Intercalary growth causes geometric length expansion in Methuselah’s beard lichen (Usnea longissima)

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (10) ◽  
pp. 1224-1232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jørund Rolstad ◽  
Erlend Rolstad

In sharp contrast to many slow-growing lichens, some epiphytic pendulous and foliose lichens display striking biomass accumulation in favorable habitats. Whereas lichen growth rates have received considerable attention, comparatively few detailed studies of growth patterns have been carried out. Generally, most lichens seem to grow apically, with only pseudomeristomatic tissue confined to lobe margins and branch tips. However, some species appear to retain the capacity to expand throughout the thallus, thereby increasing their growth potential. Such intercalary growth processes have proved difficult to confirm in the field for two- and three-dimensionally growing folious and fruticose forms. Using transplants of the conspicuous, one-dimensionally growing Usnea longissima Ach., we document that intercalary growth actually does occur, with thalli expanding geometrically in length with a doubling time of less than a year under favorable conditions.

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp C. Muth ◽  
Anne Valle Zárate

Abstract. The effects of the increase of body weight of contemporary broilers during growth on functional meat quality and color characteristics of the chicken breast muscle are controversially debated. Therefore, male chickens (n = 264) of a fast-growing commercial broiler (Ross 308) and two slow-growing experimental meat-type chicken lines were compared at equal age and at similar body weight in order to investigate the effect of growth rate on selected functional breast meat traits and meat color. Additionally, the breast meat characteristics of birds with different growth profiles were compared within lines. When the body weight of commercial broilers reached about 40 to 60 % of their growth potential, they exhibited particularly high ultimate pH values compared with slow-growing lines. The ability of the meat of fast-growing broilers to retain water during cooking was impaired (5 to 16 percentage points increased cooking loss compared to slow-growing lines), which, in contrast to pH, was only marginally affected by body weight and/or age at slaughter. No unfavorable correlations of breast meat quality traits with the growth profile, represented by growth curve parameters derived from the Gompertz–Laird equation, were detected within any of the investigated chicken lines. It is noteworthy that the associations of ultimate pH and cooking loss with maximum growth speed indicate a non-linear relationship. Thus, some of the functional characteristics of breast meat of the fast-growing broiler resembled the white-striping defect described for poultry meat, but the hypothesis that selection on increased growth rates is detrimental for meat quality per se could not be confirmed. In fact, an elevated growth potential in particular, i.e., body weight at maturity, could have some beneficial effects for the water-holding capacity of breast meat, regardless of the genotypic growth rate.


2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry A. Sokol ◽  
Michael S. Greenwood ◽  
William H. Livingston

Abstract Diameter-limit harvesting has long been suspected as a dysgenic forestry practice, but a conclusive, practical demonstration of the effects of this selection technique on residual tree performance is lacking. To determine the effects of repeated diameter-limit harvesting on the phenotypes of residual trees, we compared radial growth patterns of residual red spruce trees (with ages greater than 100 years) after diameter-limit harvests with those of residual trees in stands subjected to positive selection harvesting. After nearly 50 years of repeated harvesting, residual trees in the diameter-limit stands were nearly 40% smaller and had grown 32% slower than residual trees in positive selection stands. Furthermore, diameter-limit residuals were initially smaller and remained significantly smaller than positive selection residuals throughout their lifespan, despite major release events. After release, the diameter-limit trees responded with increased growth rates, but the increase was relatively small. Growth rates were consistently and significantly lower for diameter-limit residuals until the final 20 yr when growth rates in each treatment converged. Our results indicate that red spruce stands subjected to repeated diameter-limit harvesting will develop progressively less valuable growing stock with limited growth potential.


Nature ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 531 (7595) ◽  
pp. 538-538
Author(s):  
Gregory M. Erickson ◽  
Kristina Curry Rogers ◽  
Scott A. Yerby
Keyword(s):  

Rangifer ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg L. Finstad ◽  
Alexander K. Prichard

Total body weight of 9749 reindeer calves and 4798 adult reindeer were measured from 1984 to 1999 on the Seward Peninsula, western Alaska, USA. Growth rates of male and female calves, and annual growth patterns of adults were determined. Male calves grew faster than female calves. Reproductive females were lighter than non-reproductive females during summer but there was no effect of reproduction on average body weights the following winter. Adult males age 3-5 were heavier during summer than winter. Castrated males weighed the same as uncastrated males in summer, but were significantly heavier in winter, and did not display the large annual fluctuations in weight typical of reproductive males and females. Growth rates were higher and body weights greater in this herd than many other cir-cumpolar reindeer populations. We suggest these kinds of physiological indices should be used to monitor the possible effects of spatial and temporal variation in population density and to evaluate changes in herding practices.


Author(s):  
J.A. Baars ◽  
G.J. Goold ◽  
M.F. Hawke ◽  
P.J. Kilgarriff ◽  
M.D. Rolm

Patterns of pasture growth were measured on 3 farms in the Bay of Plenty (BOP) and at No2 Dairy (Ruakura Agricultural Centre) in the Waikato from 1989 to 199 1. A standardised trim technique with cages and 4-weekly cutting under grazing was used. Long-term seasonal growth patterns, using a predictive pasture model, were also simulated. Simulated pasture growth from long-term climatic data shows that pasture growth rates are higher in winter, early spring and late autumn in the BOP than the Waikato. However, the actual measurements over the 2 years show that pasture growth over the latter periods is lower at the BOP sites than at the Waikato site. In the BOP the spring peak is much later than in the Waikato while an early summer peak, with higher growth rates than in the Waikato, occurred in the BOP. No such summer peak was evident in the Waikato. The difference between the two regions is caused by the large contribution of subtropical grasses to sward production in summer and autumn, The prolific summer growth of subtropical grasses may explain the low ryegrass content and low pasture production in winter. The lower than expected autumn, winter, spring production may also becaused by low clover content, possibly a result of competition from subtropical grasses and a sulphur deficiency. The apparent low amount of nitrogen fixed by clover may explain the low rates of pasture production over the cooler season. Applications of nitrogen fertiliser may substantially increase dry matter production from April to September. Keywords pasture,simulation,subtropical grasses, Paspalum, Digitaria sanguinalis, growth rates


2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Paul Frankel ◽  
Chris Ruel ◽  
An Uche ◽  
Edwin Choy ◽  
Scott Okuno ◽  
...  

Background. This single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 study evaluated the safety and antitumor activity of pazopanib in patients with unresectable, pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma. Patients and Methods. Patients with pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma unresponsive to chemotherapy were eligible. Patients who received prior tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy were excluded. Pazopanib at 800 mg once daily was administered for 28-day cycles. Tumor responses were evaluated by local radiology assessment 1 month prior to and after initiation of treatment to calculate tumor doubling time and after every even numbered cycle. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival at 4 months, concomitant with a demonstrated 30% increase in tumor doubling time relative to the pretreatment growth rate. Results. 12 patients (7 female) were enrolled. The study was terminated prematurely due to withdrawal of financial support by the sponsor. 8 subjects were eligible for the primary analysis, whereas 4 patients were in a predefined exploratory “slow-growing” cohort. In the “fast-growing” cohort, 3 of the 8 patients (37.5%) eligible for first-stage analysis were deemed “success” by the preplanned criteria, adequate to proceed to second-stage accrual. In addition, 1 of the 4 patients in the “slow-growing” cohort experienced a partial remission. Grade 1-2 diarrhea was the most common adverse event, and grade 3 events were infrequent. Conclusion. This study illustrates a novel method of demonstrating positive drug activity in osteosarcoma by increasing tumor doubling time, and this is further supported by a partial response in a patient with “slow-growing” disease. This trial is registered with NCT01759303.


2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 619-624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinkun Wang ◽  
Yinghua Huang ◽  
Andrew J. Mort ◽  
Yuhong Zeng ◽  
Charles G. Tauer ◽  
...  

AbstractNeedles from 17 different Taxus x media cultivars, belonging to 4 groups showing different growth characteristics, were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography for their content of 10-deacetylbaccatin III, baccatin III, cephalomannine and paclitaxel (Taxol®). The 4 Taxus x media cultivar groups were: 1.) medium to fast growing and upright form; 2.) slow growing and upright form; 3.) fast growing and spreading form; and 4.) slow growing and spreading form. The purpose of this study was to identify yew cultivars of fast growth rate, upright growth and high taxane content in their needles. The highest content of paclitaxel was found in ‘Coleana’ of group 1 (378 μg/g of the extracted dry weight). Three cultivars in group 1, ‘Coleana’, ‘Stovekenii’ and ‘Hicksii’, make good candidates for taxane extraction because of their high paclitaxel and 10-deacetylbaccatin III content, fast biomass accumulation and upright growing form. They are also good starting materials to develop alternative methods for the production of paclitaxel and its analogous compounds through modern biotechnology approaches.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sydney Olson ◽  
Marniker Wijesinha ◽  
Annalise Panthofer ◽  
William Blackwelder ◽  
Gilbert R Upchurch ◽  
...  

Objective: Small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have a low risk of rupture. Intervention is indicated when diameters exceed established thresholds. This study assessed the growth rates and patterns of AAAs over 2 years as documented on serial CT scans from the Non-Invasive Treatment of AAA Clinical Trial. Methods: 254 patients, 35 females with baseline AAA maximum transverse diameter (MTD) between 3.5-4.5 cm and 219 males with baseline MTD 3.5-5.0 cm, were included in this study. Linear regressions and segmental growth rates were used to model growth rates and patterns. Results: The yearly growth rates of AAA MTDs had a median of 0.17 cm/yr and mean of 0.19 cm/yr ± 0.14 (Figure 1). 10% of AAA displayed minimal to no growth (< 0.05 cm/yr), 62% low growth (0.05-0.25 cm/yr), 28% high growth (> 0.25 cm/yr). Baseline AAA diameter accounted for only 5.4% of growth rate variance (P<0.001, R 2 0.05). Most AAAs displayed linear growth (70%); large variations in interval growth rates occurred infrequently (3% staccato growth, 4% exponential growth); a minority of subjects’ growth patterns were not clearly classifiable (11% indeterminate-not growing, 12% indeterminate-growing) (Figure 2). No patients with baseline MTD < 4.25 cm exceeded sex-specific repair thresholds (males 0 / 92, [95% CI, 0.00-0.06]; females 0 / 25 [95% CI, 0.00-0.25]) in the course of follow-up for as long as two years. Conclusions: The majority of small AAAs exhibit linear growth; large intra-patient growth rate variations were infrequently observed over 2 years. AAA < 4.25 cm can be followed with a CT scan in 2 years with little chance of exceeding interventional MTD thresholds of 5.5 cm for men.


1988 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 571-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Grundel ◽  
H. Rubin

We addressed the question of how a population of cells can maintain a constant multiplication rate given the heterogeneity of its individual members. Using the NIH 3T3 line of mouse embryo cells, comparisons were made of multiplication rates between offspring subclones and the parental clones from which the subclones were derived. Parents at all levels of multiplication rate produced offspring with a wide range of multiplication rates. Offspring from parent cells with the highest growth rates rarely exceeded their parents in rate of multiplication. Offspring from slow-growing parents, however, often exceeded the parents. It is concluded that the multiplication of NIH 3T3 populations represents constant diversification in multiplication rate: heterogeneous parents producing heterogeneous offspring. Population growth rates can remain stable because the fastest-growing parents generally produce offspring that multiply slower than the parents while the slowest parents often produce offspring that multiply faster than the parents.


Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Carrasco-Carballido ◽  
Cristina Martínez-Garza ◽  
Héctor Jiménez-Hernández ◽  
Flavio Márquez-Torres ◽  
Julio Campo

Deforestation of tropical dry forest reduces soil fertility, with negative effects on future restoration intervention. To evaluate the effect of initial soil properties on three-year performance of six tree species in restoration settings, we measured C, N, and P contents in topsoils of 48 plots under minimal (exclusions of livestock grazing) and maximal (plantings of six native species) restoration intervention during two years in tropical dry forest in central Mexico. Survival and height and diameter relative growth rates were evaluated by species and by growth rank (three fast- and three slow-growing species). After two years, organic C and the C:N ratio increased early during natural succession; these increases might be related to high density of N2-fixing recruits at both intervention levels. Changes in N availability for plants (i.e., NO3− and NH4+ contents) occurred after cattle exclusion. After 40 months, the fast-growing legume Leucaena esculenta (DC.) Benth. had the highest survival (65.55%) and relative growth rate in both height (3.16%) and diameter (5.67%). Fast-growing species had higher survival and diameter growth rates than slow-growing species. Higher diameter growth rates for fast-growing species may be associated with a higher ability to forage for soil resources, whereas similar height growth rates for slow and fast-growing species suggested low competition for light due to slow natural succession at the site. Planted seedlings had higher survival possibly due to initial high NO3− content in the soil. Also, fast-growing species seem to benefit from initially higher pH in the soil. Both soil properties (i.e., pH and NO3−) may be augmented to favor the performance of fast-growing species in restoration plantings and to further accelerate soil recovery in tropical dry forests.


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