No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder mainly characterized by social-communication impairments, repetitive behaviors and altered sensory perception. Auditory hypersensitivity is the most common sensory-perceptual abnormality in ASD, however, its underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain elusive. Consistently with reports in ASD patients, animal models for ASD present sensory-perception alterations, including auditory processing impairments. Here we review the current knowledge regarding auditory dysfunction in rodent models of ASD, exploring both shared and distinct features among them, mechanistic and molecular underpinnings, and potential therapeutic approaches. Overall, auditory dysfunction in ASD models seems to arise from impaired central processing. Depending on the model, impairments may arise at different steps along the auditory pathway, from auditory brainstem up to the auditory cortex. Common defects found across models encompass atypical tonotopicity in different regions of the auditory pathway, temporal and spectral processing impairments and histological differences. Imbalance between excitation and inhibition (E/I imbalance) is one of the most well-supported mechanisms explaining the auditory phenotype in the ASD models studied so far and seems to be linked to alterations in GABAergic signaling. Such E/I imbalance may have a large impact on the development of the auditory pathway, influencing the establishment of connections responsible for normal sound processing.

Developing disease models to simulate and analyse yield losses for various pathogens is a challenge for the crop modelling community. In this study, we developed and tested a simple method to simulate septoria tritici blotch (STB) in the Cropsim-CERES Wheat model studying the impacts of damage on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield. A model extension was developed by adding a pest damage module to the existing wheat model. The module simulates the impact of daily damage on photosynthesis and leaf area index. The approach was tested on a two-year dataset from Argentina with different wheat cultivars. The accuracy of the simulated yield and leaf area index (LAI) was improved to a great extent. The Root mean squared error (RMSE) values for yield (1144 kg ha−1) and LAI (1.19 m2 m−2) were reduced by half (499 kg ha−1) for yield and LAI (0.69 m2 m−2). In addition, a sensitivity analysis of different disease progress curves on leaf area index and yield was performed using a dataset from Germany. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated the ability of the model to reduce yield accurately in an exponential relationship with increasing infection levels (0–70%). The extended model is suitable for site specific simulations, coupled with for example, available remote sensing data on STB infection.

Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by Zymoseptoria tritici is a relevant foliar wheat disease worldwide. Several reports show the importance of STB on grain yield, their components and grain protein while little is known about its effect on the rheological properties of the wheat flour. The scarce literature found, only mentions the effect of the complex of foliar diseases on wheat quality, without individualizing the effect of the different pathogens separately. This study analyze the influence of increasing doses of inoculum of Zymoseptoria tritici, on the bread making quality of ten Argentinean wheat cultivars and its possible variation according to their quality group. The increase of inoculum concentration augmented the area under disease progress curve, decreased green flag leaf area duration and green leaf area duration. Cultivars K. Flecha and B.75 Aniversario had the lowest green flag leaf area duration causing higher reduction in grain filling period and higher reductions in P, indicating a lower gliadin/ glutenin ratio. STB decreased P/L and E while L, W, D, SV and bread volume increased. Cultivars differed in rheological parameters according to their quality group. Gluten/protein relationship was significant in quality group 1 and non-significant in cultivars belonging to quality group 2 and 3.

O artigo analisa a relação entre o centro cultural e a paisagem urbana. Para isso, realiza um panorama das teorias da paisagem no Ocidente e no Brasil. Nesse recorte específico, aborda-se o Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil do Rio de Janeiro, avaliando criticamente sua atuação como ferramenta de transformação nos usos da cidade.

Septoria leaf blotch (SLB), caused by Mycosphaerella graminicola, reduces yield and grain quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by affecting the photosynthetically active area of the crop. This might influence grain protein concentration (GPC) and affect bread-making parameters. Nitrogen (N) fertilisation is required to achieve high yields in wheat; however, it may enhance the development of foliar diseases such as SLB. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fungicide and N rate on SLB severity, green-leaf-area duration, grain yield and bread-making parameters in three wheat cultivars differing in bread-making characteristics. Two field experiments were conducted during 2009 and 2010 in a split-split-plot design with three fungicide treatments (triazole, triazole–strobilurin, nil) as main plots, three N fertiliser rates as subplots and three cultivars as sub-subplots. Fungicides significantly reduced the area under disease-progress curve (AUDPC) and this was associated with increased yield, which varied among cultivars. The AUDPC was lower in the higher N-rate treatments. Fungicide applications and increasing N rates extended green-leaf-area duration. GPC increased in untreated plots and it was reduced with applications of triazole–strobilurin fungicide. GPC reduction caused by this type of fungicide tended to be lower when the rate of N increased. The two cultivars with low bread-making characteristics showed a tendency to greater reductions in GPC with both fungicide types. Regarding quality variables, only tenacity and dough strength were reduced by the triazole-strobilurin fungicide. On average, for all treatments, tenacity, water absorption and dough development time were higher in the best quality group cultivars.