent in postmenopausal BCS than in women without breast cancer. Postmenopausal BCS had a significantly lower mean BMD at the trochanter (0.719 vs. 0.809 g/cm², p < 0.01) and at the Ward's triangle (0.751 vs. 0.805 g/cm², p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of abnormal BMD was higher in postmenopausal BCS than in postmenopausal women without breast cancer. Bone health requires special vigilance and the adoption of interventions should be instituted early to minimize bone loss in BCS.

Tiller population density and tillering dynamics in marandu palisade grass subjected to strategies of rotational stocking management and nitrogen fertilization

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate tiller population density and the dynamics of the tillering process in marandu palisade grass subjected to strategies of rotational stocking management and nitrogen fertilization. Treatments corresponded to combinations between two targets of pre-grazing conditions (sward surface height of 25 and 35 cm) and two rates of nitrogen application (50 and 200 kg ha-1 year-1), and were allocated to experimental units according to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a randomised complete block design, with four replications. The following response variables were studied: initial (TPDi), intermediate (TPDm) and final (TPDf) tiller population density as well as the rates of tiller appearance (TAR) and death (TDR) and the tiller population stability index (SI). TPDi was similar to all treatments, with differences in tiller population density becoming more pronounced as the experiment progressed, resulting in larger TPDf on swards managed at 25 cm pre-grazing height. Tiller death was larger on swards managed at 35 cm, with differences in tiller appearance being recorded only from February 2010 onwards. Stability of tiller population was higher on swards managed at 25 cm pre-grazing height. Overall, there was no effect of nitrogen on the studied variables, and the most adequate grazing strategy corresponded to the pre-grazing height of 25 cm, regardless of the nitrogen application rate used.

Spatial Disparity and Dynamic Trajectory of Convergence in China: Construction and Application of a Composite Index of Regional Development

China is a large country characterized by remarkable growth and distinct regional diversity. Spatial disparity has always been a hot issue since China has been struggling to follow a balanced growth path but still confronting with unprecedented pressures and challenges. To better understand the inequality level benchmarking spatial distributions of Chinese provinces and municipalities and estimate dynamic trajectory of sustainable development in China, I constructed the Composite Index of Regional Development (CIRD) with five sub pillars/dimensions involving Macroeconomic Index (MEI), Science and Innovation Index (SCI), Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), Human Capital Index (HCI) and Public Facilities Index (PFI), endeavoring to cover various fields of regional socioeconomic development. Ranking reports on the five sub dimensions and aggregated CIRD were provided in order to better measure the developmental degrees of 31 or 30 Chinese provinces and municipalities over 13 years from 1998 to 2010 as the time interval of three “Five-year Plans”. Further empirical applications of this CIRD focused on clustering and convergence estimation, attempting to fill up the gap in quantifying the developmental levels of regional comprehensive socioeconomics and estimating the dynamic convergence trajectory of regional sustainable development in a long run. Four clusters were benchmarked geographically-oriented in the map on the basis of cluster analysis, and club-convergence was observed in the Chinese provinces and municipalities based on stochastic kernel density estimation.

Characterization of sialic acid index of plasma apolipoprotein J and phosphatidylethanol during alcohol detoxification--a pilot study

Apolipoprotein J (ApoJ) is a component of plasma high-density lipoproteins. Previous studies have shown progressive recovery of ApoJ sialic acid content with increased duration of alcohol abstinence. Therefore, the sialic acid index of plasma apolipoprotein J (SIJ) seems to be a promising alcohol biomarker. Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) is a direct ethanol metabolite and has recently attracted attention as a biomarker of prolonged intake of higher amounts of alcohol. The aim of the pilot study was to explore sensitivity, specificity, and normalization of SIJ and PEth in comparison with traditional and emerging biomarkers.

Compositional protein analysis of high density lipoproteins in hypercholesterolemia by shotgun LC-MS/MS and probabilistic peptide scoring

A protein of a biological sample is usually quantified by immunological techniques based on antibodies. Mass spectrometry offers alternative approaches that are not dependent on antibody affinity and avidity, protein isoforms, quaternary structures, or steric hindrance of antibody-antigen recognition in case of multiprotein complexes. One approach is the use of stable isotope-labeled internal standards; another is the direct exploitation of mass spectrometric signals recorded by LC-MS/MS analysis of protein digests. Here we assessed the peptide match score summation index based on probabilistic peptide scores calculated by the PHENYX protein identification engine for absolute protein quantification in accordance with the protein abundance index as proposed by Mann and co-workers (Rappsilber, J., Ryder, U., Lamond, A. I., and Mann, M. (2002) Large-scale proteomic analysis of the human spliceosome. Genome Res. 12, 1231-1245). Using synthetic protein mixtures, we demonstrated that this approach works well, although proteins can have different response factors. Applied to high density lipoproteins (HDLs), this new approach compared favorably to alternative protein quantitation methods like UV detection of protein peaks separated by capillary electrophoresis or quantitation of protein spots on SDS-PAGE. We compared the protein composition of a well defined HDL density class isolated from plasma of seven hypercholesterolemia subjects having low or high HDL cholesterol with HDL from nine normolipidemia subjects. The quantitative protein patterns distinguished individuals according to the corresponding concentration and distribution of cholesterol from serum lipid measurements of the same samples and revealed that hypercholesterolemia in unrelated individuals is the result of different deficiencies. The presented approach is complementary to HDL lipid analysis; does not rely on complicated sample treatment, e.g. chemical reactions, or antibodies; and can be used for projective clinical studies of larger patient groups.

Effect of 6-month supervised exercise on low-density lipoprotein apolipoprotein B kinetics in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Although low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is often normal in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, there is evidence for a reduced fractional catabolic rate and consequently an increased mean residence time (MRT), which can increase atherogenic risk. The dyslipidemia and insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes mellitus can be improved by aerobic exercise, but effects on LDL kinetics are unknown. The effect of 6-month supervised exercise on LDL apolipoprotein B kinetics was studied in a group of 17 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (mean age, 56.8 years; range, 38-68 years). Patients were randomized into a supervised group, who had a weekly training session, and an unsupervised group. LDL kinetics were measured with an infusion of 1-(13)C leucine at baseline in all groups and after 6 months of exercise in the patients. Eight body mass index-matched nondiabetic controls (mean age, 50.3 years; range, 40-67 years) were also studied at baseline only. At baseline, LDL MRT was significantly longer in the diabetic patients, whereas LDL production rate and fractional clearance rates were significantly lower than in controls. Percentage of glycated hemoglobin A(1c), body mass index, insulin sensitivity measured by the homeostasis model assessment, and very low-density lipoprotein triglyceride decreased (P < .02) in the supervised group, with no change in the unsupervised group. After 6 months, LDL cholesterol did not change in either the supervised or unsupervised group; but there was a significant change in LDL MRT between groups (P < .05) that correlated positively with very low-density lipoprotein triglyceride (r = 0.51, P < .04) and negatively with maximal oxygen uptake, a measure of fitness (r = -0.51, P = .035), in all patients. The LDL production and clearance rates did not change in either group. This study suggests that a supervised exercise program can reduce deleterious changes in LDL MRT.

Effect of once-yearly zoledronic acid 5 mg on fracture risk and change in femoral neck bone mineral density

Context: In the Health Outcomes and Reduced Incidence with Zoledronic Acid Once Yearly - Pivotal Fracture Trial (HORIZON-PFT), zoledronic acid (ZOL) 5 mg significantly reduced fracture risk. Objective: To identify factors associated with greater efficacy during ZOL 5 mg treatment. Design, Setting and Patients: Subgroup analysis (preplanned and post hoc) of a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 36-month trial in 7765 women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Intervention: Single infusion of ZOL 5 mg or placebo at baseline, 12 and 24 months. Main Outcome Measures: Primary endpoints: new vertebral fracture and hip fracture. Secondary endpoints: non-vertebral fracture, change in femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD). Baseline risk factor subgroups: age, BMD T-score and vertebral fracture status, total hip BMD, race, weight, geographical region, smoking, height loss, history of falls, physical activity, prior bisphosphonates, creatinine clearance, body mass index (BMI), concomitant osteoporosis medications. Results: Greater ZOL induced effects on vertebral fracture risk with younger age (treatment-by-subgroup interaction P=0.05), normal creatinine clearance (P=0.04), and BMI >/=25 kg/m(2) (P=0.02). There were no significant treatment-factor interactions for hip or non-vertebral fracture or for change in BMD. Conclusions: ZOL appeared more effective in preventing vertebral fracture in younger women, overweight/obese women and women with normal renal function. ZOL had similar effects irrespective of fracture risk factors or femoral neck BMD.

Low bone mineral density, renal dysfunction, and fracture risk in HIV infection: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) is common in adults infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The role of proximal renal tubular dysfunction (PRTD) and alterations in bone metabolism in HIV-related low BMD are incompletely understood. METHODS: We quantified BMD (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), blood and urinary markers of bone metabolism and renal function, and risk factors for low BMD (hip or spine T score, -1 or less) in an ambulatory care setting. We determined factors associated with low BMD and calculated 10-year fracture risks using the World Health Organization FRAX equation. RESULTS: We studied 153 adults (98% men; median age, 48 years; median body mass index, 24.5; 67 [44%] were receiving tenofovir, 81 [53%] were receiving a boosted protease inhibitor [PI]). Sixty-five participants (42%) had low BMD, and 11 (7%) had PRTD. PI therapy was associated with low BMD in multivariable analysis (odds ratio, 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-6.63). Tenofovir use was associated with increased osteoblast and osteoclast activity (P< or = .002). The mean estimated 10-year risks were 1.2% for hip fracture and 5.4% for any major osteoporotic fracture. CONCLUSIONS: In this mostly male population, low BMD was significantly associated with PI therapy. Tenofovir recipients showed evidence of increased bone turnover. Measurement of BMD and estimation of fracture risk may be warranted in treated HIV-infected adults.

Electrochemical characterization of self-assembled Ferrocene-terminated alkanethiol monolayers on low-index gold single crystal electrodes

We present a voltammetric and in situ STM study of 11-ferrocenyl-1-undecanethiol (FcC11) assembled on low-index single crystal and polycrystalline gold electrodes. The influence of electrode surface structure as well as of structure defects in the self-assembled FcC11 monolayers on the electrochemical response during the oxidation and reduction of the terminal ferrocene group is explored. The nature of the redox peaks is discussed in detail. We identified the coexistence of disordered FcC11 regions with 2D patches of “locally ordered” FcC11 species. We demonstrate that close-packed domains are preferentially formed at atomically flat terraces. Increasing the defect density of the substrate surface leads to a decreasing amount of locally ordered FcC11 molecules.

Effects of zoledronate versus placebo on spine bone mineral density and microarchitecture assessed by the trabecular bone score in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: a three-year study

The trabecular bone score (TBS) is an index of bone microarchitectural texture calculated from anteroposterior dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the lumbar spine (LS) that predicts fracture risk, independent of bone mineral density (BMD). The aim of this study was to compare the effects of yearly intravenous zoledronate (ZOL) versus placebo (PLB) on LS BMD and TBS in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Changes in TBS were assessed in the subset of 107 patients recruited at the Department of Osteoporosis of the University Hospital of Berne, Switzerland, who were included in the HORIZON trial. All subjects received adequate calcium and vitamin D3. In these patients randomly assigned to either ZOL (n = 54) or PLB (n = 53) for 3 years, BMD was measured by DXA and TBS assessed by TBS iNsight (v1.9) at baseline and 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after treatment initiation. Baseline characteristics (mean ± SD) were similar between groups in terms of age, 76.8 ± 5.0 years; body mass index (BMI), 24.5 ± 3.6 kg/m(2) ; TBS, 1.178 ± 0.1 but for LS T-score (ZOL-2.9 ± 1.5 versus PLB-2.1 ± 1.5). Changes in LS BMD were significantly greater with ZOL than with PLB at all time points (p < 0.0001 for all), reaching +9.58% versus +1.38% at month 36. Change in TBS was significantly greater with ZOL than with PLB as of month 24, reaching +1.41 versus-0.49% at month 36; p = 0.031, respectively. LS BMD and TBS were weakly correlated (r = 0.20) and there were no correlations between changes in BMD and TBS from baseline at any visit. In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, once-yearly intravenous ZOL therapy significantly increased LS BMD relative to PLB over 3 years and TBS as of 2 years.

Calculation of crystal optical properties from molecular electron density

We have recently developed a method to obtain distributed atomic polarizabilities adopting a partitioning of the molecular electron density (for example, the Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules, [1]), calculated with or without an applied electric field. The procedure [2] allows to obtained atomic polarizability tensors, which are perfectly exportable, because quite representative of an atom in a given functional group. Among the many applications of this idea, the calculation of crystal susceptibility is easily available, either from a rough estimation (the polarizability of the isolated molecule is used) or from a more precise estimation (the polarizability of a molecule embedded in a cluster representing the first coordination sphere is used). Lorentz factor is applied to include the long range effect of packing, which is enhancing the molecular polarizability. Simple properties like linear refractive index or the gyration tensor can be calculated at relatively low costs and with good precision. This approach is particularly useful within the field of crystal engineering of organic/organometallic materials, because it would allow a relatively easy prediction of a property as a function of the packing, thus allowing "reverse crystal engineering". Examples of some amino acid crystals and salts of amino acids [3] will be illustrated, together with other crystallographic or non-crystallographic applications. For example, the induction and dispersion energies of intermolecular interactions could be calculated with superior precision (allowing anisotropic van der Waals interactions). This could allow revision of some commonly misunderstood intermolecular interactions, like the halogen bonding (see for example the recent remarks by Stone or Gilli [4]). Moreover, the chemical reactivity of coordination complexes could be reinvestigated, by coupling the conventional analysis of the electrostatic potential (useful only in the circumstances of hard nucleophilic/electrophilic interaction) with the distributed atomic polarizability. The enhanced reactivity of coordinated organic ligands would be better appreciated. [1] R. F. W. Bader, Atoms in Molecules: A Quantum Theory. Oxford Univ. Press, 1990. [2] A. Krawczuk-Pantula, D. Pérez, K. Stadnicka, P. Macchi, Trans. Amer. Cryst. Ass. 2011, 1-25 [3] A. S. Chimpri1, M. Gryl, L. H.R. Dos Santos1, A. Krawczuk, P. Macchi Crystal Growth & Design, in the press. [4] a) A. J. Stone, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 7005−7009; b) V. Bertolasi, P. Gilli, G. Gilli Crystal Growth & Design, 2013, 12, 4758-4770.

The inhibition of lipid transfer protein by negatively charged liposomes modifies the therapeutic index of amphotericin B

We have shown that liposomal amphotericin B (L-AmpB) decreased renal toxicity and maintains the antifungal activity of amphotericin B (AmpB). We have also observed that L-AmpB is predominantly associated with high density lipoproteins (HDL) as compared to Fungizone (AmpB + deoxycholate). The present experiments were designed to assess the biological relevance of transferring AmpB to HDL. We observed that AmpB was less toxic to kidney cells when associated with HDL, however AmpB toxicity was maintained when associated with LDL. To further understand how HDL-associated AmpB reduces renal cell toxicity the presence of HDL and LDL receptors in this cell line was determined. We observed that these cells expressed high and low affinity LDL receptors, but only low affinity HDL receptors. The reduced renal cell toxicity of HDL-associated AmpB may be due to its lack of interaction with renal cells because of the absence of HDL receptors. Since AmpB interacts with cholesteryl esters whose transfer among lipoproteins is regulated by Lipid transfer Protein (LTP), the role of LTP on the distribution of AmpB to HDL and LDL was next examined. We found that negatively charged liposomes significantly reduced LTP-mediated transfer of CE between HDL and LDL, independent of the presence of AmpB, while Fungizone only significantly inhibited CE transfer at one concentration tested (20$\mu$g/ml). Therefore, we believe that the decreased renal toxicity of L-AmpB is related to its predominant distribution to HDL which is regulated by the inhibition of LTP activity. ^