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Heifer growth and milk production in lactating cows may diminish the nutrient supply to the fetus. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of the nutrient supply to the fetus in primiparous and multiparous cows. We investigated maternal, umbilical cord, and calf blood glucose and amino acid levels, as well as placental development in 28 primiparous (PP) and 30 multiparous (MP) Holstein cows. Although the total cotyledonary weight and surface area showed no significant differences, the MP group exhibited larger individual cotyledons (P < 0.01) and fewer medium-sized cotyledons (P < 0.05). Within the PP group, total cotyledonary weight and surface area positively correlated with blood glucose (r = 0.71-0.77; P < 0.01) and total essential amino acid (r = 0.55; P < 0.05) concentrations in the umbilical veins. However, no significant correlation was observed in the MP group. Blood glucose and amino acid concentrations in the umbilical vein, umbilical artery, and calf were significantly lower in the MP group (P < 0.05), although no difference was observed in the dams between the groups. In conclusion, the nutrient status of primiparous cows can alter fetal nutrient supply. Moreover, multiparous cows have larger individual cotyledons as an adaptive response to increased milk production during pregnancy. However, this adaptive response in multiparous cows did not completely restore nutrient supply to the fetus to the same extent as that in primiparous cows. Therefore, the nutritional management of multiparous cows during pregnancy must be reconsidered.

Insect manure or "frass" has emerged as an alternative nutrient source for alleviating the dependence on fossil fuel-based fertilizers, reducing food waste, and promoting food security. Yet, research on insect frass chemical composition is in its infancy. Here, we assessed the chemical properties of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) frass compared with poultry litter (PL). Insect frass was obtained from the National Biological Control Laboratory (NBCL; IF-L) and an insect-rearing company (IF-C). PL was collected from facilities in Arkansas (PL-AR) and North Carolina (PL-NC). Samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, macro- and micronutrients, heavy metals, pathogens, and indicator microorganisms. On average, insect frass had 43% and 47% higher C and N than PL, respectively (P < 0.05). Considering a 5 mg/ha application rate, IF-C can supply 159 kg N/ha, twice the N supply of PL-AR (78 kg/ha). IF-L had a 53% higher P supply than PL-NC. Mean K, Ca, S, and micronutrient contents were higher in PL than in frass (P < 0.05), whereas As, Cd, Cr, and Pb were nearly absent in frass. Chemical composition and pathogens in fertilizer sources were largely affected by insect-rearing substrate and supplements used in poultry and insect production. Insect frass utilized in this study had optimum C and N rates relative to PL, suggesting a promising soil amendment for improving soil health and C sequestration, thus contributing to sustainable agricultural intensification and reuse of food waste in circular economies., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine internal structure spectral profile of by-products from coffee processing that were affected by added-microorganism fermentation duration in relation to truly absorbed feed nutrient supply in ruminant system., Methods: The by-products from coffee processing were fermented using commercial fermentation product, consisting of various microorganisms: for 0 (control), 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. In this study, carbohydrate-related spectral profiles of coffee by-products were correlated with their chemical and nutritional properties (chemical composition, total digestible nutrient, bioenergy values, carbohydrate sub-fractions and predicted degradation and digestion parameters as well as milk value of feed). The vibrational spectra of coffee by-products samples after fermentation for 0 (control), 7, 14, 21, and 28 days were determined using a JASCO FT/IR-4200 spectroscopy coupled with accessory of attenuated total reflectance (ATR). The molecular spectral analyses with univariate approach were conducted with the OMNIC 7.3 software., Results: Molecular spectral analysis parameters in fermented and non-fermented byproducts from coffee processing included structural carbohydrate, cellulosic compounds, non-structural carbohydrates, lignin compound, CH-bending, structural carbohydrate peak1, structural carbohydrate peak2, structural carbohydrate peak3, hemicellulosic compound, non-structural carbohydrate peak1, non-structural carbohydrate peak2, nonstructural carbohydrate peak3. The study results show that added-microorganism fermentation induced chemical and nutritional changes of coffee by-products including carbohydrate chemical composition profiles, bioenergy value, feed milk value, carbohydrate subfractions, estimated degradable and undegradable fractions in the rumen, and intestinal digested nutrient supply in ruminant system., Conclusion: In conclusion, carbohydrate nutrition value changes by added-microorganism fermentation duration were in an agreement with the change of their spectral profile in the coffee by-products. The studies show that the vibrational ATR-FT/IR spectroscopic technique could be applied as a rapid analytical tool to evaluate fermented by-products and connect with truly digestible carbohydrate supply in ruminant system.

In modern agriculture, Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) stands out as a contemporary production mode that leverages precise control over environmental conditions such as nutrient, temperature, light, and other factors to achieve efficient and high-quality agricultural production. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of manipulating these environmental factors in the short period before harvest to enhance crop yield and quality in CEA. This comprehensive review aims to provide insight into various pre-harvest practices employed in CEA, including nutrient deprivation, nutrient supply, manipulation of the light environment, and the application of exogenous hormones, with the objective of improving yield and quality in horticultural crops. Additionally, we propose an intelligent pre-harvest management system to cultivate high-quality horticultural crops. This system integrates sensor technology, data analysis, and intelligent control, enabling the customization of specific pre-harvest strategies based on producers' requirements. The envisioned pre-harvest intelligent system holds the potential to enhance crop quality, increase yield, reduce resource wastage, and offer innovative ideas and technical support for the sustainable development of CEA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhao, Peng, Zhang, Yang, Qiu, Cai, Hu, Huang, Liang, Li, Tian, Liu and Wang.)

During intrauterine life, external stimuli including maternal nutrition, lifestyle, socioeconomic conditions, anxiety, stress, and air pollution can significantly impact fetal development. The human brain structures begin to form in the early weeks of gestation and continue to grow and mature throughout pregnancy. This review aims to assess, based on the latest research, the impact of environmental factors on fetal and neonatal brain development, showing that oxidative stress and inflammation are implied as a common factor for most of the stressors. Environmental insults can induce a maternal inflammatory state and modify nutrient supply to the fetus, possibly through epigenetic mechanisms, leading to significant consequences for brain morphogenesis and neurological outcomes. These risk factors are often synergic and mutually reinforcing. Fetal growth restriction and preterm birth represent paradigms of intrauterine reduced nutrient supply and inflammation, respectively. These mechanisms can lead to an increase in free radicals and, consequently, oxidative stress, with well-known adverse effects on the offspring's neurodevelopment. Therefore, a healthy intrauterine environment is a critical factor in supporting normal fetal brain development. Hence, healthcare professionals and clinicians should implement effective interventions to prevent and reduce modifiable risk factors associated with an increased inflammatory state and decreased nutrient supply during pregnancy.

A lower nutrient supply from Holstein (HOL) dams to beef fetuses than HOL fetuses has been demonstrated, but the underlying factors remain unclear. We investigated maternal, umbilical vein, and calf blood glucose and amino acid concentrations at calving, along with placental development at term, in HOL dams with similar fetuses (HOL-HOL, n = 12), F1 crosses (HOL × Japanese Black [JB]; HOL-F1, n = 4), JB fetuses (HOL-JB, n = 7), and JB dams with similar fetuses (JB-JB, n = 11). Calf birth weight, total cotyledonary weight, and surface area were greater in HOL-HOL compared to JB-JB or HOL-JB (P < 0.05), whereas those of HOL-F1 were similar. Blood amino acid concentrations in the umbilical veins and calves were similar among HOL-HOL, HOL-F1, and HOL-JB. Calf blood glucose concentrations were lower in HOL-F1 than HOL-HOL (P < 0.05), despite similar maternal blood glucose levels. HOL-JB exhibited higher maternal, umbilical vein, and calf blood glucose concentrations than JB-JB (P < 0.05). Therefore, the glucose supply to the fetus may be inhibited in HOL-F1 due to maternal-fetal breed differences. Higher maternal blood glucose concentrations in HOL-JB may result in elevated fetal glucose exposure, potentially affecting postnatal growth and metabolism., (© 2024 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Nitrogen (N) fertilization is important for grape growth and wine quality. Unreasonable N fertilizer application affects wine growth and has a negative impact on wine quality. Therefore, it is essential to address the mismatch between N application and wine composition. To regulate vine growth and improve grape and wine quality, Cabernet Gernischt (Vitis vinifera L.) grapevines were subjected to lower levels of N, compared to normal N supply treatments, during the grape growing seasons of 2019 and 2020 in the wine region of Yantai, China. The effects of reduced N application from pre-boom to pre-veraison on vine growth, yield and composition of grapes, and dry red wine anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin phenolic compound content were studied. We found that reduced N application significantly decreased dormant shoot fresh mass and yield. However, the effect of N application on fruit ripening depended on the season. Nitrogen-reduction treatment significantly improved wine phenolic parameters, including total phenolics, tannins, and anthocyanins, and enhanced most of the individual anthocyanins and some non-anthocyanin phenolics, especially stilbenes, including piceatannol, trans-resveratrol, and polydatin, regardless of the season. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of reducing N application during the grape growing season in order to modify the wine phenolic profiles., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Microplastics have emerged as an important threat to terrestrial ecosystems. To date, little research has been conducted on investigating the effects of microplastics on ecosystem functions and multifunctionality. In this study, we conducted the pot experiments containing five plant communities consisting of Phragmites australis, Cynanchum chinense, Setaria viridis, Glycine soja, Artemisia capillaris, Suaeda glauca, and Limonium sinense and added polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) microbeads to the soil (contained a mixture of 1.5 kg loam and 3 kg sand) at two concentrations of 0.15 g/kg (lower concentration, hereinafter referred to as PE-L and PS-L) and 0.5 g/kg (higher concentration, hereinafter referred to as PE-H and PS-H) to explore the effects of microplastics on total plant biomass, microbial activity, nutrient supply, and multifunctionality. The results showed that PS-L significantly decreased the total plant biomass (p = 0.034), primarily by inhibiting the growth of the roots. β-glucosaminidase decreased with PS-L, PS-H, and PE-L (p < 0.001) while the phosphatase was noticeably augmented (p < 0.001). The observation suggests that the microplastics diminished the nitrogen requirements and increased the phosphorus requirements of the microbes. The decrease in β-glucosaminidase diminished ammonium content (p < 0.001). Moreover, PS-L, PS-H, and PE-H reduced the soil total nitrogen content (p < 0.001), and only PS-H considerably reduced the soil total phosphorus content (p < 0.001), affecting the ratio of N/P markedly (p = 0.024). Of interest, the impacts of microplastics on total plant biomass, β-glucosaminidase, phosphatase, and ammonium content did not become larger at the higher concentration, and it is observable that microplastics conspicuously depressed the ecosystem multifunctionality, as microplastics depreciated single functions such as total plant biomass, β-glucosaminidase, and nutrient supply. In perspective, measures to counteract this new pollutant and eliminate its impact on ecosystem functions and multifunctionality are necessary., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we propose a set of nonlinear differential equations to model the dynamic growth of avascular stage tumors, considering nutrient supply from underlying tissue, innate immune response, contact inhibition of cell migration, and interactions with a chemotherapeutic agent. The model has been validated against available experimental data from the literature for tumor growth. We assume that the size of the modeled tumor is already detectable, and it represents all clinically observed existent cell populations; initial conditions are selected accordingly. Numerical results indicate that the tumor size and regression significantly depend on the strength of the host immune system. The effect of chemotherapy is investigated, not only within the malignancy, but also in terms of the responding immune cells and healthy tissue in the vicinity of a tumor.

How crop biodiversity adapts to drought conditions and enhances grain yield became the most important issue facing agronomists and plant breeders at the turn of the century. Variations in genetic response, inadequacy of nutrients in the soil, and insufficient access to nutrients are factors that aggravate drought stressors. The development of screening tools for identifying drought tolerance is important in the deployment of durum wheat varieties suited to drought-prone environments. An experiment was conducted to evaluate durum wheat varieties under a range of nutrient supplies in naturally imposed drought conditions. The treatments consisting of two nitrogen regimes (i.e., control and 60 kg ha -1 ), four durum wheat varieties, and three types of nutrients (control, sulfur, and zinc) that were arranged in a split-split plot design with three replications. Both foliar-based sulfur and zinc fertilization were employed at the flag leaf stage, at a rate of 4 and 3-L ha -1 , respectively. The results showed a significant ( p < 0.05) genetic variation in chlorophyll concentration, grain protein content, tillering potential, and leaf area index. Varieties that contained better leaf chlorophyll content had improved grain yield by about 8.33% under 60 kg/ha nitrogen. A combined application of nitrogen and zinc at flag leaf stage significantly improved grain yield of Duragold by about 21.3%. Leaf chlorophyll content was found to be a more important trait than spikes per m 2 to discriminate durum wheat varieties. Foliar application of sulfur increased the grain yield of drought-stressed plants by about 12.23%. Grain yield and protein content were strongly correlated with late-season SPAD readings. Significant ( p < 0.05) correlation coefficients were obtained between normalized difference vegetation index, leaf area index, grain yield, and protein content with late-season chlorophyll content, revealing the importance of chlorophyll content in studying and identifying drought-tolerant varieties.

Although environmental factors affecting adventitious root (AR) formation have been examined, how nutrient status affects ARs under waterlogging conditions remains unclear. In this study, plants' performance in responding to AR regulation based on nutrient supply was investigated in terms of plant morphology, physiology and AR traits. Results indicated that Cleistocalyx operculatus possesses higher waterlogging tolerance than Syzygium cumini according to the waterlogging tolerance coefficient, mainly because of the higher fresh weight, porosity and length of AR in C. operculatus. Nutrient supply treatment under a waterlogging condition significantly decreased the fresh weight, length, number, porosity, cortex area of AR and the ratio of cortex-to-stele area in both species relative to those in the waterlogging treatment, but significantly increased the activities and stele areas of AR, and leaf nutrient content. This result showed that nutrient supply caused variations in the morphological and anatomical structures of AR that were more beneficial to improve nutrient transportation than oxygen absorption under waterlogging conditions, supporting the nutrient-priority hypothesis. Moreover, nutrient supply under waterlogging conditions induced greater increase in stele area of ARs, fresh weight of the whole plant, total leaf area, leaf nitrogen level, total chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis rate and maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII in S. cumini than in C. operculatus, suggesting that S. cumini can transport more nutrients and easily adapts to increase in nutrient supply under waterlogging conditions. Thus, S. cumini have better performance in extracting and utilizing nutrients in the water for plant growth. The findings showed that terrestrial arbor plants have physiological and microstructural mechanisms that respond to nutrient supply under waterlogging conditions and provide novel insights into the phytoremediation of eutrophic water bodies in wetland systems., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.)

Plastic budgets in the marine environment and their long-term trends are yet to be fully understood. Measuring the accumulation rates in bottom sediments is crucial to solving the riddle of missing ocean plastics. Previous studies based on coastal sediment cores have found that accumulation rates have increased with increases in plastic production and/or regional populations. However, the correlations between the rates and bioactivities or ocean dynamics, which are crucial for modeling the microplastic sinking process, have not been examined. We revealed a 75-year microplastic fragment (0.3-5.0 mm) accumulation rate history in a hypoxic basin, Beppu Bay, Japan, based on multi-core analysis and 210 Pb dating of the sediment which was cross-checked by time control with 137 Cs radioactivity peaks. We found that a long-term linear increasing trend with an approximately 20-year variation overlapped with significant peaks around 1990 and 2014 with the first polypropylene microplastic fragment detected from a 1958.8-1961.0 CE sediment layer. The maximum rate was 203 pieces m -2 y -1 with an abundance of 86 pieces kg -1 -dry in 2014. Smaller fragments in the size range of 0.3-2.0 mm have been consistently dominant in terms of the accumulation rate throughout the 1955-2015 period, accounting for 85.3 % of the total accumulation rate. The three major polymers (polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene) accounted for 96.6 % of the total rate. The rate was highly and positively correlated with the chlorophyll-a accumulation rate and concentration in the sediment. Based on the microplastic accumulation rates and concentration in the seawater, the mean sinking velocity of microplastics was estimated to be in the order of 10 1 m d -1 . Our results will contribute to significant progress in modeling the microplastic sinking process by offering the first field measurement-based mean sinking velocity and significant correlations between the rate and bioactivity-related signals., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The variation of nutrient supply not only leads to the differences in the phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity but also induces the long-term phenotypic evolution of phytoplankton. It is widely accepted that marine phytoplankton follows Bergmann's Rule and becomes smaller with climate warming. Compared with the direct effect of increasing temperature, the indirect effect via nutrient supply is considered to be an important and dominant factor in the reduction of phytoplankton cell size. In this paper, a size-dependent nutrient-phytoplankton model is developed to explore the effects of nutrient supply on the evolutionary dynamics of functional traits associated with phytoplankton size. The ecological reproductive index is introduced to investigate the impacts of input nitrogen concentration and vertical mixing rate on the persistence of phytoplankton and the distribution of cell size. In addition, by applying the adaptive dynamics theory, we study the relationship between nutrient input and the evolutionary dynamics of phytoplankton. The results show that input nitrogen concentration and vertical mixing rate have significant effects on the cell size evolution of phytoplankton. Specifically, cell size tends to increase with the input nutrient concentration, as does the diversity of cell sizes. In addition, a single-peaked relationship between vertical mixing rate and cell size is observed. When the vertical mixing rate is too low or too high, only small individuals are dominant in the water column. When the vertical mixing rate is moderate, large individuals can coexist with small individuals, so the diversity of phytoplankton is elevated. We predict that reduced intensity of nutrient input due to climate warming will lead to a trend towards smaller cell size and will reduce the diversity of phytoplankton.

A plant-based diet (PBD) can provide numerous health benefits for patients with cardiovascular risk factors. However, an inadequately planned PBD also bear the potential for deficiencies in certain macro- and micronutrients. The present study analyzed nutrient profiles of individuals who adopted a PBD as part of the CardioVeg study. Participants with cardiovascular risk factors were randomly assigned to either a whole-food PBD intervention ( n = 36; eight 90 min group meetings including two 120 min cooking sessions) or a control group asked to maintain an omnivorous diet ( n = 34) for eight weeks. Food intake data were collected using three-day weighed food records and analyzed with NutriGuide software, including the German Nutrient Data Base (German: Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel). Nutrient intake was compared before and after eight weeks as well as between the groups. The results for both groups were then contrasted to the current dietary recommendations published by the societies for nutrition in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Moreover, anthropometric/laboratory data and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were determined at baseline and after 8 weeks. Data of a subsample ( n = 18 in the PBD group and n = 19 in the control group) were used for the present analyses of the dietary intake data. A PBD yielded several benefits including (but not limited to) a lower energy density, a lower intake of cholesterol and saturated fat, an increased consumption of fiber, and a lower intake of salt. Recommended intakes of most vitamins and minerals were generally met, except for vitamin B12 in the PBD group. A low intake of several other critical nutrients (vitamin D, iodine) was observed in both groups. Compared with the control group, PBD resulted in a significant decrease in body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, HbA1c, and fasting blood glucose after 8 weeks. Overall, it can be concluded that a PBD had a more favorable nutrient composition for cardiovascular health than the omnivorous dietary pattern of the control group.

The expansive gyres of the subtropical ocean account for a significant fraction of global organic carbon export from the upper ocean. In the gyre interior, vertical mixing and the heaving of nutrient-rich waters into the euphotic layer sustain local productivity, in turn depleting the layers below. However, the nutrient pathways by which these subeuphotic layers are themselves replenished remain unclear. Using a global, eddy-permitting simulation of ocean physics and biogeochemistry, we quantify nutrient resupply mechanisms along and across density surfaces, including the contribution of eddy-scale motions that are challenging to observe. We find that mesoscale eddies (10 to 100 km) flux nutrients from the shallow flanks of the gyre into the recirculating interior, through time-varying motions along density surfaces. The subeuphotic layers are ultimately replenished in approximately equal contributions by this mesoscale eddy transport and the remineralization of sinking particles. The mesoscale eddy resupply is most important in the lower thermocline for the whole subtropical region but is dominant at all depths within the gyre interior. Subtropical gyre productivity may therefore be sustained by a nutrient relay, where the lateral transport resupplies nutrients to the thermocline and allows vertical exchanges to maintain surface biological production and carbon export.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis in soil may be directly or indirectly involved in the reproductive process of sexually reproducing plants (seed plants), and affect their reproductive fitness. However, it is not clear how underground AM symbiosis affects plant reproductive function. Here, we reviewed the studies on the effects of AM symbiosis on plant reproductive fitness including both male function (pollen) and female function (seed). AM symbiosis regulates the development and function of plant sexual organs by affecting the nutrient using strategy and participating in the formation of hormone networks and secondary compounds in host plants. The nutrient supply (especially phosphorus supply) of AM symbiosis may be the main factor affecting plant's reproductive function. Moreover, the changes in hormone levels and secondary metabolite content induced by AM symbiosis can also affect host plants reproductive fitness. These effects can occur in pollen formation and transport, pollen tube growth and seed production, and seedling performance. Finally, we discuss other possible effects of AM symbiosis on the male and female functional fitness, and suggest several additional factors that may be involved in the influence of AM symbiosis on the reproductive fitness of host plants. We believe that it is necessary to accurately identify and verify the mechanisms driving the changes of reproductive fitness of host plant in symbiotic networks in the future. A more thorough understanding of the mechanism of AM symbiosis on reproductive function will help to improve our understanding of AM fungus ecological roles and may provide references for improving the productivity of natural and agricultural ecosystems., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang and Tang.)

Water balance influences soil development, and consequently plant communities, by driving weathering of soil minerals and leaching of plant nutrients from the soil. Along gradients in water balance, soils exhibit process domains where chemical properties are relatively stable punctuated by pedogenic thresholds where soil chemical properties change rapidly with little additional change in water balance. We ask if plant macronutrient concentrations in leaves also exhibit non-linear trends along water balance gradients, and if so, how these non-linearities relate to those in soils. We analyze foliar nutrient concentrations and foliar N:P ratios from eight species that span a range of growth forms along three water balance gradients (three of the species are found on multiple gradients). The gradients are located on basaltic substrate of different ages and have previously been characterized by studies on soil development. We find that maximum concentrations of foliar macronutrients occur at an intermediate water balance. As with soil nutrients, time mediates the effect of water balance on foliar nutrients, such that plants on older soils attain maximum nutrient concentrations at a lower water balance. On both a young, 20 ky and an old, 4100 ky water balance gradient, foliar nutrients reach peak concentrations at a water balance greater than the threshold for depletion of rock-derived nutrients in surface soils. Our findings suggest that plant acquisition of essential nutrients is imperfectly predicted by overall soil nutrient availability because the regulation of internal nutrient pools by plants makes nutrient pools within leaves partially independent of soil nutrient availability., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The flowering time of tree peony is short and concentrated in spring, which limits the development of its industry. We previously achieved tree peony reflowering in autumn. Here, we further shifted its reflowering time ahead through proper gibberellin (GA) treatment plus nutrient supply. GA treatment alone initiated bud differentiation, but it aborted later, whereas GA plus nutrient (G + N) treatment completed the opening process 38 days before the control group. Through microstructural observation of bud differentiation and starch grains, we concluded that GA plays a triggering role in flowering induction, whereas the nutriment supply ensured the continuous developing for final opening, and both are necessary. We further determined the expression of five floral induction pathway genes and found that PsSOC1 and PsLFY probably played key integral roles in flowering induction and nutrient supply, respectively. Considering the GA signaling, PsGA2ox may be mainly involved in GA regulation, whereas PsGAI may regulate further flower formation after nutrient application. Furthermore, G + N treatment, but not GA alone, inhibited the expression of PsTPS1 , a key restricting enzyme in sugar signaling, at the early stage, indicating that sugar signaling is also involved in this process; in addition, GA treatment induced high expression of PsSnRK1 , a major nutrient insufficiency indicator, and the induction of PsHXK1 , a rate-limiting enzyme for synthesis of sugar signaling substances, further confirmed the nutrient shortage. In short, besides GA application, exogenous nutrient supply is essential to shift tree peony reflowering ahead in autumn under current forcing culture technologies.

Both algae and bacteria are essential inhabitants of surface waters. Their presence is of ecological significance and sometimes of public health concern triggering various control actions. Interactions of microalgae, macroalgae, submerged aquatic vegetation, and bacteria appear to be important phenomena necessitating a deeper understanding by those involved in research and management of microbial water quality. Given the long-standing reliance on Escherichia coli as an indicator of the potential presence of pathogens in natural waters, understanding its biology in aquatic systems is necessary. The major effects of algae and aquatic vegetation on E. coli growth and survival, including changes in the nutrient supply, modification of water properties and constituents, impact on sunlight radiation penetration, survival as related to substrate attachment, algal mediation of secondary habitats, and survival inhibition due to the release of toxic substances and antibiotics, are discussed in this review. An examination of horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic resistance potential, strain-specific interactions, effects on the microbial, microalgae, and grazer community structure, and hydrodynamic controls is given. Outlooks due to existing and expected consequences of climate change and advances in observation technologies via high-resolution satellite imaging, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and mathematical modeling are additionally covered. The multiplicity of interactions among bacteria, algae, and aquatic vegetation as well as multifaceted impacts of these interactions, create a wide spectrum of research opportunities and technology developments., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Grasslands are declining worldwide and are often impacted by industrial activities, including infrastructure development. Current best management practices for low-disturbance development on grasslands include the use of wooden access mats as temporary work platforms and roadways to mitigate soil compaction and rutting due to heavy traffic. We assessed the impacts of heavy traffic (TON), and the impacts of the same heavy equipment driven over top of access mats (AM), on soil physical, hydrological, and nutrient responses in sandy and loamy soils in the Dry Mixedgrass prairies over a 2-year period. We also assessed how the timing (early vs. late in the growing season) and duration (6 vs. 12 vs. 24 weeks) of AM and TON affected the same metrics. Compared to undisturbed soils, TON increased soil penetration resistance (15 cm depth) up to 93% in loamy and up to 101% in sandy soils, and decreased water infiltration rates from 53 to 71%, respectively. Notably, the negative impacts of TON on soil physical characteristics and hydrology were larger in sandy vs. loamy soils, and when moist soils were exposed to traffic early in the growing season. AMs were effective at mitigating soil compaction from industrial traffic when used on sandy soils. However, AM use increased the supply of total nitrogen and other plant macro- and micro-nutrients, particularly in soils subject to longer (12-24 wk) mat placement. Results indicate TON may have long-lasting effects on grassland (particularly sandy) soils, and that AM use represents an effective tool to mitigate traffic impacts. Further, early-season traffic should be avoided when soils are moist (whether with AM or not), and AMs should be placed on soils for limited durations (≤6 wk) to minimize potential nutrient losses., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Nutrient stress has been known as the main limiting factor for maize growth and yield. Nitrapyrin, as a nitrification inhibitor-which reduces nitrogen loss-and foliar fertilizer treatments have been successfully used to enhance the efficiency of nutrient utilization, however, the impacts of these two technologies on physiological development, enzymatic responses, and productivity of maize are poorly studied. In this paper, the concentration of each stress indicator, such as contents of proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), relative chlorophyll, photosynthetic pigments, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in maize leaf tissues. In addition, biomass growth, as well as quantitative and qualitative parameters of yield production were examined. Results confirm the enhancing impact of nitrapyrin on the nitrogen use of maize. Furthermore, lower activity of proline, MDA, SOD, as well as higher photosynthetic activity were shown in maize with a more favorable nutrient supply due to nitrapyrin and foliar fertilizer treatments. The obtained findings draw attention to the future practical relevance of these technologies that can be implemented to enhance the physiological development and productivity of maize. However, this paper also highlights the importance of irrigation, as nutrient uptake from soil by the crops decreases during periods of drought.

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertiliser application, was able to counteract growth reductions, in cassava cultivated on nutrient poor soils, under one water stress condition. It however remains to be seen, whether N, P and K fertiliser application, would produce similar results, across different water stress conditions. A study was therefore conducted to determine how N, P and K fertiliser application, would influence cassava growth on nutrient poor soils, under various water stress conditions. Effects on new leaf formation and leaf size were also investigated. The study was a 2×3×4 factorial pot experiment, in a randomised complete block design. It included: two cassava varieties, three water stress levels and four fertiliser treatments. The water stress levels kept some plants watered at field capacities of 30% (severe water stress), 60% (mild water stress) and 100% (zero water stress). The fertiliser treatments consisted of a control (no fertiliser), a sole K fertiliser treatment (25 mg K/kg), a moderate N, P and K fertiliser treatment (25 mg N + 5 mg P + 25 mg K/kg) and a high N, P and K fertiliser treatment (50 mg N + 13 mg P + 50 mg K/kg). All data were analysed using the analysis of variance. Cassava growth was assessed by monitoring changes in the dry shoot mass of cassava plants. High and moderate N, P and K fertiliser application, produced cassava plants with higher and similar dry shoot masses, under mild water stress (10.5 g/plant, SE = 0.6 and 9.0 g/plant, SE = 0.6, respectively). High N, P and K fertiliser application, however gave cassava the highest dry shoot mass, under severe water stress (7.9 g/plant, SE = 0.4). Relatively high cassava growth was consistently achieved with high N, P and K fertiliser application, across all water stress conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

The aim of our study was to analyse vegetables, potatoes and their products as sources of energy and nutrients in the average diet in Poland. Representative data of the 2016 Household Budget Survey from 36,886 households were used. This is the largest study sample in Poland, so we generalized the conclusions to the whole population using the statement 'average diet'. We analysed three main product groups: vegetables, vegetable products, and potatoes and potatoes products, dividing them into 14 subgroups (e.g., tomatoes, cabbage, carrots, other vegetables, and mushrooms). The percentages of energy, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, nine vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin E), seven minerals (calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium and zinc), and fibre from the analysed food subgroups are presented. Additionally, the influence of household characteristics on the supply of energy and nutrients from each subgroup of vegetables, potatoes, and their products was evaluated using cluster analysis. In the analysis, R programme and Kohonen neural networks were applied. Our study showed that vegetables, potatoes, and their products provide 7.3% of daily dietary energy supply. Vegetables contribute more than 20% of the supply of six nutrients: vitamin C (51.8%), potassium (32.5%), folate (31.0%), vitamin A (30.6%), vitamin B6 (27.8%), and magnesium (20.2%), as well as fibre (31.8%). Cluster analysis distinguished three clusters that differed in nutritional supply from vegetables, potatoes, and their products. Educational level, income measured by quintile groups, village size, socio-economic characteristics, urbanization degree, and land use were the most important factors determining differences between clusters.

Insect gut microbes play important roles in host feeding, digestion, immunity, growth and development. Spodoptera litura is an important agricultural pest distributed of global importance. In the present study, diversity and functions of the gut bacteria in S. litura are investigated based on the approaches of metagenomics and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The results showed that the gut bacterial diversity of S. litura reared on taro leaves or an artificial diet, were similar at the phylum level, as both were mainly composed of Proteobacteria, but differed significantly at the order level. Spodoptera litura reared on taro leaves (Sl-tar) had gut biota mainly comprised of Enterobacteriales and Lactobacillales, while those reared on artificial diet (Sl-art) predominantly contained Pseudomonadales and Enterobacteriales, suggesting that gut bacteria composition was closely related to the insect's diet. We found that feeding and growth of S. litura were significantly reduced when individuals were treated with antibiotics, but could be both restored to a certain extent after reimporting gut bacteria, indicating that gut bacteria are important for feeding, digestion, and utilization of food in S. litura . Metagenomic sequencing of gut microbes revealed that the gut bacteria encode a large number of enzymes involved in digestion, detoxification, and nutrient supply, implying that the gut microbes may be essential for improving the efficiency of food utilization in S. litura ., (Copyright © 2020 Xia, Lan, Tao, Lin and You.)

Temperature and nutrient supply are key factors that control phytoplankton ecophysiology, but their role is commonly investigated in isolation. Their combined effect on resource allocation, photosynthetic strategy, and metabolism remains poorly understood. To characterize the photosynthetic strategy and resource allocation under different conditions, we analyzed the responses of a marine cyanobacterium (Synechococcus PCC 7002) to multiple combinations of temperature and nutrient supply. We measured the abundance of proteins involved in the dark (RuBisCO, rbcL) and light (Photosystem II, psbA) photosynthetic reactions, the content of chlorophyll a, carbon and nitrogen, and the rates of photosynthesis, respiration, and growth. We found that rbcL and psbA abundance increased with nutrient supply, whereas a temperature-induced increase in psbA occurred only in nutrient-replete treatments. Low temperature and abundant nutrients caused increased RuBisCO abundance, a pattern we observed also in natural phytoplankton assemblages across a wide latitudinal range. Photosynthesis and respiration increased with temperature only under nutrient-sufficient conditions. These results suggest that nutrient supply exerts a stronger effect than temperature upon both photosynthetic protein abundance and metabolic rates in Synechococcus sp. and that the temperature effect on photosynthetic physiology and metabolism is nutrient dependent. The preferential resource allocation into the light instead of the dark reactions of photosynthesis as temperature rises is likely related to the different temperature dependence of dark-reaction enzymatic rates versus photochemistry. These findings contribute to our understanding of the strategies for photosynthetic energy allocation in phytoplankton inhabiting contrasting environments., (© 2020 Phycological Society of America.)

Reprogramming of biochemical pathways is a hallmark of cancer cells, and generation of lactic acid from glucose/glutamine represents one of the consequences of such metabolic alterations. Cancer cells export lactic acid out to prevent intracellular acidification, not only increasing lactate levels but also creating an acidic pH in extracellular milieu. Lactate and protons in tumor microenvironment are not innocuous bystander metabolites but have special roles in promoting tumor-cell proliferation and growth. Lactate functions as a signaling molecule by serving as an agonist for the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR81, involving both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. In the autocrine pathway, cancer cell-generated lactate activates GPR81 on cancer cells; in the paracrine pathway, cancer cell-generated lactate activates GPR81 on immune cells, endothelial cells, and adipocytes present in tumor stroma. The end result of GPR81 activation is promotion of angiogenesis, immune evasion, and chemoresistance. The acidic pH creates an inwardly directed proton gradient across the cancer-cell plasma membrane, which provides driving force for proton-coupled transporters in cancer cells to enhance supply of selective nutrients. There are several molecular targets in the pathways involved in the generation of lactic acid by cancer cells and its role in tumor promotion for potential development of novel anticancer therapeutics., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Various types of flat rhizoboxes aid in root visualization and tracking in experiments where the focus is upon root system growth and development. While size of the pot is known to affect experiments, nothing is known about the impact of rhizoboxes-not only their volume, but also their shape might affect root and shoot growth. Therefore, we investigated how rhizoboxes change plant biomass and root:shoot biomass partitioning. We compared biomass and root:shoot ratio of plants growing in the pots with different geometry-usual three-dimensional, cuboid plant pots and flat two-dimensional rhizoboxes about the same volume. We used two different nutritional treatments (deionized water and additional nutrients) for investigating whether the nutrient availability in the substrate changed the impact of rhizoboxes on plant growth. We used 15 species for the generalizability of our results across the phylogenetic tree. Proportional investment of plants into roots was similar in usual pots and in rhizoboxes. This pattern was stable across nutrition treatments and across species. Further, we found no differences in total biomass of plants between pot type within nutrient treatments. With added nutrients, the plants had a higher biomass and lower root:shoot ratio compared to treatments without nutrient addition. Thus, species can be safely compared when grown in the rhizoboxes; rhizoboxes did not affect root system growth comparisons among species and nutrient levels. Also, they did not affect plant growth in terms of total biomass., (Copyright © 2020 Mašková and Klimeš.)

The genetic alterations associated with cell transformation are in large measure expressed in the metabolic phenotype as cancer cells proliferate and change their local environment, and prepare for metastasis. Qualitatively, the fundamental biochemistry of cancer cells is generally the same as in the untransformed cells, but the cancer cells produce a local environment, the TME, that is hostile to the stromal cells, and compete for nutrients. In order to proliferate, cells need sufficient nutrients, either those that cannot be made by the cells themselves, or must be made from simpler precursors. However, in solid tumors, the nutrient supply is often limiting given the potential for rapid proliferation, and the poor quality of the vasculature. Thus, cancer cells may employ a variety of strategies to obtain nutrients for survival, growth and metastasis. Although much has been learned using established cell lines in standard culture conditions, it is becoming clear from in vivo metabolic studies that this can also be misleading, and which nutrients are used for energy production versus building blocks for synthesis of macromolecules can vary greatly from tumor to tumor, and even within the same tumor. Here we review the operation of metabolic networks, and how recent understanding of nutrient supply in the TME and utilization are being revealed using stable isotope tracers in vivo as well as in vitro., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2019 Chongqing Medical University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Vegetarian diets have gained popularity in sports. However, few data exist on the status of micronutrients and related biomarkers for vegetarian and vegan athletes. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to compare the micronutrient status of omnivorous (OMN, n = 27), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV, n = 26), and vegan (VEG, n = 28) recreational runners. Biomarkers of vitamin B 12 , folate, vitamin D, and iron were assessed. Additionally, serum levels of calcium, magnesium, and zinc were examined. Lifestyle factors and supplement intake were recorded via questionnaires. About 80% of each group showed vitamin B 12 adequacy with higher levels in supplement users. Mean red blood cell folate exceeded the reference range (>340 nmol/L) in all three groups (OMN: 2213 ± 444, LOV: 2236 ± 596, and VEG: 2354 ± 639 nmol/L; not significant, n.s.). Furthermore, vitamin D levels were comparable (OMN: 90.6 ± 32.1, LOV: 76.8 ± 33.7, and VEG: 86.2 ± 39.5 nmol/L; n.s.), and we found low prevalence (<20%) of vitamin D inadequacy in all three groups. Less than 30% of each group had depleted iron stores, however, iron deficiency anemia was not found in any subject. Our findings suggest that a well-planned, health-conscious lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diet, including supplements, can meet the athlete's requirements of vitamin B 12 , vitamin D and iron.

Post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater (PHWW), which contains approximately 80% of original feedstock resources, shows great potential to achieve sustainable development of an environment-enhancing energy system. A combination of anaerobic digestion and algae cultivation was proposed for methane recovery and nutrient supply from PHWW. Granular activated carbon (GAC) and ozone were used to enhance energy recovery from the PHWW. The results indicated that with GAC addition, the maximum methane yield increased by 67.7%-228 mL/g COD removal . In addition, Chlorella vulgaris displayed optimal growth in a 5-fold diluted digestate with a 2.32 g/L maximum biomass content and 180 mg/(L·d) biomass production rate. The total energy yield was 565 kJ/g COD, which was 27.4 times higher than that without GAC. Integration of anaerobic digestion and algae cultivation, particularly with GAC addition during fermentation, is a feasible and advantageous process for energy recovery from PHWW., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

One challenge in merging community and ecosystem ecology is to integrate the complexity of natural multitrophic communities into concepts of ecosystem functioning. Here, we combine food-web and allometry theories to demonstrate that primary production, as measured by the total nutrient uptake of the multitrophic community, is determined by vertical diversity (i.e. food web's maximum trophic level) and structure (i.e. distributions of species and their abundances and metabolic rates across trophic levels). In natural ecosystems, the community size distribution determines all these vertical patterns and thus the total nutrient uptake. Our model suggests a vertical diversity hypothesis (VDH) for ecosystem functioning in complex food webs. It predicts that, under a given nutrient supply, the total nutrient uptake increases exponentially with the maximum trophic level in the food web and it increases with its maximum body size according to a power law. The VDH highlights the effect of top-down regulation on plant nutrient uptake, which complements traditional paradigms that emphasised the bottom-up effect of nutrient supply on vertical diversity. We conclude that the VDH contributes to a synthetic framework for understanding the relationship between vertical diversity and ecosystem functioning in food webs and predicting the impacts of global changes on multitrophic ecosystems., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.)

Ecological stoichiometry and resource competition theory both predict that nutrient rates and ratios can alter infectious disease dynamics. Pathogens such as viruses hijack nutrient rich host metabolites to complete multiple steps of their epidemiological cycle. As the synthesis of these molecules requires nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), environmental supply rates, and ratios of N and P to hosts can directly limit disease dynamics. Environmental nutrient supplies also may alter virus epidemiology indirectly by changing host phenotype or the dynamics of coinfecting pathogens. We tested whether host nutrient supplies and coinfection control pathogen growth within hosts and transmission to new hosts, either directly or through modifications of plant tissue chemistry (i.e., content and stoichiometric ratios of nutrients), host phenotypic traits, or among-pathogen interactions. We examined two widespread plant viruses (BYDV-PAV and CYDV-RPV) in cultivated oats ( Avena sativa) grown along a range of N and of P supply rates. N and P supply rates altered plant tissue chemistry and phenotypic traits; however, environmental nutrient supplies and plant tissue content and ratios of nutrients did not directly alter virus titer. Infection with CYDV-RPV altered plant traits and resulted in thicker plant leaves (i.e., higher leaf mass per area) and there was a positive correlation between CYDV-RPV titer and leaf mass per area. CYDV-RPV titer was reduced by the presence of a competitor, BYDV-PAV, and higher CYDV-RPV titer led to more severe chlorotic symptoms. In our experimental conditions, virus transmission was unaffected by nutrient supply rates, co-infection, plant stoichiometry, or plant traits, although nutrient supply rates have been shown to increase infection and coinfection rates. This work provides a robust test of the role of plant nutrient content and ratios in the dynamics of globally important pathogens and reveals a more complex relationship between within-host virus growth and alterations of plant traits. A deeper understanding of the differential effects of environmental nutrient supplies on virus epidemiology and ecology is particularly relevant given the rapid increase of nutrients flowing into Earth's ecosystems as a result of human activities.

Nutrition plays an important role for health, in particular of children and adolescents. In addition to the baseline German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS, 2003-2006), the nutrition survey EsKiMo (Eating study as a KiGGS Module) assessed the dietary habits of children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 in detail. In KiGGS Wave 2 (2014-2017) the corresponding module is EsKiMo II. Between June 2015 and September 2017, specially trained nutritionists will visit EsKiMo II participants at their homes. The parents of 6-to 11-year-olds are instructed on how to complete food records on four randomly chosen days - three consecutive days, followed later by an additional day. Participants aged 12 to 17 are interviewed personally on their food intake during the past four weeks with the dietary interview programme DISHES. Further information, for example, regarding dietary supplements is also recorded. EsKiMo II will provide an up-to-date and representative overview of the current nutrition status of 6-to 17-year-olds living in Germany, and it allows analysing changes in dietary behaviour over time. EsKiMo II can identify shortcomings in the nutrition of children and adolescents and thus may contribute with important information to nutrition and health policy., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declared no conflicts of interest., (© Robert Koch Institute. All rights reserved unless explicitly granted.)

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have key roles in leaf metabolism, resulting in a strong coupling of chemical composition traits to metabolic rates in field-based studies. However, in such studies, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of nutrient supply per se on trait-trait relationships. Our study assessed how high and low N (5 mM and 0.4 mM, respectively) and P (1 mM and 2 μM, respectively) supply in 37 species from six plant functional types (PTFs) affected photosynthesis (A) and respiration (R) (in darkness and light) in a controlled environment. Low P supply increased scaling exponents (slopes) of area-based log-log A-N or R-N relationships when N supply was not limiting, whereas there was no P effect under low N supply. By contrast, scaling exponents of A-P and R-P relationships were altered by P and N supply. Neither R : A nor light inhibition of leaf R was affected by nutrient supply. Light inhibition was 26% across nutrient treatments; herbaceous species exhibited a lower degree of light inhibition than woody species. Because N and P supply modulates leaf trait-trait relationships, the next generation of terrestrial biosphere models may need to consider how limitations in N and P availability affect trait-trait relationships when predicting carbon exchange., (© 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.)

Neuronal function requires constant working conditions and a well-balanced supply of ions and metabolites. The metabolic homeostasis in the nervous system crucially depends on the presence of glial cells, which nurture and isolate neuronal cells. Here we review recent findings on how these tasks are performed by glial cells in the genetically amenable model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Despite the small size of its nervous system, which would allow diffusion of metabolites, a surprising division of labor between glial cells and neurons is evident. Glial cells are glycolytically active and transfer lactate and alanine to neurons. Neurons in turn do not require glycolysis but can use the glially provided compounds for their energy homeostasis. Besides feeding neurons, glial cells also insulate neuronal axons in a way similar to Remak fibers in the mammalian nervous system. The molecular mechanisms orchestrating this insulation require neuregulin signaling and resemble the mechanisms controlling glial differentiation in mammals surprisingly well. We hypothesize that metabolic cross talk and insulation of neurons by glial cells emerged early during evolution as two closely interlinked features in the nervous system. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Myelin Evolution., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding canola meal (CM) or wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (W-DDGS) as the major source of protein in diets varying in crude protein (CP) content on ruminal fermentation, microbial protein production, omasal nutrient flow, and production performance in lactating dairy cows. Eight lactating dairy cows were used in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 29-d periods (21 d of dietary adaptation and 8 d of measurements) and a 2×2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Four cows in 1 Latin square were ruminally cannulated to allow ruminal and omasal sampling. The treatment factors were (1) source of supplemental protein (CM vs. W-DDGS) and (2) dietary CP content (15 vs. 17%; DM basis). Diets contained 50% forage and 50% concentrate, and were fed twice daily at 0900 and 1600 h as total mixed rations for ad libitum intake. Dry matter intake and milk yield were unaffected by dietary treatments; however, milk yield in cows that were fed CM was numerically greater (+1.1 kg/d) when compared with cows fed W-DDGS. Feeding CM increased milk lactose content compared with feeding W-DDGS. Milk urea nitrogen and ruminal NH3-N concentrations were greater in cows fed the high-CP compared with those fed the low-CP diet. The rumen-degradable protein supply was greater in cows fed the high-CP when compared with those fed the low-CP diet when diets contained CM, whereas rumen-degradable protein supply was lower in cows fed the high-CP when compared with those fed the low-CP diet when diets contained W-DDGS. Total N flow at the omasal canal was not affected by diet; however, omasal flow of NH3-N was greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS. The rumen-undegradable protein supply was greater in cows fed the low-CP when compared with those fed the high-CP diet when diets contained CM, whereas rumen-undegradable protein supply was lower in cows fed the low-CP when compared with those fed the high-CP diet when diets contained W-DDGS. Omasal flow of fluid-associated bacteria was greater and that of particle-associated bacteria tended to be greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS; however, omasal flow of total microbial nonammonia N was unaffected by dietary treatment. Omasal flows of threonine and tryptophan were greater, whereas that of histidine and lysine tended to be greater in cows fed CM when compared with those fed W-DDGS. Our results show that when dairy diets are formulated to contain 15 or 17% CP, CM or W-DDGS can be used as the major source of protein and achieve similar levels of milk production., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates the basal and stress-inducible expression of a battery of genes encoding key components of the glutathione-based and thioredoxin-based antioxidant systems, as well as aldo-keto reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and, Nad(p)h: quinone oxidoreductase-1 drug-metabolizing isoenzymes along with multidrug-resistance-associated efflux pumps. It therefore plays a pivotal role in both intrinsic resistance and cellular adaptation to reactive oxygen species (ROS) and xenobiotics. Activation of Nrf2 can, however, serve as a double-edged sword because some of the genes it induces may contribute to chemical carcinogenesis by promoting futile redox cycling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites or confer resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs by increasing the expression of efflux pumps, suggesting its cytoprotective effects will vary in a context-specific fashion. In addition to cytoprotection, Nrf2 also controls genes involved in intermediary metabolism, positively regulating those involved in NADPH generation, purine biosynthesis, and the β-oxidation of fatty acids, while suppressing those involved in lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis. Nrf2 is subject to regulation at multiple levels. Its ability to orchestrate adaptation to oxidants and electrophiles is due principally to stress-stimulated modification of thiols within one of its repressors, the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), which is present in the cullin-3 RING ubiquitin ligase (CRL) complex CRLKeap1. Thus modification of Cys residues in Keap1 blocks CRLKeap1 activity, allowing newly translated Nrf2 to accumulate rapidly and induce its target genes. The ability of Keap1 to repress Nrf2 can be attenuated by p62/sequestosome-1 in a mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1)-dependent manner, thereby allowing refeeding after fasting to increase Nrf2-target gene expression. In parallel with repression by Keap1, Nrf2 is also repressed by β-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP), present in the Skp1-cullin-1-F-box protein (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex SCFβ-TrCP. The ability of SCFβ-TrCP to suppress Nrf2 activity is itself enhanced by prior phosphorylation of the transcription factor by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) through formation of a DSGIS-containing phosphodegron. However, formation of the phosphodegron in Nrf2 by GSK-3 is inhibited by stimuli that activate protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt. In particular, PKB/Akt activity can be increased by phosphoinositide 3-kinase and mTORC2, thereby providing an explanation of why antioxidant-responsive element-driven genes are induced by growth factors and nutrients. Thus Nrf2 activity is tightly controlled via CRLKeap1 and SCFβ-TrCP by oxidative stress and energy-based signals, allowing it to mediate adaptive responses that restore redox homeostasis and modulate intermediary metabolism. Based on the fact that Nrf2 influences multiple biochemical pathways in both positive and negative ways, it is likely its dose-response curve, in terms of susceptibility to certain degenerative disease, is U-shaped. Specifically, too little Nrf2 activity will lead to loss of cytoprotection, diminished antioxidant capacity, and lowered β-oxidation of fatty acids, while conversely also exhibiting heightened sensitivity to ROS-based signaling that involves receptor tyrosine kinases and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1. By contrast, too much Nrf2 activity disturbs the homeostatic balance in favor of reduction, and so may have deleterious consequences including overproduction of reduced glutathione and NADPH, the blunting of ROS-based signal transduction, epithelial cell hyperplasia, and failure of certain cell types to differentiate correctly. We discuss the basis of a putative U-shaped Nrf2 dose-response curve in terms of potentially competing processes relevant to different stages of tumorigenesis., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Limited nutrient diffusion in three-dimensional (3D) constructs is a major concern in tissue engineering. Therefore, monitoring nutrient availability and diffusion within a scaffold is an important asset. Since nutrients come in various forms, we have investigated the diffusion of the oxygen, luciferin and dextran molecules within tissue-engineered constructs using optical imaging technologies. First, oxygen availability and diffusion were investigated, using transgenic cell lines in which a hypoxia-responsive element drives expression of the green fluorescent protein gene. Using confocal imaging, we observed oxygen limitation, starting at around 200 µm from the periphery in the context of agarose gel with 1 million CHO cells. Diffusion of luciferin was monitored real-time in agarose gels using a cell line in which the luciferase gene was driven by a constitutively active CMV promoter. Gel concentration affected the diffusion rate of luciferin. Furthermore, we assessed the diffusion rates of fluorescent dextran molecules of different molecular weights in biomaterials by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) and observed that diffusion depended on both molecular size and gel concentration. In conclusion, we have validated a set of efficient tools to investigate molecular diffusion of a range of molecules and to optimize biomaterials design in order to improve nutrient delivery., (Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

The influence of nutrients on the growth of Ulva prolifera was studied in the SYS by field experiments. The wet weight of U. prolifera gradiently increased from 11.94% to 25.92% in proportion to contents of DIN supply, which indicated DIN content was essentially decisive for the output of U. prolifera blooms. Continuous nutrient supply could promote the growth of U. prolifera, indicated by the increase of growth rate from 10.46% of the batch culture to 42.17% of the in situ culture. The higher P utilized rate in all treatments showed P was the potential limited factor for the growth of U. prolifera. Moreover, it was calculated about 4.1×10(5)t organic matter was begot by U. prolifera in the whole Yellow Sea based on the statistical relationship between output of U. prolifera and DIN content. This work could be convenient to evaluate biomass and prepare enough tools to manage U. prolifera., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to determine whether bidirectional flow exists in the sciatic vasa nervorum. Images obtained using high-frequency color Doppler ultrasound in duplex imaging mode (Vevo 2100) were studied retroactively. In Fig. 1 (left panel; rat 1), the color Doppler signal and flow-velocity waveforms are indicative of pulsatile flow traveling towards (B) and away (C) from the probe. In the right panel (Fig. 1; rat 2), there appears to be three distinct vessels, reflective of non-pulsatile negative flow (D), and pulsatile positive (E) and negative (F) flows. These data confirm the presence of bidirectional arterial flow in the sciatic vasa nervorum. Investigating bidirectional flow in the intact whole nerve may be helpful in elucidating novel features of nerve blood flow control in healthy and diseased states., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The corrosion inhibitor 5-tolyltriazole (5-TTri) can have a detrimental impact on aquatic systems thus implying an acute need to reduce the effluent concentrations of 5-TTri. In this study, 5-TTri biodegradation was enhanced through acclimation and nutrient supply. Activated sludge communities (ASC) were setup in nine subsequent ASC generations. While generation two showed a lag phase of five days without biodegradation, generations four to nine utilized 5-TTri right after inoculation, with biodegradation rates from 3.3 to 5.2 mg L(-1)d(-1). Additionally, centrifuged AS supernatant was used to simulate the nutrient conditions in wastewater. This sludge supernatant (SS) significantly enhanced biodegradation, resulting in removal rates ranging from 3.2 to 5.0 mg L(-1)d(-1) without acclimation while the control groups without SS observed lower rates of ⩽ 2.2 mg L(-1)d(-1)., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Advances in understanding the molecular regulation of longitudinal growth have led to development of novel drug therapies for growth plate disorders. Despite progress, a major unmet challenge is delivering therapeutic agents to avascular-cartilage plates. Dense extracellular matrix and lack of penetrating blood vessels create a semipermeable "barrier," which hinders molecular transport at the vascular-cartilage interface. To overcome this obstacle, we used a hindlimb heating model to manipulate bone circulation in 5-wk-old female mice (n = 22). Temperatures represented a physiological range of normal human knee joints. We used in vivo multiphoton microscopy to quantify temperature-enhanced delivery of large molecules into tibial growth plates. We tested the hypothesis that increasing hindlimb temperature from 22°C to 34°C increases vascular access of large systemic molecules, modeled using 10, 40, and 70 kDa dextrans that approximate sizes of physiological regulators. Vascular access was quantified by vessel diameter, velocity, and dextran leakage from subperichondrial plexus vessels and accumulation in growth plate cartilage. Growth plate entry of 10 kDa dextrans increased >150% at 34°C. Entry of 40 and 70 kDa dextrans increased <50%, suggesting a size-dependent temperature enhancement. Total dextran levels in the plexus increased at 34°C, but relative leakage out of vessels was not temperature dependent. Blood velocity and vessel diameter increased 118% and 31%, respectively, at 34°C. These results demonstrate that heat enhances vascular carrying capacity and bioavailability of large molecules around growth plates, suggesting that temperature could be a noninvasive strategy for modulating delivery of therapeutics to impaired growth plates of children.

One of the most dramatic effects of infection by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the physiology of the host plant is an increase in phosphorus absorption. When phosphorus is limiting, the maximum extent to which mycorrhizal infection can improve plant performance is thus predicted to be a function of the phosphorus deficit of the plant, the difference between phosphorus demand and phosphorus supply. Phosphorus demand is defined as the rate of phosphorus absorption that would result in optimum performance of the plant as measured by growth rate, reproduction or fitness. The phosphorus supply is defined as the actual rate of phosphorus absorption under the prevailing conditions. Variation among plant taxa in morphological, physiological or phenological traits which affect either phosphorus demand or phosphorus supply (and thus phosphorus deficit) is predicted to lead to variation in potential response to mycorrhizal infection. The actual response to mycorrhizal infection is predicted to be a function of the increase in phosphorus uptake due to mycorrhizal infection and the phosphorus utilization efficiency of the plant. Demonstrated variability in responsiveness to mycorrhizal infection among plant taxa suggests that mycorrhizal fungi may play an important role in determining the structure of plant communities. Mycorrhizal infection may alter the phosphorus deficit or phosphorus utilization efficiency independently from its direct effect on phosphorus uptake, making the prediction of response to mycorrhizal infection based on the traits of non-mycorrhizal plants quite difficult. For example, infection may at times increase the rate of phosphorus accumulation beyond that which can be currently utilized in growth, reducing the current phosphorus utilization efficiency. Such momentary 'luxury consumption' of phosphorus may, however, serve a storage function and be utilized subsequently, allowing mycorrhizal plants ultimately to outperform non-mycorrhizal plants. CONTENTS Summary 365 I. Introduction 366 II. The concepts of phosphorus supply, phosphorus demand and phosphorus deficit 367 III. Factors which affect phosphorus supply 369 IV. Plant traits which affect phosphorus demand 370 V. Variation in response to mycorrhizal infection 372 VI. The effect of infection on inherent traits which influence phosphorus supply, phosphorus demand or phosphorus utilization efficiency 378 VII. Mycorrhizal effects not related to phosphorus 380 VIII. Conclusions 380 Acknowledgements 381 References 381.