Evaluation of Different Substrates Compositions for Acclimatization of Tissue Culture Taro Plantlets in a Propagator

Taro is cultivated in most Regions of Cameroon and it is affected by taro leaf blight disease since 2010 which has decreased its production. Lack of disease-free planting materials has been a main problem to farmers. This study was carried out at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Yaounde and Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Bambui to assess different substrates for acclimatization of tissue culture taro plantlets in apropagator. No information is available on acclimatization of Cameroonian taro plantlets in different substrates. Taro plantlets from tissue culture were acclimatised in a propagator for six weeks under different substrates, the first substrate consisted of sterile three parts of soil and one part of river sand mixed together (3:1), the second substrate consisted of sterile two parts of soil and two parts of river sand mixed together (2:2), the third substrate consisted of sterile two parts of soil, one part of rice husk and one part of river sand mixed together (2:1:1) and the fourth substrate consisted of sterile one part of soil and three parts of river sand mixed together (1:3). After acclimatisation of the different taroplantlets (Dark green petiole with small leaves (L1), Red petiole with small leaves (L2), Light green petiole with large leaves (L3) and Light green petiole with small leaves (L4) in these four substrates, it was observed that the best growth rate of plant was recorded on substrate sand + soil (1:3). The other substrates showed moderate growth of plants. Substrate sand + soil (1:3) can be recommended for acclimatization of Cameroonian taro plantlets.

Acclimatization of <i>in Vitro</i>Propagated Pineapple (<i>Ananas comosuss</i>(L.), var. Smooth cayenne) Plantlets to <i>ex Vitro</i>Condition in Ethiopia

Pineapple (Ananas comosuss, var. Smooth cayenne), which is a popular tropical fruit, is propagated vegetatively. Conventional propagation alone does not provide clean and adequate planting material demanded in Ethiopia. Recently, in vitro multiplication has become a promising technique for large-scale production. However, the acclimatization to the external environment procedure impedes the efficiency, which needs carefully optimized acclimatization techniques. We report optimized acclimatization procedures following first- and second-stage hardening methods for in vitro pineapple plantlets. Primarily, Jiffy-7 peat pellet allowed growing plants vigorously and provided above 8% survival rate over soil mix. Nevertheless, in Ethiopia, soil mix is cheaper and locally accessible. The primarily acclimatized plantlets are needed to be hardened further for better establishment and survival in the field. Black polybag and polysleeve pots filled with soil mix were evaluated in the greenhouse. A significant difference was obtained between pots for number of roots and substrate weight. Polybags had higher root number than polysleeves and saved about 27% of substrates per plant, which is a reduction of 25% of total transportation cost. Hence, the soil mix and polybags were found to be preferable over substrates and pots, for subsequent in vitro pineapple acclimatization.

Thermogenic responses in Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus)to seasonal acclimatization and temperature-photoperiod acclimation

Background:Small birds in temperate habitats must either migrate,or adjust aspects of their morphology,physiology and behavior to cope with seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod.It is,however,difficult to accurately measure how seasonal changes in temperature and photoperiod affect physiological processes such as basal metabolic rate(BMR)and metabolic activity.To address this problem,we collected data in each month of the year on body mass(Mb)and BMR,and conducted a series of experiments to determine the effect of temperature and photoperiod on Mb,BMR and physiological markers of metabolic activity,in the Eurasian Tree Sparrow(Passer montanus).Methods:In one experiment,we measured monthly change in Mb and BMR in a captive group of birds over a year.In another experiment,we examined the effects of acclimating birds to two different temperatures,10 and 30℃,and a long and a short photoperiod(16 h light:8 h dark and 8 h light:16 h dark,respectively)for 4 weeks.Results:We found that these treatments induced sparrows to adjust their Mb and metabolic rate processes.Acclimation to 30℃for 4 weeks significantly decreased sparrows’Mb,BMR,and energy intake,including both gross energy intake and digestible energy intake,compared to birds acclimated to 10℃.The dry mass of the liver,kidneys and digestive tract of birds acclimated to 30℃also significantly decreased,although their heart and skeletal muscle mass did not change significantly relative to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to 30℃also had lower mitochondrial state-4 respiration(S4R)and cytochrome c oxidase(COX)activity in their liver and skeletal muscle,compared to those acclimated to 10℃.Birds acclimated to the long photoperiod also had lower mitochondrial S4R and COX activity in their liver,compared to those acclimated to the short photoperiod.Conclusions:These results illustrate the changes in morphology,physiology,and enzyme activity induced by seasonal change in temperature and photoperiod in a small temperate passerine.Both temperature and photoperiod probably have a strong effect on seasonal variation in metabolic heat production in small birds in temperate regions.The effect of temperature is,however,stronger than that of photoperiod.

Acclimatization of microalgae Arthrospira platensis for treatment of heavy metals in Yamuna River

Bioaccumulation and biosorption in microalgae are effective approaches for the removal of heavy metals(HMs)from river water.The objective of this study was to investigate the potential for use of acclimatized microalgae in the removal of HMs from the Yamuna River water as an acclimatizing medium.An active culture of Arthrospira platensis(A.platensis)was acclimatized to HMs up to a concentration of 100 mg/L.It was gradually exposed to increasing concentrations of HMs in five subsequent batches with a step increase of 20 mg/L to acclimatize live cells in the simulated Yamuna River water.The presence of high levels of HMs in the Yamuna River water caused growth inhibition.An empirical growth inhibition model was developed,and it predicted high threshold concentrations of HMs(210.7e424.5 mg/L),producing a positive specific growth rate of A.platensis.A.platensis also showed high average removal efficiencies of HMs,including 74.0%for Cu,77.0%for Cd,50.5%for Ni,76.0%for Cr,76.5%for Pb,and 63.5%for Co,from HMs-enriched Yamuna River water.The findings demonstrated that the maximum specific removal amounts of Cu,Cd,Ni,Cr,Pb,and Co were 54.0,58.0,39.0,62.8,58.9,and 45.3 mg/g,respectively.The maximum yields of the value-added products chlorophyll and phycocyanin were 2.5 mg/g(in a batch of 40 mg/L for Cd)and 1054 mg/g(in a batch of 20 mg/L for Cu),respectively.Therefore,acclimatized A.platensis was proven to be a potential microalga not only for sequestration of HMs but also for production of valuable pigments.

Experimental study on the method of efficient heat acclimatization in macaques

Twenty-eight adult macaques were divided into five groups for differenttreatments.Of these five groups,groups 1 to 3 were exposed to heat once dailyfor 10d until the rectal temperature (RT) rose to 40℃,40.8℃ and 41.6℃,respectively.The other two groups (groups 4 and 5) were exposed to heat twicedaily and every other day,respectively,until the RT of both groups reached41.6℃.The method of heat exposure to obtain the required RT was to keep themacaques in a hot chamber (Td 41℃,Tw 38℃).Before and after theacclimatization period,the macaques were given a standard high temperature testin the same environment as the heat acclimatization (HA) period until the RTrose to 41.6℃.The results revealed that the animals in groups 3 to 5 whose RTin HA increased to 41.6℃ showed a significant HA effect by prolonging the dura-tion of exposure (P【0.05～0.001) and decreasing the RT (1.14～1.83℃),especiallyin the daily exposed group.Therefore,one of the most effective ways for devel-oping full acclimatization in macaques is to expose to heat once daily for 10duntil the RT rises to 41.6℃.

Effect of natural and synthetic growth stimulators on <i>in vitro</i>rooting and acclimatization of common ash (<i>Fraxinus excelsior</i>L.) microplants

Application of growth stimulators can be especially effective on plantlets in vitro of tree species which are usually worse rooted and adapted in comparison with annual plants. In our work we evaluate effects of natural (dihydroquercetin, Zircon) and synthetic growth stimulators (Melafen, Fumar, Epin-Extra) on rooting and acclimatization of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) microplants. The 0.05% -?0.2% Zircon and 10-5%?Melafen enhanced in vitro rooting by 29% -?37% and 31%, respectively. Melafen also stimulated root formation faster compared to control plants. The dihydroquercetin concentration of 0.01% increased rooting by 24% and root number per shoot by 1.8 times. In vitro plants rooted on media supplemented with Melafen, Fumar and Zircon demonstrated enhanced ability to adapt to non-sterile conditions and accelerated growth. Two months after planting to the greenhouse, plants rooted on 0.01% dihydroquercetin were 45% taller than the control. Weekly spraying of plantlets with 0.02% Epin-Extra containing 24-epibrassinolid stimulated growth of uniform plants with large leaves. The obtained results support the use of growth stimulators for application in clonal micropropagation of common ash both for large-scale production of planting stock and for conservation of rare and valuable genotypes.

Influence of Watering Solution and Phenotype on the Growth of <i>in Vitro</i>Propagated Pineapple (Smooth Cayenne Cultivar) Plantlets during Acclimatization

Pineapple is the first fruit crop cultivated in south Benin that greatly contributes for food and nutritional security and farmers’ income. But the lack of homogenous planting material constitutes the major constraint for improving pineapple yield. In vitro micropropagation is now used in the production of homogenous and free disease planting materials of pineapple. However, the acclimatization to natural condition of pineapple plantlets is an important step in planting material production of this crop. Here, we determined the intrinsic and extrinsic factors which influence the behavior of plantlets during the acclimatization process. For this purpose, plantlets from different categories were selected, trimmed and planted on a horticultural substrate made up of potting soil, white sawdust and compost previously sterilized. The plantlets were then incubated in under acclimatization greenhouse with average temperature of 29˚C and 70.2% of humidity. A batch of plantlets was subjected to two different watering solutions: Shive and Robbins solution and NPK 14-6-5 foliar fertilizer. The results obtained initially showed high rate (100%) of survival and growth of the plantlets watered with Shive and Robbins solution against 50% of the plantlets watered with the foliar fertilizer solution. In addition, the plantlets with spread pores exhibiting the characteristics of which the number of leaves varies between 9 and 11, the weight between 1.2 and 1.5 g, the size of 4.5 to 5.5 cm, and a good junction between the aerial part and the root system were those which were successfully grown in acclimatization phase under greenhouse, unlike plantlets with erected pores having lower success rate. This study goes a long way in providing good procedures of acclimatization of homogenous and free disease planting material of pineapple to the famers.

Using Composite Phenotypes to Reveal Hidden Physiological Heterogeneity in High-Altitude Acclimatization in a Chinese Han Longitudinal Cohort

Altitude acclimatization is a human physiological process of adjusting to the decreased oxygen availability.Since several physiological processes are involved and their correlations are complicated,the analyses of single traits are insufficient in revealing the complex mechanism of high-altitude acclimatization.In this study,we examined these physiological responses as the composite phenotypes that are represented by a linear combination of physiological traits.We developed a strategy that combines both spectral clustering and partial least squares path modeling(PLSPM)to define composite phenotypes based on a cohort study of 883 Chinese Han males.In addition,we captured 14 composite phenotypes from 28 physiological traits of high-altitude acclimatization.Using these composite phenotypes,we applied k-means clustering to reveal hidden population physiological heterogeneity in high-altitude acclimatization.Furthermore,we employed multivariate linear regression to systematically model(Models 1 and 2)oxygen saturation(SpO_(2))changes in high-altitude acclimatization and evaluated model fitness performance.Composite phenotypes based on Model 2 fit better than single trait-based Model 1 in all measurement indices.This new strategy of using composite phenotypes may be potentially employed as a general strategy for complex traits research such as genetic loci discovery and analyses of phenomics.

Hypoxia Conditioning for High-Altitude Pre-acclimatization Martin

Purpose Main purposes of pre-acclimatization by hypoxia conditioning(HC)are the prevention of high-altitude illnesses and maintenance of aerobic exercise performance.However,robust evidence for those effects or evidence-based guidelines for exposure strategies,including recommendations to ensure safety,are largely lacking.Therefore,we summarize the current knowledge on the physiology of acclimatization to hypoxia and HC with the aim to derive implications for pre-acclimatization strategies before going on high-altitude treks and expeditions.Methods Based on the literature search and personal experience,core studies and important observations have been selected in order to present a balanced view on the current knowledge of high-altitude illnesses and the acclimatization process,specifically focusing on pre-acclimatization strategies by HC.Results and Conclusions It may be concluded that in certain cases even short periods(e.g.,7 h)of pre-acclimatization by HC are effective,but longer periods(e.g.,>60 h)are needed to elicit more robust effects.About 300 h of HC(intermittently applied)may be the optimal preparation for extreme altitude sojourns,although every additional hour spent in hypoxia may confer further benefits.The inclusion of hypobaric exposures(i.e.,real altitude)in pre-acclimatization protocols could further increase their efficacy.The level of simulated altitude is progressively increased or individually adjusted ideally.HC should not be terminated earlier than 1-2 weeks before altitude sojourn.Medical monitoring of the pre-acclimatization program is strongly recommended.

North-South Comparatism:New Worldism,Theories of Lack and Acclimatization

In this essay I will use the expression New Worldism to refer to a particular representation of the New World,developed in Europe.I will take some theories related to this expression(theories of lack and acclimatization)to provide a short introduction to them,taking into special consideration their connection to comparatism as it was developed in 19th-century Brazil.

The first cavefish in the Dinaric Karst?Cave colonization made possible by phenotypic plasticity in Telestes karsticus

Cave animals are an excellent model system for studying adaptive evolution.At present,however,little is known about the mechanisms that enable surface colonizers to survive in the challenging environment of caves.One possibility is that these species have the necessary genetic background to respond with plastic changes to the pressures of underground habitats.To gain insight into this process,we conducted a comparative study with the fish species Telestes karsticus,which occurs in a hydrological system consisting of an interconnected stream and a cave.Results showed that T.karsticus resided year-round and spawned in Sušik cave,making it the first known cavefish in the Dinaric Karst.Cave and surface populations differed in morphological and physiological characteristics,as well as in patterns of gene expression without any evidence of genetic divergence.To test whether observed trait differences were plastic or genetic,we placed adult fish from both populations under light/dark or constant dark conditions.Common laboratory conditions erased all morphometric differences between the two morphs,suggesting phenotypic plasticity is driving the divergence of shape and size in wild fish.Lighter pigmentation and increased fat deposition exhibited by cave individuals were also observed in surface fish kept in the dark in the laboratory.Our study also revealed that specialized cave traits were not solely attributed to developmental plasticity,but also arose from adult responses,including acclimatization.Thus,we conclude that T.karsticus can adapt to cave conditions,with phenotypic plasticity playing an important role in the process of cave colonization.

Plantlet regeneration of adult Pinus massoniana Lamb. trees using explants collected in March and thidiazuron in culture medium

A protocol for micropropagation using nodal explants from mature Pinus massoniana trees has been developed. Time of explant collection is crucial for the initial success of aseptic culture. Explants collected in early March gave the highest percentage of explant survival(64.5%) and shoot-forming percentage(52.3%). Thidiazuron(TDZ) concentration significantly influenced shoot formation; 4 μM TDZ was optimum, with 4.8 shoots produced per explant with a mean length of 7.1 cm after 120 days of culture. Regenerated shoots rooted for 60 days in basic medium with 1μM NAA were ready for growth in pots. This is the first report on plantlet regeneration in vitro from mature trees of P. massoniana that provides a reliable method for propagating selected elites.

Evaluation of Four Methods for Restoring a Degraded Swamp Forest

Swamp Forests occur in permanently wet soils, with specific ecosystem which contributes to the conservation of biodiversity and water resources. However, there are many gaps in knowledge about the restoration of these forests. The present study was conducted in a degraded wetland in the town of Mineiros do Tietê, located in the state of S?o Paulo, Brazil, in order to test the efficiency of four methods for restoring a Swamp Forest (small mound, acclimated seedling, dry season and conventional tillage), using six forest tree species typical of this type of forest: Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess., Citharexylon myrianthum Cham., Cedrela odorata L., Tapirira guianensis Aubl., Ficus insipida Willd. and Croton urucurana Baill. The least favorable methods for all plant species were: conventional and soil pit tillageindry seasons. Analyzing the plant species individually, the best results in descending order were: Croton urucurana Baill. (acclimated seedling tillage in dry season), followed by Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess. (insmall mounds), Citharexylon mirianthum Cham. (with acclimated seedlings), Ficus insipida Willd. and Tapirira guianensis Aubl. (insmall mounds). Cedrela odorata L. presented low performance in all conditions, probably because it suffered the Hypsipyla grandella Zeller. The results have been successful for the establishment of Swamp Forest restoration strategies.

Improvement of heat－tolerance by training I．Evaluation of effects of long－distance running and march training on heat－toleran

in order to verify the heat-tolerance effect, two trainings, 90 min marching with load (WBGT 24. 6～35.6℃) and 10 km running (WBGT 25.0～31.1℃) were performed in laboratory and field under hot climate.Ten to twelve times (days) of training were carried out

Influenza epidemics and Spanish climatic domains

The present article proposes a climatic approach to the study of the interaction between influenza spreading and climatic and meteorological factors in different climatic domains of the Iberian Peninsula. This association can be used to help in the prevention and mitigation of influenza epidemics. A biometeorological index has been defined and applied to the epidemic periods that took place in the Iberian Peninsula between 2000 and 2009 considering its climatic domains.

Effect of Salinity-Changing Rates on Filtration Activity of Mussels from Two Sites within the Baltic Mytilus Hybrid Zone:The Brackish Great Belt(Denmark)and the Low Saline Central Baltic Sea

Mussels from two sites within the Baltic mussel (Mytilus edulis × M. trossulus) hybrid zone were used in a comparative study on the effects of salinity-changing rates on filtration activity. The acute effect of varying salinity-changing rates was found to be similar in M. edulis from the brackish Great Belt and in M. trossulus from the low saline Central Baltic Sea, and the relationships could be described by linear regression lines through 0.0 indicating that the acute effect of deteriorating conditions at decreasing salinities is the opposite as for improving conditions when the salinity is subsequently increased. Further, both M. edulis and M. trossulus acclimatized to 20 psu reacted to an acute salinity change to 6.5 psu by immediately closing their valves whereupon the filtration rate gradually increased during the following days, but only M. trossulus had completely acclimatized to 6.5 psu within 5 days which may be explained by different genotypes of M. edulis and M. trossulus which probably reflected an evolutionary adaptation of the latter to survive in the stable low-salinity Baltic Sea.

Rooting of Pinus radiata somatic embryos: factors involved in the success of the process

In vitro conditions of the culture media, plant growth regulators and culture containers may cause anatomical and physiological changes that have negative effects on rooting and ex vitro acclimatization of somatic plantlets. The control of these factors could contribute to the improvement of somatic embryogenesis systems in conifers, especially in pines. The influence of macronutrient concentrations, explant type and culture containers in Pinus radiata D. Don in vitro somatic embryo rooting were analyzed. The highest rooting percentage was observed using half-strength macronutrient concentrations, complete micronutrients and vitamins of Quoirin and Lepoivre medium. Although the use of glass culture vessels was the best to increase the efficiency of the somatic embryogenesis process in terms of rooting, the use of ventilated containers resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of plants able to be planted in the field.

Effects of different acclimations on high solution bacteria in coal-gas wastewater degradation

To make microbial community be applied more easily in practical biotreatment engineering,three acclimation processes were carried out in lab scale. Three kinds of mixed microorganism cultures with degradability for a gas-making plant wastewater were obtained. The degradation experiments results of coal-gas wastewater indicated that different acclimation processes had obviously impacted on degradability of microbial community,and under high sludge loading rate,mixed microorganism cultureⅠ(obtained by H.S.B as bacteria source and raw wastewater as alone carbon and energy source)presented stronger degradability for coal gasification wastewater than the others. COD removal rate of mixed cultureⅠcan reach 57.6% under very low MLSS when the influent COD is 900 mg/L. Meanwhile,the results of microscopic examination showed that Protozoa,mainly epistylis and Vorticella species,were stronger activity and larger quantities in mixed cultureⅠ.

Improvement of heat－tolerance by training Ⅲ． Evaluation of effectsofcombined training of march and cross－country race on heat

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