Journal articleIFPRI3; Breeding for Nutrition; ISI; HarvestPlusHarvestPlusP

There is significant within-seed control over Zn entering the seed endosperm. While the seed crease Zn concentration can be raised to very high levels by increasing external Zn supply, the endosperm Zn concentrations will not increase correspondingly. The limited transfer of Zn beyond the crease requires more research to provide further insight into the rate-determining processes and their location along the pathway from crease to the deeper endosperm.

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Cultivar differences in root elongation under B toxic conditions were observed in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A significant increase in the length and width of the root meristematic zone (RMZ) was observed in Sahara 3771 (B tolerant) when it was grown under excessive B concentration, compared to when grown at adequate B supply. This coincided with an increase in cell width and cell numbers in the meristematic zone (MZ), whereas a significant decrease in the length and no significant effect on the width of the MZ was observed in Clipper (B intolerant) when it was grown under excessive B supply. This was accompanied by a decrease in cell numbers, but an increase in the length and width of individual cells present along the MZ. Excessive B concentrations led to a significantly lower osmotic potential within the cell sap of the root tip in SloopVic (B tolerant) and Sahara 3771, while the opposite was observed in Clipper. Enhanced sugar levels in the root tips of SloopVic were observed between 48 and 96 h after excess B was applied. This coincided with an increase in the root elongation rate and with a 2.7-fold increase in sucrose level within mature leaf tissue. A significant decrease in reducing sugar levels was observed in the root tips of Clipper under excessive B concentrations. This coincided with significantly lower root elongation rates and lower sucrose levels in leaf tissues. Results indicate a B tolerance mechanism associated with a complex control of sucrose levels between leaf and root tip that assist in maintaining root growth under B toxicity.

Recent advancements in information and communication technology is enabling a significant revolution in e-Health research and industry. In the case of personal medical data sharing, data security and convenience are crucial requirements to the interaction and collaboration of electronic medical record (EMR) systems. However, it’s hard for current systems to meet these requirements as they have inconsistent structures in terms of security policies and access control models. A new solution direction is essential to enhance data-accessing while regulating it with government mandates in privacy and security to ensure the accountability of the medical usage data. Blockchain seems to pave the way for revolution in the conventional healthcare industry benefiting by its unique features such as data privacy and transparency. In this paper, a blockchain-based medical platform using a smart contract is proposed to secure the EMR management. This approach provides patients a comprehensive, immutable log and easy access to their medical information across different departments within the hospital. A case study for hospital is built on a permissioned network, and a series of experimental tests are performed to demonstrate the usability and efficiency of the designed platform. Lastly, a benchmark study by leveraging various performance metrics is made and the outcomes indicate that the designed platform surpasses the ability of existing works in various aspects. The results of this work reveal that the proposed solution has the great potential to accelerate the development of a decentralized digital healthcare ecosystem.

Future forecasts for climate change predict the global mean surface air temperature rise by 1 -4 and double current atmospheric CO2 level before the end of 21 century. Increased atmospheric temperature and CO2 concentration are particularly important concerns for agricultural, horticultural and native plant production. In this study, effects of long-term exposure to elevated temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) on the growth and physiological responses of 3 cultivars of Chinese radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and 3 cultivars of Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.) were examined. In result, the radishes exposed to elevated CO2 for 90 days after sowing (DAS) resulted in little or no change in the root dry weights and the rate of photosynthesis compared with those grown in ambient levels of CO2. In contrast, long-term exposure to elevated CO2 in cabbage had variable effects on the leaf dry weight. As a result of acclimating to the elevated temperature, the radish 'Chunha' had a higher rate of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and internal CO2 concentration than in the control condition. Furthermore, the long-term exposure to a combination condition of elevated temperature and CO2 increased root dry weights of the radishes 'Cheongdae' and 'Chunha' more than elevated temperature alone. The combination of elevated CO2 and temperature stimulated the growth of roots more than that of shoots in the radish 'Chunha', and thus may have led a higher rate of nutrient uptake than other radish cultivars. In contrast, when the cabbage 'Chun-gwang' was exposed to a combination of elevated temperature and CO2 for 90 DAS, the leaf dry weight decreased about 3-fold more than that only exposed to elevated CO2 with drastic decreases in stomatal conductance, internal CO2 and photosynthesis rate. When the cabbage 'Samjin' was exposed to either elevated temperature alone or both elevated temperature and CO2 for 80 DAS, the decrease in the leaf dry weight was less than that of the other cabbage cultivars. Results indicated that the radish 'Chunha' and the cabbage 'Samjin' tolerated either elevated temperature alone or combination condition of elevated temperature and CO2 more than other cultivars.Additional key words: Brassica Campestris L., climate change, nutrient uptake rate, phytotron, Raphanus sativus L.

In 2016, the safety issues of humidifier disinfectants and some other safety incidents in personal cares caused chemical phobia syndrome in the Korean society. This series of events has created a trend for cosmetic consumers to undermine brand confidence and to self-check the safety of commercial cosmetic formulations through mobile apps. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of trust in domain specific information on the safety rating of cosmetic ingredients on the perceived value and the purchase intention of the cosmetics. The results of structural equation modeling showed that involvement of skin safety (ISS) had a positive effect on trust in domain specific information on safety (TDSI) and brand loyalty (BL). TDSI showed a positive effect on the perceived safety value (PFV) and the perceived social value (PSV), and BL had a positive effect on the PSV. ISS, TDSI, and PSV had a positive effect on the purchase intention (PI) of green-grade cosmetics (GGC). As hypothesized, BL had an adverse effect on PI of GGC. Given the results, utilizing the signal of the domain specific information may be recommended to new entrants to the cosmetic business or manufacturers with relatively weak brand power.

ImportanceExisting observational data have indicated positive associations of acid-suppressive medication (ASM) use in prenatal and early life with allergic diseases in children; however, no study to date has accounted for confounding by indication or within-familial factors.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association of prenatal or infant exposure to ASMs with risk of allergic diseases in children.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis nationwide, cohort study included data from South Korea’s National Health Insurance Service mother-child–linked database from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2020. Participants included mother-child pairs of neonates born from April 1, 2008, to December 31, 2019.ExposuresPrenatal and infant exposure to ASMs (histamine 2 receptor antagonists [H2RAs] and proton pump inhibitors [PPIs]).Main Outcomes and MeasuresComposite and individual outcomes of allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy) in children (followed up to 13 years of age) were assessed. The ASM-exposed individuals were compared with unexposed individuals in propensity score (PS)–matched and sibling-matched analyses to control for various potential confounders and within-familial factors. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models.ResultsThe study included 4 149 257 mother-child pairs. Prenatal exposure analyses included 808 067 PS-matched pairs (763 755 received H2RAs, 36 529 received PPIs) among women with a mean (SD) age of 31.8 (4.2) years. The PS-matched HR was 1.01 (95% CI, 1.01-1.02) for allergic diseases overall (asthma: HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.03]; allergic rhinitis: HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.02]; atopic dermatitis: HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.02]; food allergy: HR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.98-1.07]); in sibling-matched analyses, the HRs were similar to those of PS-matched analyses but were not significant (allergic diseases: HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.997-1.01). Infant exposure analyses included 84 263 PS-matched pairs (74 188 received H2RAs, 7496 received PPIs). The PS-matched HR was 1.06 (95% CI, 1.05-1.07) for allergic diseases overall (asthma: HR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.14-1.18]; allergic rhinitis: HR, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.03]; atopic dermatitis: HR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.02-1.08]; food allergy: HR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.10-1.49]); asthma risk (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.09-1.17) remained significantly higher among children exposed to ASMs during infancy in sibling-matched analyses. The findings were similar for H2RAs and PPIs analyzed separately and were robust across all sensitivity analyses.Conclusions and RelevanceThe findings of this cohort study suggest that there is no association between prenatal exposure to ASMs and allergic diseases in offspring. However, infant exposure to ASMs was associated with a higher risk of developing asthma, although the magnitude was more modest than previously reported. Clinicians should carefully weigh the benefits of prescribing ASMs to children, accompanied by subsequent close monitoring for any clinically relevant safety signals.