scholarly journals Photoperiod and temperature as dominant environmental drivers triggering secondary growth resumption in Northern Hemisphere conifers

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (34) ◽  
pp. 20645-20652 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Guo Huang ◽  
Qianqian Ma ◽  
Sergio Rossi ◽  
Franco Biondi ◽  
Annie Deslauriers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Secondary Growth ◽  
Wood Formation ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Exogenous Factors

Wood formation consumes around 15% of the anthropogenic CO2emissions per year and plays a critical role in long-term sequestration of carbon on Earth. However, the exogenous factors driving wood formation onset and the underlying cellular mechanisms are still poorly understood and quantified, and this hampers an effective assessment of terrestrial forest productivity and carbon budget under global warming. Here, we used an extensive collection of unique datasets of weekly xylem tissue formation (wood formation) from 21 coniferous species across the Northern Hemisphere (latitudes 23 to 67°N) to present a quantitative demonstration that the onset of wood formation in Northern Hemisphere conifers is primarily driven by photoperiod and mean annual temperature (MAT), and only secondarily by spring forcing, winter chilling, and moisture availability. Photoperiod interacts with MAT and plays the dominant role in regulating the onset of secondary meristem growth, contrary to its as-yet-unquantified role in affecting the springtime phenology of primary meristems. The unique relationships between exogenous factors and wood formation could help to predict how forest ecosystems respond and adapt to climate warming and could provide a better understanding of the feedback occurring between vegetation and climate that is mediated by phenology. Our study quantifies the role of major environmental drivers for incorporation into state-of-the-art Earth system models (ESMs), thereby providing an improved assessment of long-term and high-resolution observations of biogeochemical cycles across terrestrial biomes.

scholarly journals Evolving Concepts of Food Safety: The Need for Understanding Mechanisms of Food Toxicology for Public Policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Metabolic Diseases ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
The United States ◽  
Microbial Pathogens ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Nutrition And Diet

Nutrition and diet, which are fundamental to human development and health, in the context of food safety, can be major determinants in the prevention and contributor to both acute and chronic diseases. While the predominant and legitimate concern is to detect and eliminate microbial pathogens that can cause acute illnesses and deaths (estimated 3-5 thousand deaths in the United States and millions of various acute disorders), food components (nutrients, pollutants, additives, processing by-products, etc.) are major factors in chronic diseases (e.g., “metabolic diseases” of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers). They contribute to millions of long-term health problems and deaths, globally. The objective of this “Communication” is to integrate a shared underlying mechanism of toxicity between acute and chronic diseases. The traditional separation of the strategy to understand “causes” of acute and chronic diseases, while for some practical tactics is understandable (i.e. screening for food-associated pathogens), it fails to recognize that these microbial -associated toxins work by exactly the same molecular/biochemical and cellular mechanisms as the toxicants- causing chronic diseases. Since all chemicals work by mutagenic, cytotoxic or “epigenetic” alteration of gene expression at the transcriptional, translational or post-translational levels, understanding characteristics of all three of these toxicological mechanisms is important so that public policy- strategies for prevention of both these classes of food –related diseases can be made and that a solid foundation for the concept of “functional foods” be made. A moral imperative has to be given to the critical role that safe food can make during pregnancy in preventing long-term health effects later in life.

scholarly journals AZOLLA: POTENTIAL BIOFERTILIZER FOR INCREASING RICE PRODUCTIVITY, AND GOVERNMENT POLICY FOR IMPLEMENTATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-68
Author(s):  
Parbati Thapa ◽  
Kabita Poudel
Keyword(s):  
Rice Yield ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Aquatic Fern ◽  
Yield Sustainability ◽  
Limiting Nutrient ◽  
Critical Yield

Rice is the staple food for the significant population of Asia. Due to projected population growth in this region, the demand for this food is also predicted to be increased exponentially soon. Nitrogen (N) plays a dominant role in increasing rice yield as it is the most critical yield-limiting nutrient of rice. Chemical N fertilizers which are a major source in supplying N nutrients to rice, have adverse effects on overall soil and environmental health in the long term. The application of free-floating aquatic fern Azolla as a biofertilizer can be an alternative to improve rice yield without degrading the environment. It provides a natural source of many nutrients, especially N, improves the availability of other nutrients, plays a critical role in weed suppression, enhances soil organic matter, and improves efficiency of the inorganic fertilizers while maintaining the suitable soil pH condition for rice growth, which overall contribute to rice yield increment. Therefore, Azolla application has tremendous potential to improve soil health and boost yield sustainability.

Increased growing-season productivity drives earlier autumn leaf senescence in temperate trees

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 370 (6520) ◽  
pp. 1066-1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Zani ◽  
Thomas W. Crowther ◽  
Lidong Mo ◽  
Susanne S. Renner ◽  
Constantin M. Zohner
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Senescence ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Light Levels ◽  
Temperate Trees ◽  
Autumn Leaf

Changes in the growing-season lengths of temperate trees greatly affect biotic interactions and global carbon balance. Yet future growing-season trajectories remain highly uncertain because the environmental drivers of autumn leaf senescence are poorly understood. Using experiments and long-term observations, we show that increases in spring and summer productivity due to elevated carbon dioxide, temperature, or light levels drive earlier senescence. Accounting for this effect improved the accuracy of senescence predictions by 27 to 42% and reversed future predictions from a previously expected 2- to 3-week delay over the rest of the century to an advance of 3 to 6 days. These findings demonstrate the critical role of sink limitation in governing the end of seasonal activity and reveal important constraints on future growing-season lengths and carbon uptake of trees.

scholarly journals Astrocyte-mediated spike-timing-dependent long-term depression modulates synaptic properties in the developing cortex

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e1008360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiina Manninen ◽  
Ausra Saudargiene ◽  
Marja-Leena Linne
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Cortical Layer ◽  
Spike Timing ◽  
Biochemical Networks ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Long Term Depression

Astrocytes have been shown to modulate synaptic transmission and plasticity in specific cortical synapses, but our understanding of the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remains limited. Here we present a new biophysicochemical model of a somatosensory cortical layer 4 to layer 2/3 synapse to study the role of astrocytes in spike-timing-dependent long-term depression (t-LTD) in vivo. By applying the synapse model and electrophysiological data recorded from rodent somatosensory cortex, we show that a signal from a postsynaptic neuron, orchestrated by endocannabinoids, astrocytic calcium signaling, and presynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors coupled with calcineurin signaling, induces t-LTD which is sensitive to the temporal difference between post- and presynaptic firing. We predict for the first time the dynamics of astrocyte-mediated molecular mechanisms underlying t-LTD and link complex biochemical networks at presynaptic, postsynaptic, and astrocytic sites to the time window of t-LTD induction. During t-LTD a single astrocyte acts as a delay factor for fast neuronal activity and integrates fast neuronal sensory processing with slow non-neuronal processing to modulate synaptic properties in the brain. Our results suggest that astrocytes play a critical role in synaptic computation during postnatal development and are of paramount importance in guiding the development of brain circuit functions, learning and memory.

Configurations to Superior Environmental Innovation Strategy: A Both–And Approach

2021 ◽  
pp. 108602662110316
Author(s):  
Tiziana Russo-Spena ◽  
Nadia Di Paola ◽  
Aidan O’Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Future Generations ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Environmental Innovation ◽  
Data Set

An effective climate change action involves the critical role that companies must play in assuring the long-term human and social well-being of future generations. In our study, we offer a more holistic, inclusive, both–and approach to the challenge of environmental innovation (EI) that uses a novel methodology to identify relevant configurations for firms engaging in a superior EI strategy. A conceptual framework is proposed that identifies six sets of driving characteristics of EI and two sets of beneficial outcomes, all inherently tensional. Our analysis utilizes a complementary rather than an oppositional point of view. A data set of 65 companies in the ICT value chain is analyzed via fuzzy-set comparative analysis (fsQCA) and a post-QCA procedure. The results reveal that achieving a superior EI strategy is possible in several scenarios. Specifically, after close examination, two main configuration groups emerge, referred to as technological environmental innovators and organizational environmental innovators.

scholarly journals Overexpression of MdATG8i improves water use efficiency in transgenic apple by modulating photosynthesis, osmotic balance, and autophagic activity under moderate water deficit

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Jia ◽  
Ke Mao ◽  
Ping Wang ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Xumei Jia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Deficit ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Photosynthetic Capacity ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Moderate Drought ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Autophagic Activity

AbstractWater deficit is one of the major limiting factors for apple (Malus domestica) production on the Loess Plateau, a major apple cultivation area in China. The identification of genes related to the regulation of water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial aspect of crop breeding programs. As a conserved degradation and recycling mechanism in eukaryotes, autophagy has been reported to participate in various stress responses. However, the relationship between autophagy and WUE regulation has not been explored. We have shown that a crucial autophagy protein in apple, MdATG8i, plays a role in improving salt tolerance. Here, we explored its biological function in response to long-term moderate drought stress. The results showed that MdATG8i-overexpressing (MdATG8i-OE) apple plants exhibited higher WUE than wild-type (WT) plants under long-term moderate drought conditions. Plant WUE can be increased by improving photosynthetic efficiency. Osmoregulation plays a critical role in plant stress resistance and adaptation. Under long-term drought conditions, the photosynthetic capacity and accumulation of sugar and amino acids were higher in MdATG8i-OE plants than in WT plants. The increased photosynthetic capacity in the OE plants could be attributed to their ability to maintain optimal stomatal aperture, organized chloroplasts, and strong antioxidant activity. MdATG8i overexpression also promoted autophagic activity, which was likely related to the changes described above. In summary, our results demonstrate that MdATG8i-OE apple lines exhibited higher WUE than WT under long-term moderate drought conditions because they maintained robust photosynthesis, effective osmotic adjustment processes, and strong autophagic activity.

scholarly journals Seasonal biological carryover dominates northern vegetation growth

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Lian ◽  
Shilong Piao ◽  
Anping Chen ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Xiangyi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Subsequent Growth ◽  
Ecosystem Models ◽  
Carryover Effect ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Sequestration Potential ◽  
Future Warming

AbstractThe state of ecosystems is influenced strongly by their past, and describing this carryover effect is important to accurately forecast their future behaviors. However, the strength and persistence of this carryover effect on ecosystem dynamics in comparison to that of simultaneous environmental drivers are still poorly understood. Here, we show that vegetation growth carryover (VGC), defined as the effect of present states of vegetation on subsequent growth, exerts strong positive impacts on seasonal vegetation growth over the Northern Hemisphere. In particular, this VGC of early growing-season vegetation growth is even stronger than past and co-occurring climate on determining peak-to-late season vegetation growth, and is the primary contributor to the recently observed annual greening trend. The effect of seasonal VGC persists into the subsequent year but not further. Current process-based ecosystem models greatly underestimate the VGC effect, and may therefore underestimate the CO2 sequestration potential of northern vegetation under future warming.

scholarly journals Wire-in-Wire TiO2/C Nanofibers Free-Standing Anodes for Li-Ion and K-Ion Batteries with Long Cycling Stability and High Capacity

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Die Su ◽  
Yi Pei ◽  
Li Liu ◽  
Zhixiao Liu ◽  
Junfang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Electronic Conductivity ◽  
Specific Capacity ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Cycling Stability ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
High Specific Capacity ◽  
Tetracarboxylic Dianhydride ◽  
Carbon Network

AbstractWearable and portable mobile phones play a critical role in the market, and one of the key technologies is the flexible electrode with high specific capacity and excellent mechanical flexibility. Herein, a wire-in-wire TiO2/C nanofibers (TiO2 ww/CN) film is synthesized via electrospinning with selenium as a structural inducer. The interconnected carbon network and unique wire-in-wire nanostructure cannot only improve electronic conductivity and induce effective charge transports, but also bring a superior mechanic flexibility. Ultimately, TiO2 ww/CN film shows outstanding electrochemical performance as free-standing electrodes in Li/K ion batteries. It shows a discharge capacity as high as 303 mAh g−1 at 5 A g−1 after 6000 cycles in Li half-cells, and the unique structure is well-reserved after long-term cycling. Moreover, even TiO2 has a large diffusion barrier of K+, TiO2 ww/CN film demonstrates excellent performance (259 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 after 1000 cycles) in K half-cells owing to extraordinary pseudocapacitive contribution. The Li/K full cells consisted of TiO2 ww/CN film anode and LiFePO4/Perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride cathode possess outstanding cycling stability and demonstrate practical application from lighting at least 19 LEDs. It is, therefore, expected that this material will find broad applications in portable and wearable Li/K-ion batteries.

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Barriers for Sharing Geospatial and Resilience Flood Data in the UK

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1235
Author(s):  
Luke Waterman ◽  
Mónica Rivas Casado ◽  
Emma Bergin ◽  
Gary McInally
Keyword(s):  
Data Sharing ◽  
Local Politics ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
Data Points ◽  
The Uk

With increases in average temperature and rainfall predicted, more households are expected to be at risk of flooding in the UK by 2050. Data and technologies are increasingly playing a critical role across public-, private- and third-sector organisations. However, barriers and constraints exist across organisations and industries that limit the sharing of data. We examine the international context for data sharing and variations between data-rich and data-sparse countries. We find that local politics and organisational structures influence data sharing. We focus on the case study of the UK, and on geospatial and flood resilience data in particular. We use a series of semi-structured interviews to evaluate data sharing limitations, with particular reference to geospatial and flood resilience data. We identify barriers and constraints when sharing data between organisations. We find technological, security, privacy, cultural and commercial barriers across different use cases and data points. Finally, we provide three long-term recommendations to improve the overall accessibility to flood data and enhance outcomes for organisations and communities.

scholarly journals Radiation Necrosis of the Lateral Skull Base and Temporal Bone

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (04) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Marc W. Herr ◽  
Aurora G. Vincent ◽  
Meghan A. Skotnicki ◽  
Yadranko Ducic ◽  
Spiros Manolidis
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Temporal Bone ◽  
Radiation Necrosis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Normal Tissues ◽  
Lateral Skull Base ◽  
The Many ◽  
Work Up

AbstractRadiation therapy plays a critical role in the treatment of malignancies involving the head and neck. Although the therapeutic effects of ionizing radiation are achieved, normal tissues are also susceptible to injury and significant long-term sequelae. Osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone (ORNTB) is among the many complications that can arise after therapy. ORNTB is a debilitating and potentially lethal condition that continues to challenge patients and treating physicians. Herein, we review the pathophysiology, presentation, work-up, and management of ORNTB.

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