Poaceae represent the most important group of crops susceptible to abiotic stress. This large family of monocotyledonous plants, commonly known as grasses, counts several important cultivated species, namely wheat (Triticum aestivum), rice (Oryza sativa), maize (Zea mays), and barley (Hordeum vulgare). These crops, notably, show different behaviors under abiotic stress conditions: wheat and rice are considered sensitive, showing serious yield reduction upon water scarcity and soil salinity, while barley presents a natural drought and salt tolerance. During the green revolution (1940–1960), cereal breeding was very successful in developing high-yield crops varieties; however, these cultivars were maximized for highest yield under optimal conditions, and did not present suitable traits for tolerance under unfavorable conditions. The improvement of crop abiotic stress tolerance requires a deep knowledge of the phenomena underlying tolerance, to devise novel approaches and decipher the key components of agricultural production systems. Approaches to improve food production combining both enhanced water use efficiency (WUE) and acceptable yields are critical to create a sustainable agriculture in the future. This paper analyzes the latest results on abiotic stress tolerance in Poaceae. In particular, the focus will be directed toward various aspects of water deprivation and salinity response efficiency in Poaceae. Aspects related to cell wall metabolism will be covered, given the importance of the plant cell wall in sensing environmental constraints and in mediating a response; the role of silicon (Si), an important element for monocots' normal growth and development, will also be discussed, since it activates a broad-spectrum response to different exogenous stresses. Perspectives valorizing studies on landraces conclude the survey, as they help identify key traits for breeding purposes.

IntroductionThis study describes a pivotal clinical trial of a new minimally invasive mesotherapy technique for facial rejuvenation.MethodsThe authors utilized two formulations: formulation A with hyaluronic acid, vitamins, amino acids, minerals, coenzymes, and antioxidant substances; formulation B with hyaluronic acid and idebenone. Fifty participants were enrolled in the study and divided in two groups. Group 1 (50–65 years) treated with formulation A. Group 2 (35–50 years) treated with formulation B. The groups underwent four sessions of mesotherapy involving multiple injections. Treatment was conducted at 15 day intervals. All participants had pre- and posttreatment photographs. Punch biopsies were taken from randomly selected participants, baseline and after 6 weeks, and stained for interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, and collagen 1. Clinical evaluation was based on the Global Aesthetic Scale (GAIS) and on the Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale (WSRS).ResultsThe results produced were statistically analyzed and resulted in a significant and long-lasting effect on facial rejuvenation. Evaluation of photographs at 0, 1, and 2 months revealed significant clinical improvement: brightness, texture, and firmness of the skin. The analysis of the GAIS and WSRS scores in the two groups demonstrated statistically significant results after 2 months. The biopsies taken from randomly selected participants at baseline and after 3 months showed a decrease in IL-1β, IL-6, and MMP1, and an increase in collagen 1.ConclusionThe new minimally invasive mesotherapy technique described can improve the clinical appearance of the skin in different age groups.

Abstract. We present and discuss a completely self-consistent kinetic simulation of a steady state transonic solar type wind. The equations of motion of an equal number of protons and electrons plunged in a central gravitational field and a selfconsistent electric field are integrated numerically. Particles are allowed to make binary collisions with a Coulombian scattering cross-section. The velocity distributions of the particles injected at the boundaries of the simulation domain are taken to be Maxwellian. As anticipated by previous authors we find that the transonic solution implies the existence of a peak in the proton equivalent potential at some distance above the sonic critical point. Collisions appear to be the fundamental ingredient in the process of accelerating the wind to supersonic velocities. For a given temperature at the base of the simulation domain the acceleration efficiency decreases with decreasing density. The reason is that the plasma has to be sufficiently collisional for the heat flux to be converted efficiently into plasma bulk velocity. Concerning the heat flux we find that even when in the vicinity of the sonic point the collisional mean free path of a thermal particle is significantly smaller than the typical scales of variation of the density or the temperature, the electron heat flux cannot be described conveniently by the classical SpitzerHärm conduction law; not even in most of the subsonic region. Indeed, in the simulations where a transonic wind forms the heat flux has been found to strongly exceed the Spitzer-Härm flux, in opposition to recently published results from multi-moment models. We emphasize that given the high coronal temperatures we use in our simulations (3 times the typical solar values) we do not expect the results presented in this report to be uncritically transposable to the case of the "real" solar wind. In particular, the quantitative aspects of our results must be handled with some care.

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Improving crop performance under water-limiting conditions is essential for achieving environmentally sustainable food production. This requires significant progress in both the identification and characterization of key genetic and physiological processes involved in water uptake and loss. Plants regulate water uptake and loss through both developmental and environmental responses. These responses include: root morphology and architecture, cuticle development, stomatal development, and guard cell movements in response to the environment. Genes controlling root traits and stomatal development and guard cell movements strongly impact water use efficiency (WUE), and represent the best targets for molecular breeding programs. This article provides an overview of the complex networks of genes involved in water uptake and loss. These traits represent novel opportunities and strategies for genetic improvement of WUE and drought tolerance in crops.

IntroductionIn recent years, there has been an upsurge in the application of low-level laser therapy in various medical diseases. Additionally, vibration therapy is a new and effective measure to prevent muscular atrophy and osteoporosis, along with some general health-related beneficial effects of exercise on skeletal muscles such as improvement of endothelial function and an increased enzyme capacity of energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of a 635 nm and 0.040 W exit power per multiple diode laser in combination with vibration therapy for the application of non-invasive reduction of circumference in patients with localized adiposity and cellulite.MethodsThe study enrolled men and women (N = 33) aged 18–64 years with localized adiposity or fibrous cellulite. The evaluation parameters were: photographic evaluation, perimetric evaluation, blood tests, ecographic evaluation, histological evaluation, and subjective and objective tests.ResultsThe results produced were statistically analyzed and resulted in a significant reduction of fat thickness when compared to the measurement prior to the treatment (P < 0.0001). Moreover, subjective and objective tests, as well as ecographic and histological evaluations, confirmed the reduction of fat thickness.ConclusionIn this study we have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the combination between low-level laser therapy and vibration therapy for the resolution of localized adiposity and fibrous cellulite.

Tomato is a high value crop and the primary model for fleshy fruit development and ripening. Breeding priorities include increased fruit quality, shelf life and tolerance to stresses. To contribute towards this goal, we re-sequenced the genomes of Corbarino (COR) and Lucariello (LUC) landraces, which both possess the traits of plant adaptation to water deficit, prolonged fruit shelf-life and good fruit quality. Through the newly developed pipeline Reconstructor, we generated the genome sequences of COR and LUC using datasets of 65.8 M and 56.4 M of 30–150 bp paired-end reads, respectively. New contigs including reads that could not be mapped to the tomato reference genome were assembled, and a total of 43, 054 and 44, 579 gene loci were annotated in COR and LUC. Both genomes showed novel regions with similarity to Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum pennellii. In addition to small deletions and insertions, 2, 000 and 1, 700 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could exert potentially disruptive effects on 1, 371 and 1, 201 genes in COR and LUC, respectively. A detailed survey of the SNPs occurring in fruit quality, shelf life and stress tolerance related-genes identified several candidates of potential relevance. Variations in ethylene response components may concur in determining peculiar phenotypes of COR and LUC.

Diatoms are ubiquitous microalgae that have developed remarkable metabolic plasticity and gene diversification. Here we report the first elucidation of the complete biosynthesis of sterols in the lineage. The study has been carried out on the bloom-forming species Skeletonema marinoi and Cyclotella cryptica that synthesise an ensemble of sterols with chemotypes of animals (cholesterol and desmosterol), plants (dihydrobrassicasterol and 24-methylene cholesterol), algae (fucosterol) and marine invertebrates (clionasterol). In both species, sterols derive from mevalonate through cyclization of squalene to cycloartenol by cycloartenol synthase. The pathway anticipates synthesis of cholesterol by enzymes of the phytosterol route in plants, as recently reported in Solanaceae. Major divergences stem from reduction of Δ24(28) and Δ24(25) double bonds which, in diatoms, are apparently dependent on sterol reductases of fungi, algae and animals. Phylogenetic comparison revealed a good level of similarity between the sterol biosynthetic genes of S. marinoi and C. cryptica with those in the genomes of the other diatoms sequenced so far. Sterols are vital components of all eukaryotic cells where they modulate structure and function of membranes and, as precursors of signaling molecules, they control growth and development. Plant sterols, commonly named phytosterols, are involved in morphogenesis, development, reproduction and stress response 1-3. Analogously, microalgal sterols showed critical physiological roles related to photosynthesis, growth, light response and fatty acid metabolism 4. Sterols are terpenes deriving from a complex process of polymerization of six isoprene units. In animals and fungi, the mevalonic acid (MVA) pathway is the only route for the biosynthesis of the isoprene units isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP). In higher plants and algae, IPP and DMAPP derive either from the MVA pathway in the cytoplasm or the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in the plastids 5. Without a clear cellular compartmentalization, both biochemical routes have been also reported in mosses and streptomyces. Sterol biosynthesis from IPP and DMAPP is generally taxa-specific and proceeds via lanosterol by lanosterol synthase (LSS) in nonphotosynthetic organisms (e.g. animals and fungi) or cycloartenol by cycloartenol synthase (CAS) in photosynthetic lineages (e.g. plants and algae) 6. Cholesterol is the major animal sterol but its biosynthesis in tomato has been recently shown to derive from a cycloartenol-dependent pathway composed of enzymes either shared with phytosterols or evolved from phytosterol biosynthetic genes 7. Furthermore, insects and lower eukaryotes, including marine invertebrates and a few microalgae, are suggested to convert phytosterols to cholesterol and vice versa 8-11. Diatoms represent an important component of the aquatic ecosystem 12,13 and form the largest biological group of marine phytoplankton 14,15. These microalgae are major global producers by contributing to...