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Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate the value of SwiftScan Step-and-Shoot Continuous (SSC) scanning mode in enhancing image quality and to explore appropriate scanning parameters for reducing scan time. Methods: This study was composed of a phantom study and two clinical tests. The differences in visual image quality scores, coefficient of variance (COV) of the background, image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and recovery coefficient (RC) of the sphere were compared between SSC mode and traditional Step-and-Shoot (SS) mode in the phantom study. Various "shoot" acquisition times (5s, 10s, 15s) and "step" angles (3-degree, 6-degree, 9-degree) were evaluated and verified. In the clinical tests, bone tomography and parathyroid tomography were performed on 30 patients each. Differences in visual image quality scores, background COV, image SNR, CNR, and standardized uptake value (SUV) of lesions were compared between the two modes. Results: In the phantom study, SSC mode demonstrated higher visual scores and significantly reduced background COV (P < 0.05), and significantly increased SNR and CNR (P < 0.05) compared to SS mode. No significant alteration in RC was observed (P > 0.05). In the clinical tests, no significant differences were found between the optimal SSC scan combination (10s "shoot" and 6-degree "step")/ (10s "shoot" and 3-degree "step") and the traditional SS scan combination (15s "shoot" and 6-degree "step")/ (15s "shoot" and 3-degree "step") in visual image quality scores, background COV, image SNR, CNR, and SUV of bone and parathyroid high uptake lesions (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The SwiftScan SSC mode can reduce acquisition time by 33% while maintaining similar image quality and quantification accuracy compared to SS mode. An SSC scanning protocol with a 10s "shoot" acquisition and 6-degree "step" or with a 10s "shoot" acquisition and 3-degree "step" over a 360-degree rotation, is recommended for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) is essential for life and for efficient crop production, but global P use with limited recycling is inefficient in several sectors, including agronomy. Unfortunately, plant physiologists, agronomists, farmers and end users employ different measures for P use efficiency (PUE), which often masks their values at different scales. The term P use effectiveness, which also considers energetic and sustainability measures in addition to P balances, is also a valuable concept. Major physiological and genetic factors for plant P uptake and utilization have been identified, but there has been limited success in genetically improving PUE of modern crop cultivars. In maize, studies on root architectural and morphological traits appear promising. Rhizosphere processes assist in mobilizing and capturing sparingly soluble phosphate from rock phosphate. Combinations of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms with ammonium-based nitrogen fertilizer, as well as strategies of fertilizer placement near the roots of target crops, can moderately enhance PUE. The desired concentration of P in the products differs, depending on the final use of the crop products as feed, food or for energy conversion, which should be considered during crop production.

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the common nutritional disorders in crop and horticultural plants. Various species and genotypes differ in tolerance to P deficiency. In this research, effects of low P supply were studied in two tomato (Solanum lycopersum L.) cultivars (Behta and Piazar) in hydroponics in order to introduce the most tolerant cultivar to P deficiency. In addition, we studied some involving mechanisms for differences in P deficiency tolerance between the two studied cultivars. Phosphorus deficiency caused reduction of shoot and root dry weight. Growth reduction due to P deficiency was greater in Behta than Piazar. Leaf pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and net assimilation rate were influenced by P deficiency more pronouncedly in Behta than Piazar. Low P supply caused accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, starch and free amino acids but resulted in reduction of soluble protein concentration. Concentration of P was decreased under low P conditions and relative allocation of P to the leaves, stems and roots were different between two cultivars, being higher for the leaves in Piazar and for the stems in Behta. Concentration of P in the old leaves decreased 58-67% while increased in the young leaves up to 220-350% which reflected the re-translocation of P from the former to the latter leaves. Although cultivars did not differ in the extent of re-translocation, it was higher under low phosphorus compared with adequate P supply. Our results suggested that, different tolerance to P deficiency in the two studied cultivars could be attributed to both differences in P acquisition and internal P use efficiency.

A eficiência de utilização de um nutriente, expressa pela relação entre a biomassa produzida e a quantidade absorvida, é uma importante característica adaptativa das plantas, particularmente daquelas cultivadas em solos com baixa disponibilidade desse nutriente. Maior eficiência de utilização de P (EUP) é conferida pela maior taxa de remobilização de P, que consiste na translocação desse nutriente para regiões de maior demanda metabólica na planta. Maiores taxas de remobilização têm sido associadas a maiores atividades das enzimas: fosfatase ácida (APase) e ribonuclease (RNase). Neste trabalho, avaliou-se a atividade dessas enzimas em plantas de Brachiaria decumbens, pouco exigente, e de Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia, mais exigente em P, cultivadas em solos que receberam diferentes doses desse nutriente e submetidas a diferentes alturas de corte. O ensaio foi realizado em casa de vegetação, utilizando amostra do horizonte B de um Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo argiloso. Os tratamentos resultaram da combinação fatorial das duas gramíneas, das doses de 100, 200 e 500 mg dm-3 de P e das três alturas de corte: sem corte e corte a 15 e 30 cm a partir da superfície do solo para Brachiaria; e sem corte e corte a 20 e 40 cm para Panicum. As unidades experimentais consistiram de vasos com 10 dm³ de solo, com 10 plantas. Os resultados indicaram que não houve diferença significativa na produção de biomassa das duas gramíneas, mas a adição de P propiciou maior produção e maior teor desse nutriente na parte aérea de ambas. As plantas submetidas a cortes mais severos apresentaram menor produção e maiores teores de P na parte aérea. Ocorreu efeito negativo das doses de P na atividade da APase e da RNase nas duas forrageiras. As plantas cultivadas com a menor dose de P apresentaram maior atividade dessas enzimas e maior EUP. A atividade de ambas as fosfatases decresceu com a idade das plantas. No tratamento com o corte mais intenso, independentemente da dose de P, tanto Brachiaria quanto Panicum apresentaram menor EUP. Isso ocorreu associado à maior atividade das enzimas APase e RNase, indicando que outros mecanismos relacionados com a adaptação das plantas a baixas disponibilidades de P podem estar envolvidos.The nutrient use efficiency, expressed by the ratio between the produced biomass and nutrient content, is an important adaptive characteristic of plants, particularly of those cultivated in low-fertility soils. A high P-use efficiency (PUE) is conferred by high P remobilization rates, i.e., P transport to regions of greater metabolic demand in the plant. High P remobilization rates have been associated with high acid phosphatase (APase) and ribonuclease (RNase) enzyme activities. In our study, we evaluated the activity of these enzymes in Brachiaria decumbens, with a low, and Panicum maximum cv Tanzânia, with a high P demand, cultivated in soil treated with different P rates and cut at different heights. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, using B-horizon samples of a clayey Yellow-Red Latosol. The treatments consisted of a factorial combination of two grasses, three P rates (100, 200 and 500 mg dm-3) and three cutting heights: no cutting, 15 and 30 cm above the soil surface for Brachiaria, and no cutting, 20 and 40 cm for Panicum. The experimental units consisted of pots with 10 dm³ soil, with 10 plants each. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between biomass production of the two grasses, but the P application resulted in a higher biomass yield and P shoot concentration. The biomass production of plants cut at a lower height was smaller and P concentrations in shoots were higher. A significant effect of P rates on the APase and the RNase activities was observed in both forages. In plants grown at the lowest P rate enzyme activities and PUE were the highest. The activity of both phosphatases decreased with plant aging. In the treatment with the lowest cutting height, the PUE in both Brachiaria and Panicum plants was lower, independent of the P rate. At the same time, a higher APase and RNase activity was observed, indicating that other mechanisms may be involved in the plant adaptation to low P availability.

Nitrogen availability is a major factor determining plant growth and productivity. Plants acquire nitrogen nutrients from the soil through their roots mostly in the form of ammonium and nitrate. Since these nutrients are scarce in natural soils, plants have evolved adaptive responses to cope with the environment. One of the most important responses is the regulation of nitrogen acquisition efficiency. This review provides an update on the molecular determinants of two major drivers of the nitrogen acquisition efficiency: (i) uptake activity (e.g. high-affinity nitrogen transporters) and (ii) root architecture (e.g. low-nitrogen-availability-specific regulators of primary and lateral root growth). Major emphasis is laid on the regulation of these determinants by nitrogen supply at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, which enables plants to optimize nitrogen acquisition efficiency under low nitrogen availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis (Ashmead) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), transmits Maize mosaic rhabdovirus (MMV), an important pathogen of maize and sorghum, in a persistent propagative manner. To better understand the vectorial capacity of P. maidis, we determined the efficiency of MMV acquisition by nymphal and adult stages, and characterized MMV titer through development. Acquisition efficiency, i.e., proportion of insects that acquired the virus, was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and virus titer of individual insects was estimated by quantitative RT-PCR. Acquisition efficiency of MMV differed significantly between nymphs and adults. MMV titer increased significantly over time and throughout insect development from nymphal to adult stage, indication of virus replication in the vector during development. There was a positive association between the vector developmental stage and virus titer. Also, the average titer in male insects was threefold higher than female titers, and this difference persisted up to 30 d post adult eclosion. Overall, our findings indicate that nymphs are more efficient than adults at acquiring MMV and virus accumulated in the vector over the course of nymphal development. Furthermore, sustained infection over the lifespan of P. maidis indicates a potentially high capacity of this vector to transmit MMV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the common nutritional disorders in crop and horticultural plants. Various species and genotypes differ in tolerance to P deficiency. In this research, effects of low P supply were studied in two tomato (Solanum lycopersum L.) cultivars (Behta and Piazar) in hydroponics in order to introduce the most tolerant cultivar to P deficiency. In addition, we studied some involving mechanisms for differences in P deficiency tolerance between the two studied cultivars. Phosphorus deficiency caused reduction of shoot and root dry weight. Growth reduction due to P deficiency was greater in Behta than Piazar. Leaf pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and net assimilation rate were influenced by P deficiency more pronouncedly in Behta than Piazar. Low P supply caused accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, starch and free amino acids but resulted in reduction of soluble protein concentration. Concentration of P was decreased under low P conditions and relative allocation of P to the leaves, stems and roots were different between two cultivars, being higher for the leaves in Piazar and for the stems in Behta. Concentration of P in the old leaves decreased 58-67% while increased in the young leaves up to 220-350% which reflected the re-translocation of P from the former to the latter leaves. Although cultivars did not differ in the extent of re-translocation, it was higher under low phosphorus compared with adequate P supply. Our results suggested that, different tolerance to P deficiency in the two studied cultivars could be attributed to both differences in P acquisition and internal P use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]