Food restriction reverses the hyper-muscular phenotype and force generation capacity deficit of the myostatin null mouse

Food restriction has a great impact on skeletal muscle mass by inducing muscle protein breakdown to provide substrates for energy production through gluconeogenesis. Genetic models of hyper-muscularity interfere with the normal balance between protein synthesis and breakdown which eventually results in extreme muscle growth. Mutations or deletions in the myostatin gene result in extreme muscle mass. Here we evaluated the impact of food restriction for a period of 5 weeks on skeletal muscle size (i.e., fibre cross-sectional area), fibre type composition and contractile properties (i.e., tetanic and specific force) in myostatin null mice. We found that this hyper-muscular model was more susceptible to catabolic processes than wild type mice. The mechanism of skeletal muscle mass loss was examined and our data shows that the myostatin null mice placed on a low calorie diet maintained the activity of molecules involved in protein synthesis and did not up-regulate the expression of genes pivotal in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation. However, we did find an increase in the expression of genes associated with autophagy. Surprisingly, the reduction on muscle size was followed by improved tetanic and specific force in the null mice compared to wild type mice. These data provide evidence that food restriction may revert the hyper-muscular phenotype of the myostatin null mouse restoring muscle function.

Examining the large-scale spatial coherence of European drought using regional indicators of precipitation and streamflow deficit

Droughts tend to evolve slowly and affect large areas simultaneously, which suggests that improved understanding of spatial coherence of drought would enable better mitigation of drought impacts through enhanced monitoring and forecasting strategies. This study employs an up-to-date dataset of over 500 river flow time series from 11 European countries, along with a gridded precipitation dataset, to examine the spatial coherence of drought in Europe using regional indicators of precipitation and streamflow deficit. The drought indicators were generated for 24 homogeneous regions and, for selected regions, historical drought characteristics were corroborated with previous work. The spatial coherence of drought characteristics was then examined at a European scale. Historical droughts generally have distinctive signatures in their spatio-temporal development, so there was limited scope for using the evolution of historical events to inform forecasting. Rather, relationships were explored in time series of drought indicators between regions. Correlations were generally low, but multivariate analyses revealed broad continental-scale patterns, which appear to be related to large-scale atmospheric circulation indices (in particular, the North Atlantic Oscillation and the East Atlantic West Russia pattern). A novel methodology for forecasting was developed (and demonstrated with reference to the United Kingdom), which predicts drought from drought i.e. uses spatial coherence of drought to facilitate early warning of drought in a target region, from drought which is developing elsewhere in Europe.Whilst the skill of the methodology is relatively modest at present, this approach presents a potential new avenue for forecasting, which offers significant advantages in that it allows prediction for all seasons, and also shows some potential for forecasting the termination of drought conditions.

Morpho-physiological characterization of spring wheat genotypes under drought stress

Water-deficit is a severe abiotic stress and major constraint to wheat productivity with effect on plant growth and development. The objective of this study was to characterize drought tolerant and susceptible spring wheat cultivars on the basis of physiological and yield attributes. The experiment was comprised of two irrigation regimes i.e. irrigated and 65% drought stress and ten wheat cultivars viz. Anmol, Moomal, Sarsabz, Bhittai, Pavon, SKD-1, TD-1, Kiran, Marvi and Mehran. Results indicated significant effect of water stress on stomatal dimension, stomatal conductance, relative leaf water content and grain yield with no effect on stomatal density. The irrigation × cultivars interaction was non-significant for grain yield only. Cultivars like Anmol, Moomal, Bhittai, Sarsabz proved to be drought tolerant with smaller stomatal dimensions, less stomatal conductance and more relative water content under water stress and produced higher grain yield. While decrease in relative water contents and grain yield, and increase in stomatal attributes was observed in drought susceptible cultivars such as Marvi, TD-1 and SKD-1 hence proved to be drought susceptible.

The role of information on farmers' willingness to use recycled water for irrigation

In this paper are identified several factors which affect a potential user's willingness to use recycled water for agricultural irrigation. This study is based on the results of a survey carried out among farmers in the island of Crete, Greece. It was found that a higher level of income and education are positively correlated with a respondent's willingness to use recycled water. Income and education are also positively correlated with a potential user's sensitivity to information on the advantages of using non-conventional water resources. Overall, extra information on the advantages of recycled water has a statistically significant impact on reported degrees of willingness to use recycled water.

Disorder-specific functional abnormalities during temporal discounting in youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism and comorbid ADHD and Autism

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often comorbid and share cognitive abnormalities in temporal foresight. A key question is whether shared cognitive phenotypes are based on common or different underlying pathophysiologies and whether comorbid patients have additive neurofunctional deficits, resemble one of the disorders or have a different pathophysiology. We compared age- and IQ-matched boys with non-comorbid ADHD (18), non-comorbid ASD (15), comorbid ADHD and ASD (13) and healthy controls (18) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a temporal discounting task. Only the ASD and the comorbid groups discounted delayed rewards more steeply. The fMRI data showed both shared and disorder-specific abnormalities in the three groups relative to controls in their brain-behaviour associations. The comorbid group showed both unique and more severe brain-discounting associations than controls and the non-comorbid patient groups in temporal discounting areas of ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum and anterior cingulate, suggesting that comorbidity is neither an endophenocopy of the two pure disorders nor an additive pathology.

Pre-conditioning the epigenetic response to high vapor pressure deficit increases the drought tolerance of Arabidopsis thaliana

Epigenetic modification of the genome via cytosine methylation is a dynamic process that responds to changes in the growing environment. This modification can also be heritable. The combination of both properties means that there is the potential for the life experiences of the parental generation to modify the methylation profiles of their offspring and so potentially to ‘pre-condition’ them to better accommodate abiotic conditions encountered by their parents. We recently identified high vapor pressure deficit (vpd)-induced DNA methylation at two gene loci in the stomatal development pathway and an associated reduction in leaf stomatal frequency.1 Here, we test whether this epigenetic modification pre-conditioned parents and their offspring to the more severe water stress of periodic drought. We found that three generations of high vpd-grown plants were better able to withstand periodic drought stress over two generations. This resistance was not directly associated with de novo methylation of the target stomata genes, but was associated with the cmt3 mutant’s inability to maintain asymmetric sequence context methylation. If our finding applies widely, it could have significant implications for evolutionary biology and breeding for stressful environments.

Water, irrigation and plant diseases

Irrigation is a major husbandry tool, vital for world food production and security. The purpose of this review is twofold:- firstly drawing attention to the beneficial and deleterious aspects of irrigation resulting from interactions with the microbial world; secondly, forming a basis for encouraging further research and development. Irrigation is for example, a valuable component in the control of some soil borne pathogens such as Streptomyces scabies, the cause of potato common scab and Fusarium cubense, a cause of banana wilt. By contrast, applying irrigation encourages some foliar pathogens and factors such as splash dispersal of propagules and the retention of leaf wetness are important elements in the successful establishment of disease foci. Irrigation applied at low levels in the canopy directly towards the stem bases and root zones of plants also provides means encouraging disease development. Irrigation also offers means for the direct spread of microbes such as water borne moulds, Oomycetes, and plasmodial pathogens coming from populations present in the water supply. The presence of plant disease causing microbes in sources of irrigation has been associated with outbreaks of diseases such as clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae). Irrigation can be utilised as a means for applying agrochemicals, fungigation. The developing technologies of water restriction and root zone drying also have an impact on the success of disease causing organisms. This is an emerging technology and its interactions with benign and pathogenic microbes require consideration.

Varieties of semantic ‘access’ deficit in Wernicke’s aphasia and semantic aphasia

Comprehension deficits are common in stroke aphasia, including in cases with (i) semantic aphasia (SA), characterised by poor executive control of semantic processing across verbal and nonverbal modalities, and (ii) Wernicke’s aphasia (WA), associated with poor auditory-verbal comprehension and repetition, plus fluent speech with jargon. However, the varieties of these comprehension problems, and their underlying causes, are not well-understood. Both patient groups exhibit some type of semantic ‘access’ deficit, as opposed to the ‘storage’ deficits observed in semantic dementia. Nevertheless, existing descriptions suggest these patients might have different varieties of ‘access’ impairment – related to difficulty resolving competition (in SA) vs. initial activation of concepts from sensory inputs (in WA). We used a case-series design to compare WA and SA patients on Warrington’s paradigmatic assessment of semantic ‘access’ deficits. In these verbal and non-verbal matching tasks, a small set of semantically-related items are repeatedly presented over several cycles so that the target on one trial becomes a distractor on another (building up interference and eliciting semantic ‘blocking’ effects). WA and SA patients were distinguished according to lesion location in the temporal cortex, but in each group, some individuals had additional prefrontal damage. Both of these aspects of lesion variability – one that mapped onto classical ‘syndromes’ and one that did not – predicted aspects of the semantic ‘access’ deficit. Both SA and WA cases showed multimodal semantic impairment, although as expected the WA group showed greater deficits on auditory-verbal than picture judgements. Distribution of damage in the temporal lobe was crucial for predicting the initially beneficial effects of stimulus repetition: WA cases showed initial improvement with repetition of words and pictures, while in SA, semantic access was initially good but declined in the face of competition from previous targets. Prefrontal damage predicted the harmful effects of repetition: the ability to re-select both word and picture targets in the face of mounting competition was linked to left prefrontal damage in both groups. Therefore, SA and WA patients have partially distinct impairment of semantic ‘access’ but, across these syndromes, prefrontal lesions produce declining comprehension with repetition in both verbal and non-verbal tasks.

Revascularization and periapical repair after endodontic treatment using apical negative pressure irrigation versus conventional irrigation plus triantibiotic intracanal dressing in dogs` teeth with apical periodontitis

Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate in vivo the revascularization and the apical and periapical repair after endodontic treatment using 2 techniques for root canal disinfection (apical negative pressure irrigation versus apical positive pressure irrigation plus triantibiotic intracanal dressing) in immature dogs` teeth with apical periodontitis. Study design. Two test groups of canals with experimentally induced apical periodontitis were evaluated according to the disinfection technique: Group 1, apical negative pressure irrigation (EndoVac system), and Group 2, apical positive pressure irrigation (conventional irrigation) plus triantibiotic intracanal dressing. In Group 3 (positive control), periapical lesions were induced, but no endodontic treatment was done. Group 4 (negative control) was composed of sound teeth. The animals were killed after 90 days and the maxillas and mandibles were subjected to histological processing. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Mallory Trichrome and examined under light microscopy. A description of the apical and periapical features was done and scores were attributed to the following histopathological parameters: newly formed mineralized apical tissue, periapical inflammatory infiltrate, apical periodontal ligament thickness, dentin resorption, and bone tissue resorption. Intergroup comparisons were done by the Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn`s tests (alpha = 0.05). Results. Although statistically significant difference was found only for the inflammatory infiltrate (P < .05), Group 1 presented more exuberant mineralized formations, more structured apical and periapical connective tissue, and a more advanced repair process than Group 2. Conclusion. From the histological observations, sodium hypochlorite irrigation with the EndoVac system can be considered as a promising disinfection protocol in immature teeth with apical periodontitis, suggesting that the use of intracanal antibiotics might not be necessary. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2010; 109: 779-787)

Apical negative pressure irrigation versus conventional irrigation plus triantibiotic intracanal dressing on root canal disinfection in dog teeth

Objective. The aim of this study was to compare in vivo the efficacy of 2 root canal disinfection techniques (apical negative pressure irrigation versus apical positive pressure irrigation plus triantibiotic intracanal dressing) in immature dog teeth with apical periodontitis. Study design. Two groups of root canals with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis were evaluated according to the disinfection technique: group 1: apical negative pressure irrigation (EndoVac system); and group 2: apical positive pressure irrigation (conventional irrigation) plus triantibiotic intracanal dressing. The first sample (S1) was collected after lesions were radiographically visible, and the second sample (S2) was collected after apical negative pressure irrigation (group 1) or conventional irrigation/triantibiotic dressing (group 2). All samples were seeded in a culture medium for anaerobic bacteria. Colony-forming unit counts were analyzed statistically by the Mann-Whitney test (alpha = .05). Results. Microorganisms were present in 100% of canals of both groups in S1. In S2, microorganisms were absent in 88.6% of group 1`s canals and 78.28% of group 2`s canals. There was no significant difference between the groups in either S1 (P = .0963) or S2 (P = .0566). There was significant (P < .05) bacterial reduction from S1 to S2 in both groups. Conclusion. In immature teeth with apical periodontitis, use of the EndoVac system can be considered to be a promising disinfection protocol, because it provided similar bacterial reduction to that of apical positive pressure irrigation (conventional irrigation) plus intracanal dressing with the triantibiotic paste, and the use of intracanal antibiotics might not be necessary. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2010;109:e42-e46)

In vitro antibacterial action of Tetraclean, MTAD and five experimental irrigation solutions

P>Aim To investigate the antibacterial effect of Tetraclean, MTAD and five experimental irrigants using both direct exposure test with planktonic cultures and mixed-species in vitro biofilm model. Methodology Tetraclean, MTAD and five experimental solutions that were modifications of existing formulae including MTAD + 0.01% cetrimide (CTR), MTAD + 0.1% CTR, MTAC-1 (Tween 80 replaced by 0.01% CTR in MTAD), MTAC-2 (Tween 80 replaced by 0.1% CTR) and MTAD-D (MTAD without the Tween 80 and no CTR added) were used as disinfectants in the experiments. In the direct exposure test, a suspension of Enterococcus faecalis was mixed with each of the solutions. After 0.5, 1, 3 and 10 min, an inactivator was added and the number of surviving bacteria was calculated. A mixed-species biofilm from subgingival plaque bacteria was grown in brain heart infusion broth in anaerobic conditions on synthetic hydroxyapatite discs. Two-week-old biofilms were exposed to the solutions for 0.5, 1 and 3 min. The samples were observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy after bacterial viability staining. The scans were quantitatively analysed, and the volume of killed cells of all cells was calculated for each medicament. Results Tetraclean and MTAC-2 (0.1% CTR) killed planktonic E. faecalis in < 30 s. Complete killing of bacteria required 1 min by MTAC-1, 3 min by MTAD + 0.1% CTR and 10 min by MTAD, MTAD-D and MTAD + 0.01% CTR. In the biofilm test, there were significant differences in microbial killing between the different solutions and times of exposure (P < 0.005). MTAC-2 showed the best performance, killing 71% of the biofilm bacteria in 3 min, followed by MTAC-1 and Tetraclean. MTAD and the three MTAD modifications demonstrated the lowest antibacterial activity. Conclusion Tetraclean was more effective than MTAD against E. faecalis in planktonic culture and in mixed-species in vitro biofilm. CTR improved the antimicrobial properties of the solutions, whereas Tween 80 seemed to have a neutral or negative impact on their antimicrobial effectiveness.

Sanitation assessment of wastewater treated by stabilization ponds for potential reuse in agricultural irrigation sanitation assessment

Wastewater reuse has become an important alternative to agricultural irrigation; on the other hand, it poses concern with regard to public health. Total coliform and Escherichia coli concentration, presence of helminth eggs and Salmonella, and physical-chemical parameters were evaluated in raw and treated wastewater. Chemical and biochemical oxygen demand removal efficiency was 74.6 and 77.9%, respectively. As for organic nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids, total efficiency removal was 17.4, 12.5, and 32.9%, respectively. The average density of total coliforms and E. coli was 3.5 x 10(9) and 1.8 x 10(8) MPN/100 mL and 1.1 x 10(7) MPN/100 mL and 3.9 x 10(5) MPN/100 mL for raw and treated wastewater, respectively. Ascaris eggs were observed in 80.8% of the samples collected, and viable eggs in 42.3% of the samples. Salmonella was detected in 36.4% of the samples. The values observed in treated wastewater did not show the adequate bacteriological quality, as recommended by World Health Organization (Geneva, Switzerland). Therefore, additional measures should be taken to achieve an improved microbiological and parasitological quality.

Response of black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb) on the aspersion irrigation and nitrogen fertilization

The objective of the study was assessing the effect of the nitrogen and the aspersion irrigation on the growth and dry matter yield of black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb). The experiment was conducted in the Campus of USP in Pirassununga, Sao Paulo State. In the study were evaluated four nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg of N ha(-1)) and also the presence or absence of the irrigation. The plant variables evaluated were: mean height, dry matter percentage, yield and growth rate. The results had disclosed to greater height of plant in the irrigated condition, reflecting in the higher production of dry matter. In dry land area, percentage of DM was 24.7% and in irrigated area 18.7%. The nitrogen was significantly only for plant mean height that showed linear fit when carried through the irrigation. The effect of the irrigation was better for the production of black oats than nitrogen.

Democratic Deficit in the EU : Towards Parliamentary Democracy?!

Nowadays, the western societies are based on parliamentary democracy. Therefore, weak legislative power of the European Parliament is alleged for the democratic deficit in the EU. How it can be possible that the parliamentary democracy which is practiced on the national level can be achieved beyond the nation-states without diminishing the democracy at the nation-states? If not, how legitimacy can be obtained so that the continued existence and expansion of the EU should be justified? Since expectations for democratization of the EU are still unmet, finding answers to the actual questions is a great appeal. The thesis will explore the fundamental debates and arguments contributing to the democracy in the EU through the parliaments. I will try to reflect to the different ways of thinking and the prospects of establishing parliamentary democracy beyond the nation states.