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The productivity of wheat in the Mediterranean region is under threat due to climate-change-related environmental factors, including fungal diseases that can negatively impact wheat yield and quality. Wheat phenotyping tools utilizing affordable, high-throughput plant phenotyping (HTPP) techniques, such as aerial and ground RGB images and quick canopy and leaf sensors, can aid in assessing crop status and selecting tolerant wheat varieties. This study focused on the impact of fungal diseases on wheat productivity in the Mediterranean region, considering the need for a precise selection of tolerant wheat varieties. This research examined the use of affordable HTPP methods, including imaging and active multispectral sensors, to aid in crop management for improved wheat health and to support commercial field phenotyping programs. This study evaluated 40 advanced lines of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) at five locations across northern Spain, comparing fungicide-treated and untreated blocks under fungal disease pressure (Septoria, brown rust, and stripe rust observed). Measurements of leaf-level pigments and canopy vegetation indexes were taken using portable sensors, field cameras, and imaging sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Significant differences were observed in Dualex flavonoids and the nitrogen balance index (NBI) between treatments in some locations (p < 0.001 between Elorz and Ejea). Measurements of canopy vigor and color at the plot level showed significant differences between treatments at all sites, highlighting indexes such as the green area (GA), crop senescence index (CSI), and triangular greenness index (TGI) in assessing the effects of fungicide treatments on different wheat cultivars. RGB vegetation indexes from the ground and UAV were highly correlated (r = 0.817 and r = 0.810 for TGI and NGRDI). However, the Greenseeker NDVI sensor was found to be more effective in estimating grain yield and protein content (R2 = 0.61–0.7 and R2 = 0.45–0.55, respectively) compared to the aerial AgroCam GEO NDVI (R2 = 0.25–0.35 and R2 = 0.12–0.21, respectively). We suggest as a practical consideration the use of the GreenSeeker NDVI as more user-friendly and less affected by external environmental factors. This study emphasized the throughput benefits of RGB UAV HTPPs with the high similarity between ground and aerial results and highlighted the potential for HTPPs in supporting the selection of fungal-disease-resistant bread wheat varieties.

Knowledge about the frictional characteristics of materials is required for equipment design, either to exploit the friction or to overcome it. This paper deals with studying the coefficients of sliding friction of non-treated and extrusion-exploded wheat straw and rice straw on mild steel and aluminum surfaces and the effects of several factors, including the moisture content (at five levels 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75%), normal pressure (at the following five levels: 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 kPa), and length (at the following five levels: 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 mm). Through the use of a statistical analysis method, we found that the moisture content, normal pressure, and interactions between them had statistically significant effects on the coefficient of sliding friction (p < 0.01). The coefficient of sliding friction was much larger than that of rice straw on both contact surfaces, and the coefficient values of both straw samples on the aluminum surface were notably higher than those on mild steel. A significantly higher value was found for the coefficient of sliding friction of extrusion-exploded straw compared with that of untreated straw on both surfaces. As the normal pressure increased from 2 to 10 kPa, the coefficient of sliding friction decreased first, and then increased sharply, finally fluctuating slowly for both kinds of straw and on both tested surfaces, with the maximum value was observed at a normal pressure of 6 kPa. When the length increased from 30 to 150 mm, a slightly linear upward trend was observed for the coefficient of sliding friction of untreated wheat straw, and the coefficient of sliding friction of untreated rice straw initially increased and then decreased.

To date, there is no solid agreement on the relationship between mandibular molars, mandibular alveolar bone, and vertical facial types. Therefore, we aim to assess the buccolingual inclination of mandibular first molars and respective alveolar bones and their relationship with different vertical skeletal patterns. The CBCT data from fifty-four untreated Caucasian adult patients (12 males and 42 females, 18–65 years old) were obtained from a private orthodontic practice. We measured the inclination of the tooth and alveolar bone of the right and left mandibular first molars using CBCT. From the two-dimensional lateral cephalometric radiographic images extracted from CBCT, we assessed FMA, SN-GoGn, and PFH:AFH. All subjects showed lingual inclinations of the mandibular molars and alveolar bones which were significantly correlated with each other. However, there was no significant correlation between the inclination of alveolar bone and vertical facial types. Our study supports the conclusion that a proper curve of Wilson is physiological and should be maintained during orthodontic treatment.

The aim of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the sagittal and vertical growth of the maxillo–mandibular complex in untreated children using orthogonal lateral cephalograms compressed from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Two sets of scans, on 12 males (mean 8.75 years at T1, and 11.52 years at T2) and 18 females (mean 9.09 years at T1, and 10.80 years at T2), were analyzed using Dolphin 3D imaging. The displacements of the landmarks and rotations of both jaws relative to the cranial base were measured using the cranial base, and the maxillary and mandibular core lines. From T1 to T2, relative to the cranial base, the nasion, orbitale, A-point, and B-point moved anteriorly and inferiorly. The porion moved posteriorly and inferiorly. The ANB and mandibular plane angle decreased. All but one subject had forward rotation in reference to the cranial base. The maxillary and mandibular superimpositions showed no sagittal change on the A-point and B-point. The U6 and U1 erupted at 0.94 and 1.01 mm/year (males) and 0.82 and 0.95 mm/year (females), respectively. The L6 and L1 erupted at 0.66 and 0.88 mm/year (males), and at 0.41 mm/year for both the L6 and the L1 (females), respectively.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the longitudinal transverse growth of the maxillo-mandibular complex in untreated children using the Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Two sets of scans on 12 males (mean 8.75 years at T1 and 11.52 years at T2) and 18 females (mean 9.09 years at T1 and 10.80 years at T2) were analyzed using Dolphin 3D imaging. The transverse widths of various maxillary and mandibular skeletal landmarks and the dentoalveolar and dental landmarks at the level of first molars were measured. Overall, there were greater increases in the transverse dimension in the posterior than anterior portions of the maxilla and mandible. The increase in intergonial width of the mandible seems to be primarily due to the lengthening of the mandibular body. The dentoalveolar process at the first molar level increases at an equal rate corono-apically and is independent to the changes in molar inclination. When comparing maxillary dentoalveolar changes with that of the mandible, greater increases were noticed in the maxilla, which might be explained by the presence of sutural growth in the maxilla. Moreover, the first molars maintain their coordination with each other despite the differential increase in the maxillary and mandibular dentoalveolar processes.

The introduction of disease-specific therapy for patients with type I Gaucher disease (GD1) was a revolution in the management of patients, but not without cost. Thus, the management of mildly affected patients is still debated. We herein report a long-term follow-up (median (range) of 20 (5-58) years) of 103 GD1 patients who have never received enzymatic or substrate reduction therapy. The median (range) platelet count and hemoglobin levels in last assessment of all but six patients who refused therapy (although recommended and approved) were 152 (56-408) × 10 3 /mL and 13.1 (7.6-16.8) g/dL, respectively. Most patients had mild hepatosplenomegaly. Nine patients were splenectomized. No patient developed clinical bone disease. The median (range) lyso-Gb1 levels at last visit was 108.5 (8.1-711) ng/mL; lowest for patients with R496H/other and highest for patients refusing therapy. This rather large cohort with long follow-up confirms that mildly affected patients may remain stable for many years without GD-specific therapy. The challenge for the future, when newborn screening may detect all patients, is to be able to predict which of the early diagnosed patients is at risk for disease-related complications and therefore for early treatment, and who may remain asymptomatic or minimally affected with no need for disease-specific therapy., Competing Interests: The SZMC Gaucher Unit receives support from Sanofi/Genzyme for participation in the ICGG Registry, from Shire/Takeda for the GOS Registry, and Pfizer for TALIAS. The Unit also receives research grants from Shire/Takeda and Pfizer. C.C., M.H., S.O., and L.D. are employees of Centogene AG the company that has done the lysoGb1 analysis. A.R. is the founder and CEO of Centogene AG. He has received honoraria and speakers’ fees from Shire/Takeda. A.Z. receives honoraria from Shire/Takeda and Pfizer and consultancy fee from Shire/Takeda and Prevail therapeutics. S.R.-V. receives speakers’ fees and travel support from Shire/Takeda, Pfizer, and Sanofi/Genzyme.