Temperature stress is a major abiotic factor significantly impacting crop growth, development and productivity. In this study, we investigated the effects of different growth temperatures (10°C, 22°C, and 35°C) on the morphological, physiological and biochemical responses of five important crop species: green lettuce, hemp, mint, red lettuce and tomato. The results revealed that plant height and stem girth of tomato plants were not significantly (p > 0.05) altered under 22°C and 35°C, but were reduced by ca. 61.9% and 65.7% respectively under 10°C compared to 22°C. Green lettuce plants grown under 22°C had significantly (p < 0.001) higher total chlorophyll content of ca. 35.9% than those under 10°C. Mint plants exposed to extreme temperatures of 35°C and 10°C showed significant (p < 0.001) reductions of up to 19.7%, 60.2%, and 45.8% in chlorophyll fluorescence indices Fv/Fm, Fv/Fo, and total chlorophyll content, respectively, compared to those grown under 22°C. Malonaldehyde content (MDA) in mint and tomato plants increased by ca. 686.7% and 476.4%, respectively, under 10°C compared to 22°C, while in red lettuce, MDA content was reduced by ca. 136% under 10°C compared to 35°C. Notably, flavonoid accumulation was significantly higher in hemp plants compared to other species. The results suggest that crop species exhibit diverse responses to temperature stress, extending beyond morphological, physiological and biochemical adaptations. This diversity shows the differential adaptive strategies employed by various plant species in response to temperature stress conditions. The findings of this study can be explored by various crop improvement programs to enhance the tolerance of these crops to temperature extremes, thereby contributing to food security amidst the threats posed by climate change.
We previously showed that feeding bile acids could induce glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) secretion and intestinal growth in parenteral nutrition-fed (PN) piglets. We hypothesize that bile acids function as agonist for the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (TGR5) expressed in enteroendocrine L cells to induce GLP-2 secretion. Our aim in this study was to test whether natural orally administered TGR5 agonists could increase GLP-2 secretion and intestinal adaptation in a piglet short bowel model. In study 1, twenty-four, neonatal piglets were PN-fed and gavaged with one of two TGR5 (ursolic acid (UA) and compound R071) treatments to measure acute GLP-2 secretion. In study 2, neonatal piglets underwent either 80% midjejunoileal resection alone or transection and reanastomosis with no resection (sham). Four treatments were studied: 1) transection, 2) resection, 3) resection + 10 mg UA, 4) resection + 60 mg R071. In study 1, oral gavage with UA, but not R071, increased (P < 0.05) GLP-2 secretion. In study 2, compared to transection, remnant ileum villus height, crypt cell proliferation, and plasma GLP-2 secretion were increased (P < 0.05) by resection, but not further stimulated by UA or R071. Bile acid profiling showed that UA and R071 increased (P < 0.05) conjugated HCA and HDCA concentration in liver and decreased (P < 0.05) conjugated HCA, HDCA and CDCA concentration in ileum. Resection tended (P = 0.08) to increase, while UA decreased (P < 0.05) liver IL-1β gene expression. We conclude that oral TGR5 agonists differentially increased GLP-2 secretion in healthy PN-fed pigs, but did not augment GLP-2 secretion or intestinal adaptation after resection in short-bowel piglets. We found that TGR5 agonists altered bile acid homeostasis and had anti-inflammatory actions in liver in short-bowel piglets.
Characterizing the chemical composition of semen can provide valuable insights into the exposome and environmental factors that directly affect seminal and overall health. In this study, we compared molecular profiles of 45 donated semen samples from general population New York City participants and examined the correlation between the chemical profiles in semen and fertility parameters, i.e., sperm concentration, sperm motility, sperm morphology, and semen volume. Samples were prepared using a protein precipitation procedure and analyzed using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Non-targeted analysis (NTA) revealed 18 chemicals not previously reported in human exposome studies, with 3-hydroxyoctanedioic acid, a cosmetic additive, emerging as a plausible candidate found to be at higher levels in cases vs controls (p < 0.01) and associated with adverse sperm motility and morphology. Four level 1 identified compounds were found to have associations with semen health parameters; dibutyl phthalate and 2-aminophenol negatively impacted motility, 4-nitrophenol was associated with low morphology, while palmitic acid was found to be associated with both low morphology and low volume. This study aims to utilize NTA to understand the association of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) along with a full chemical profile to find trends separating poor and normal semen health parameters from each other chemically. Our results suggest that the collective effects of many CECs could adversely affect semen quality.
Abstract Pregnancy confers unique immune responses to infection and vaccination across gestation. To date, there is limited data comparing vaccine versus infection-induced nAb to COVID-19 variants in mothers during pregnancy. We analyzed paired maternal and cord plasma samples from 60 pregnant individuals. Thirty women vaccinated with mRNA vaccines were matched with 30 naturally infected women by gestational age of exposure. Neutralization activity against the five SARS-CoV-2 Spike sequences was measured by a SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped Spike virion assay. Effective nAbs against SARS-CoV-2 were present in maternal and cord plasma after both infection and vaccination. Compared to wild type or Alpha variant Spike, these nAbs were less effective against the Kappa, Delta, and Mu Spike variants. Vaccination during the third trimester induced higher nAb levels at delivery than infection during the third trimester. In contrast, vaccine-induced nAb levels were lower at the time of delivery compared to infection during the first trimester. The transfer ratio (cord nAb level/maternal nAb level) was greatest in mothers vaccinated in the second trimester. SARS-CoV-2 vaccination or infection in pregnancy elicit effective nAbs with differing neutralization kinetics that is impacted by gestational time of exposure. Vaccine induced neutralizing activity was reduced against the Delta, Mu, and Kappa variants. Graphic abstract
Abstract Six six‐row Nordic spring barley genotypes ( Hordeum vulgare L.) were assessed in the field in Finland (1994 and 1995) for resistance to Rhynchosporium secalis (Oud.) J.J. Davis, the causal pathogen of scald, in artificially inoculated plots. The barleys were known not to contain major genes for resistance to scald and the purpose of these experiments was to identify quantitative differences in resistance to scald which might be exploitable in a breeding programme. Disease development was monitored, grain yield and yield components were recorded, and these data were compared with measurements taken from plants in plots kept free of disease. Data, averaged over both years, for disease development on the uppermost three leaves — areas under disease progress curves, terminal severity and apparent infection rates — indicated that ‘Verner’, ‘Pohto’ and ‘Pokko’ were symptomatically significantly more resistant to scald than ‘Arve’, ‘Loviisa’ and Jo 1599. Grain yields, thousand‐grain weights, test weights and proportions of plump grains were all significantly reduced in plots inoculated with scald compared with those kept free of disease; ‘Verner’ appeared to be the most useful genotype for use in crossing programmes to improve scald resistance in Finnish barleys.
Climate change is accelerating the intensity and frequency of wildfires globally. Understanding how wildfire smoke (WS) may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes and alterations in placental function via biological mechanisms is critical to mitigate the harms of exposure. We aim to review the literature surrounding WS, placental biology, biological mechanisms underlying adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as interventions and strategies to avoid WS exposure in pregnancy. This review includes epidemiologic and experimental laboratory-based studies of WS, air pollution, particulate matter (PM), and other chemicals related to combustion in relation to obstetric outcomes and placental biology. We summarized the available clinical, animal, and placental studies with WS and other combustion products such as tobacco, diesel, and wood smoke. Additionally, we reviewed current recommendations for prevention of WS exposure. We found that there is limited data specific to WS; however, studies on air pollution and other combustion sources suggest a link to inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption, DNA damage, telomere shortening, epigenetic changes, as well as metabolic, vascular, and endothelial dysregulation in the maternal-fetal unit. These alterations in placental biology contribute to adverse obstetric outcomes that disproportionally affect the most vulnerable. Limiting time outdoors, wearing N95 respirator face masks and using high quality indoor air filters during wildfire events reduces exposure to related environmental exposures and may mitigate morbidities attributable to WS.
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