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In recent years, cold plasma treatment has emerged as a promising method to positively impact early seed growth. This study aimed to investigate the effects of cold plasma treatment on millet seeds with ambient air plasma discharge at pressures of 100 Pa and power ranging from 40 to 250 W. Results indicated that cold plasma treatment significantly increased radicle length by up to 112.5% (250 W) after 48 h and up to 57% (120 W) after 72 h compared to nontreated plants. The study also found that cold plasma treatment influenced electron transport during the primary phase of photosynthesis, with the effect varying with the power of discharge. However, high levels of discharge resulted in a significantly higher chlorophyll synthesis. These results suggest that cold plasma treatment may be used to reduce plant stress and improve growing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the relationship between uniparental rDNA (encoding 18S, 5.8S and 26S ribosomal RNA) silencing (nucleolar dominance) and rRNA gene dosage, we studied a recently emerged (within the last 80 years) allotetraploid Tragopogon mirus (.277 = 24), formed from the diploid progenitors T. dubius (2n= 12, D-genome donor) and T. porrifolius (2n= 12, P-genome donor). Here, we used molecular, cytogenetic and genomic approaches to analyse rRNA gene activity in two sibling T. mirus plants (33A and 33B) with widely different rRNA gene dosages. Plant 33B had -4 0 0 rRNA genes at the D-genome locus, which is typical for T. mirus, accounting for -25% of total rDNA. We observed characteristic expression dominance of T. dubius-origin genes in all organs. Its sister plant 33A harboured a homozygous macrodeletion that reduced the number of T. dubius-origin genes to about 70 copies (-4% of total rDNA). It showed biparental rDNA expression in root, flower and callus, but not in leaf where D-genome rDNA dominance was maintained. There was upregulation of minor rDNA variants in some tissues. The RNA polymerase I promoters of reactivated T. porrifolius-origin rRNA genes showed reduced DNA methylation, mainly at symmetrical CG and CHG nucleotide motifs. We hypothesise that active, decondensed rDNA units are most likely to be deleted via recombination. The silenced homeologs could be used as a 'first reserve' to ameliorate mutational damage and contribute to evolutionary success of polyploids. Deletion and reactivation cycles may lead to bidirectional homogenisation of rRNA arrays in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Tragopogon mirus and T. miscellus are allotetraploids (2n = 24) that formed repeatedly during the past 80 years in eastern Washington and adjacent Idaho (USA) following the introduction of the diploids T. dubius, T. porrifolius, and T. pratensis (2n = 12) from Europe. In most natural populations of T. mirus and T. miscellus, there are far fewer 35S rRNA genes (rDNA) of T. dubius than there are of the other diploid parent (T. porrifolius or T. pratensis). We studied the inheritance of parental rDNA loci in allotetraploids resynthesized from diploid accessions. We investigate the dynamics and directionality of these rDNA losses, as well as the contribution of gene copy number variation in the parental diploids to rDNA variation in the derived tetraploids. Results Using Southern blot hybridization and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), we analyzed copy numbers and distribution of these highly reiterated genes in seven lines of synthetic T. mirus (110 individuals) and four lines of synthetic T. miscellus (71 individuals). Variation among diploid parents accounted for most of the observed gene imbalances detected in F1 hybrids but cannot explain frequent deviations from repeat additivity seen in the allotetraploid lines. Polyploid lineages involving the same diploid parents differed in rDNA genotype, indicating that conditions immediately following genome doubling are crucial for rDNA changes. About 19% of the resynthesized allotetraploid individuals had equal rDNA contributions from the diploid parents, 74% were skewed towards either T. porrifolius or T. pratensis-type units, and only 7% had more rDNA copies of T. dubius-origin compared to the other two parents. Similar genotype frequencies were observed among natural populations. Despite directional reduction of units, the additivity of 35S rDNA locus number is maintained in 82% of the synthetic lines and in all natural allotetraploids. Conclusions Uniparental reductions of homeologous rRNA gene copies occurred in both synthetic and natural populations of Tragopogon allopolyploids. The extent of these rDNA changes was generally higher in natural populations than in the synthetic lines. We hypothesize that locus-specific and chromosomal changes in early generations of allopolyploids may influence patterns of rDNA evolution in later generations.

Second generation biofuel crop Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) was studied as a candidate for petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs) contaminated soil phytomanagement. The soil was polluted by diesel in wide concentration gradient up to 50 g⋅kg -1 in an ex-situ pot experiment. The contaminated soil/plant interactions were investigated using plant biometric and physiological parameters, soil physico-chemical and microbial community's characteristics. The plant parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence indicators showed an inhibitory effect of diesel contamination; however much lower than expected from previously published results. Moreover, lower PHs concentrations (5 and 10 g⋅kg -1 ) resulted in positive reinforcement of electron transport as a result of hormesis effect. The soil pH did not change significantly during the vegetation season. The decrease of total organic carbon was significantly lower in planted pots. Soil respiration and dehydrogenases activity increased with the increasing contamination indicating ongoing PHs biodegradation. In addition, microbial biomass estimated by phospholipid fatty acids increased only at higher PHs concentrations. Higher dehydrogenases values were obtained in planted pots compared to unplanted. PHs degradation followed the first-order kinetics and for the middle range of contamination (10-40 g⋅kg -1 ) significantly lower PHs half-lives were determined in planted than unplanted soil pointing on phytoremediation. Diesel degradation was in range 35-70 % according to pot variant. Results confirmed the potential of Mxg for diesel contaminated soils phytomanagement mainly in PHs concentrations up to 20 g⋅kg -1 where phytoremediation was proved, and biomass yield was reduced only by 29 %., 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.)

Ovarian hormone deficiency leads to increased body weight, visceral adiposity, fatty liver and disorders associated with menopausal metabolic syndrome. To better understand the underlying mechanisms of these disorders in their early phases of development, we investigated the effect of ovariectomy on lipid and glucose metabolism. Compared to sham-operated controls, ovariectomized Wistar female rats markedly increased whole body and visceral adipose tissue weight ( p ˂ 0.05) and exhibited insulin resistance in peripheral tissues. Severe hepatic triglyceride accumulation ( p ˂ 0.001) after ovariectomy preceded changes in both serum lipids and glucose intolerance, reflecting alterations in some CYP proteins. Increased CYP2E1 ( p ˂ 0.05) and decreased CYP4A ( p ˂ 0.001) after ovariectomy reduced fatty acid oxidation and induced hepatic steatosis. Decreased triglyceride metabolism and secretion from the liver contributed to hepatic triglyceride accumulation in response to ovariectomy. In addition, interscapular brown adipose tissue of ovariectomized rats exhibited decreased fatty acid oxidation ( p ˂ 0.01), lipogenesis ( p ˂ 0.05) and lipolysis ( p ˂ 0.05) despite an increase in tissue weight. The results provide evidence that impaired hepatic triglycerides and dysregulation of some CYP450 proteins may have been involved in the development of hepatic steatosis. The low metabolic activity of brown adipose tissue may have contributed to visceral adiposity as well as triglyceride accumulation during the postmenopausal period.

Use of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) for cultivation of the biofuel crop Miscanthus × giganteus ( Mxg ) in post-military and post-mining sites is a promising approach for the bioremediation of soils contaminated by metals. In the present study, PGPB were isolated from contaminated soil and screened for tolerance against abiotic stresses caused by salinity, pH, temperature, and lead (Pb). Selected strains were further assessed and screened for plant growth-promoting attributes. The isolate showing the most potential, Bacillus altitudinis KP-14, was tested for enhancement of Mxg growth in contaminated soil under greenhouse conditions. It was found to be highly tolerant to diverse abiotic stresses, exhibiting tolerance to salinity (0-15%), pH (4-8), temperature (4-50 °C), and Pb (up to 1200 ppm). The association of B. altitudinis KP-14 with Mxg resulted in a significant ( p ≤ 0.001) impact on biomass enhancement: the total shoot and dry root weights were significantly enhanced by 77.7% and 55.5%, respectively. The significant enhancement of Mxg biomass parameters by application of B. altitudinis KP-14 strongly supports the use of this strain as a biofertilizer for the improvement of plant growth in metal-contaminated soils.

Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) is a promising second-generation biofuel crop with high production of energetic biomass. Our aim was to determine the level of plant stress of Mxg grown in poor quality soils using non-invasive physiological parameters and to test whether the stress could be reduced by application of plant growth regulators (PGRs). Plant fitness was quantified by measuring of leaf fluorescence using 24 indexes to select the most suitable fluorescence indicators for quantification of this type of abiotic stress. Simultaneously, visible stress signs were observed on stems and leaves and differences in variants were revealed also by microscopy of leaf sections. Leaf fluorescence analysis, visual observation and changes of leaf anatomy revealed significant stress in all studied subjects compared to those cultivated in good quality soil. Besides commonly used F v / F m (potential photosynthetic efficiency) and P.I. (performance index), which showed very low sensitivity, we suggest other fluorescence parameters (like dissipation, DIo / RC ) for revealing finer differences. We can conclude that measurement of leaf fluorescence is a suitable method for revealing stress affecting Mxg in poor soils. However, none of investigated parameters proved significant positive effect of PGRs on stress reduction. Therefore, direct improvement of soil quality by fertilization should be considered for stress reduction and improving the biomass quality in this type of soils., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

The impact of plant growth regulators (PGRs) "Stimpo" and "Regoplant" on Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) biomass parameters was investigated when the plant was grown in military soils with different properties from Dolyna, Ukraine and Hradcany, Czech Republic. The results showed that PGRs positively influenced the biomass parameters when the plant was grown in soil in Dolyna with good agricultural characteristics, the influence of "Regoplant" was higher and the best results were obtained with combined treatment: application to rhizomes before planting and spraying on the biomass during vegetation. Using of PGRs did not improve the biomass parameters when the plant was grown in poor soil in Hradcany. In parallel the peculiarities of the metals uptake process were studied for the following metals: chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), strontium (Sr) and lead (Pb). The uptake behavior of the monitored elements differed based on the soil quality. According to the bioconcentration factor uptake of the abiogenic elements, Cr and Pb, was dominant in the plant roots in both soils, whereas Ni was not detected in any plant tissues. The behavior of biogenic elements (Mn, Cu, Zn) and their analogs (Sr) was different. Those elements were more intensively taken up in shoot tissues in low-nutrient sandy Hradcany soils, while they were mainly taken up in plant roots in fertile Dolyna soils. The unusual behavior of biogenic elements in the low-nutrient soils may be explained by the effect of stress. However, more research is needed focused mainly on soil properties and nutrient availability in order to confirm or disprove this hypothesis and to explore the cause of the stress. The summarized results here show that soil properties influenced Mxg biomass parameters, affected the uptake behavior of metals significantly and tested PGRs cannot be utilized universally in the production of Mxg in the poor military soils.

Introduction: Moderate to medium decrease in glomerular filtration (GFR) in individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) does not need to be associated with hyperphosphatemia due to an adaptive decrease in tubular reabsorption of phosphates (TRPi) in residual nephrons. The clinical assessment of this function is performed based on the measurement of fractional phosphate excretion (FEPi), which is a quantity specifying the proportion of the filtered amount of phosphates which is excreted in the urine. This quantity may provide useful information about the involvement of kidneys in phosphate homeostasis of the internal environment. This study focuses on the comparison of a kr(FEPi) value examined based on a ratio of a phosphate clearance (CPi) and a creatinine clearance (CKr) marked kr(FEPi), and a value calculated based on a ratio of CPi and an exactly measured GFR as an inulin clearance (Cin), marked as in(FEPi).The goal of comparing the two methods of examining FEPi was to establish to what extent it is possible to evaluate the degree of inhibition of tubular phosphate transport in residual nephrons based on a simple examination of kr(FEPi) ., Methodology: The examination of in(FEPi) and kr(FEPi) was carried out for 53 patients with CKD. The values of the examined quantities were as follows: SKr 199±45 µmol/l; SPi 1.41±0.29 mmol/l; CKr 0,95±0.36 ml/s/1.73 m2; Cin 0.71±0.25 ml/s/1.73 m2. For the purpose of comparison a cohort of 18 healthy volunteers was examined., Results: For individuals with CKD an average value of kr(FEPi) equalled 29.1±10.9% and in(FEPi) 52.4±4.3%. The values of in(FEPi) were higher than kr(FEPi) (p<0.001) for all patients, although an average CPi value for patients with CKD did not significantly differ from the control cohort (0.22 vs 0.21 ml/s/1.73 m2). The values of in(FEPi) increased proportionally to SKr values and at higher values SKr (>300 µmol/l) they gradually approached 100% (indicating the complete inhibition of tubular reabsorption of phosphates in residual nephrons). The values of in(FEPi) were higher in all patients with CKD than kr(FEPi) as expected, likely because the value CKr decreases at a slower rate than Cin (GFR) in individuals with CKD as a result of increased tubular secretion of creatinine in residual nephrons., Conclusion: The results of this study support the assumption that, provided the values of kr(FEPi) which are easily measurable in clinical practice have reached 50-60%, almost complete inhibition of tubular reabsorption of phosphates in residual nephrons must be assumed and no favourable effect of phosphatonins on renal phosphate excretion can be expected. When looking for new possibilities of inhibition of tubular phosphate reabsorption, potential adverse effects of phosphatonins on organs must be considered.

Tubular transport of sodium (TNa+) and chloride (TCl-) is decreased in patients with chronic kidney disease. The decrease of TCl- is relatively lower than that of TNa+. These changes of tubular transport of Na+ and Cl- participate on the development of acid base disturbance in patients with chronic kidney disease and with their glomerular filtration rate lower than 0.5 ml/s/1.73 m2.

1. To compare the effectiveness of different drug forms of silymarin: standardized extract of silymarin (SS), micronized silymarin (MS) and silymarin in the form of phytosome (PS) on dyslipidemia and liver fat accumulation in a model of metabolic syndrome, in non-obese hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats. The second aim of this study was to slightly uncover the silymarin action on enzymes and proteins involved in cholesterol metabolism and excretion. 2. Silymarin administered to hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats as dietary supplements (1%) for 4 weeks significantly lowered the plasma levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and markedly increased HDL cholesterol level. Western blot analyses showed significant increase in the protein expression of CYP7A1 and CYP4A and increase in protein expression of selected ABC transporters. Silymarin in the form of phytosome and micronized silymarin were more effective forms of silymarin. 3. These findings suggest that silymarin may favorably affect the metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides in rats with metabolic syndrome. Raising HDL levels suggests potentially important anti-atherogenic effect of silymarin. The changes in expression of cytochromes P450 and ABC transporters involved in cholesterol metabolism and excretion could be partially responsible for the hypolipidemic effect of silymarin.