Search Results (1,217)

Cisplatin (CIS)-induced peripheral neuropathy and associated comorbidities have a detrimental effect on the lives of cancer patients. Currently, there are no effective therapies to alleviate these symptoms. Duloxetine (DULO) is a recommended treatment, but it is linked with important side effects, thus making it essential to explore novel approaches. We examined the impact of a prophylactic treatment with a low dose of DULO combined with hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on CIS-injected C57BL/6 male and female mice as a possible therapy for allodynia, muscle and body weight deficits, and emotive syndromes accompanying this type of chemotherapy. The prophylactic treatment with DULO and HRW prevented mechanical allodynia caused by CIS in both sexes and had greater effects than either treatment given individually. The combined treatment also prevented cold allodynia in male mice but only reduced it in females. Moreover, the coadministration of DULO with HRW avoided muscular deficits in both sexes. Furthermore, the body weight reduction induced by CIS in both sexes was not entirely mitigated by the combined therapy. However, all treatments avoided the anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors elicited by CIS. The antiallodynic actions and prevention of muscular deficits produced by the combined treatment might be explained by the inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and plasticity alterations provoked by CIS in the dorsal root ganglia of these subjects. This study proposes, for the first time, the cotreatment of DULO with HRW as an effective therapy for CIS-induced peripheral neuropathy and reveals the influence of sex on these actions. Full article

Water stress and weed competition emerge as pivotal stressors during the development of corn. This two-year study evaluated the effect of Amaranthus palmeri (AMAPA) on corn at varying densities (1, 2, and 4 plants per m⁻¹) under two different irrigation (full and deficit) regimes. Water use efficiency and leaf water potential values were evaluated to determine the effects of different irrigation water amounts and AMAPA densities on corn water consumption. AMAPA height and fresh weight were also measured along with corn growth parameters. The results indicated that corn height, first ear height and number of rows in corn ear decreased by 14.5%, 22.1% and 9.47% on average with the effect of deficit irrigation compared to full irrigation. Under the pressure of four AMAPA plants, ear diameter, ear length, number of grains in a row of ears, ear weight and grain yield decreased by 10.7%, 22.4%, 26.3%, 43.0% and 43.1% on average compared to monoculture corn. Deficit irrigation increased water use efficiency values, while AMAPA density decreased these values. While this study demonstrated that a reduction in irrigation and an increase in AMAPA density exerted adverse effects on the growth parameters of corn, it was also observed that under deficit irrigation conditions, AMAPA did not demonstrate superiority over corn, which possesses a high degree of competitive power in comparison to other C3 summer crops. Full article

Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.)) is a cereal native to Africa and belongs to the family Poaceae. It is a forage with a C4 photosynthetic pathway that stands out for its ability to adapt to different environments; it is able to produce even in unfavorable circumstances. The objective of this study was to analyze the attenuating effect of the brassinosteroid hormone in the form of 24-epibrassinolide on forage sorghum plants subjected to water deficit and rehydration. A completely randomized design (CRD) was used in the experiment. A 2 × 3 × 5 factorial arrangement was used, with two water conditions (water deficit and rehydration), three brassinosteroid doses (0 nM, 50 nM, and 100 nM as 24-epibrassinolide), and five replicates. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. Sorghum seeds were sown in pots with a capacity of 3 kg of substrate. Analyses were performed on the roots and leaves of sorghum plants at different growth stages. The macronutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) were analyzed in the soil physics laboratory. As a result, the content of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg decreased under a water deficit and was then restored by the hormone 24-epibrassinolide, which was able to restore these nutrients. The effect of the hormone under rehydration had a positive effect, increasing the levels of nutrients. Given the above, it was possible to conclude that there were no significant divergences between the treatments during the period of irrigation suspension. Among the tested concentrations, 50 nM of 24-epibrassinolide showed the most consistent improvements in nutrient concentrations under water-deficit conditions, suggesting a potential role in mitigating nutritional imbalance during stress. Rehydrated plants maintained nutrient levels similar to the controls regardless of 24-epibrassinolide application. However, it is important to note that nutritional quality indices such as crude protein and total digestible nutrients (TDN) were not evaluated in this study, which limits direct conclusions about the forage nutritional value. Full article

Background: Aluminum accumulation in the brain causes cognitive deficits. No comprehensive synthesis of pharmacological treatments against aluminum neurotoxicity has been conducted, which led us to systematically review the effects of various pharmacological agents against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity, primarily addressing learning and memory after chronic aluminum exposure (≥2 months) in rodent models. Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, and Scopus for studies published between 2000 and 2023. A total of 45 studies were selected according to the inclusion criteria. Primary outcomes focused on assessing learning and memory, with 39 different pharmacological agents evaluated explicitly for their effects against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity. Meta-analysis and subgroup analysis were performed to evaluate cognitive improvement in the Morris water maze (MWM) for learning and memory, and oxidative stress parameters were evaluated through superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in aluminum-induced neurotoxicity models. Results: According to the systematic analysis, most treatments significantly improve learning and memory, except for insulin and melatonin. According to the MWM analysis, Memantine, Hypericum perforatum extract, Bennincasa hespidia, and, based on the biochemical analysis, Chrysin showed better results. The meta-analysis (random effects) revealed reduced escape latency (SMD = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.74 to 1.19) and increased SOD (SMD = −0.54, 95% CI: −0.79 to −0.29) and CAT levels (SMD = −0.50, 95% CI: −0.73 to −0.27) in treated groups versus aluminum. Egger’s regression tests showed no strong evidence of publication bias. Conclusions: This study effectively synthesized preclinical evidence, identifying promising pharmacological agents for mitigating aluminum-induced cognitive deficits. These findings offer a scientific basis for future experimental studies and therapeutic development targeting aluminum neurotoxicity. Full article

(1) Background: High temperatures and water scarcity, intensified by climate change, present major challenges to Mediterranean viticulture. In this study morphological, anatomical, and physiological responses of leaves at two developmental stages of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Assyrtiko were examined. (2) Methods: Young expanding and fully expanded leaves of two-year-old grapevines grown in pots in a controlled growth chamber, grown in soil in an open-air vineyard, and an adjacent greenhouse on Aegina Island (Greece), were used. The plants were subjected to water deficit (WD), elevated temperature (ET), and combined water deficit and elevated temperature (WD_ET) conditions for four months, and compared with control plants (C). (3) Results: Stress conditions caused contrasting effects on specific leaf area (SLA), which declined in young expanding leaves, except for a significant increase under elevated temperatures, while it increased in fully expanded leaves exposed to stress treatments. Concerning the anatomical traits, the thickness of spongy and palisade parenchyma did not change in young expanding leaves exposed to the three stress treatments, but increased in fully expanded leaves exposed to WD_ET. Metabolic traits (phenolic compounds, soluble sugars, and starch content) further highlighted these differences. (4) Conclusions: The findings reveal distinct stress responses between young expanding and fully expanded leaves of the grapevine Assyrtiko, underscoring the influence of water deficit and elevated temperatures on leaf developmental stage. Full article

This study explores the revival of cotton (Gossypium spp. L.) farming in Italy through sustainable practices, addressing economic and water-related challenges by integrating cultivar selection, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation, and deficit irrigation under organic farming. Field trials evaluated two widely grown Mediterranean cultivars (Armonia and ST-318) under three irrigation levels (I-100: 100% crop water requirement; I-70: 70%; I-30: 30%) across two Sicilian soil types (sandy loam vs. clay-rich). Under I-100, lint yields reached 0.99 t ha⁻¹, while severe deficit (I-30) yielded only 0.40 t ha⁻¹. However, moderate deficit (I-70) maintained 75–79% of full yields, proving a viable strategy. AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001). Cultivar responses differed: Armonia performed better under water stress, while ST-318 thrived with full irrigation. Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water and achieved superior irrigation water productivity (1.43 kg m⁻³). Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests—important for avoiding autumn rains. These results highlight the potential of combining adaptive irrigation, resilient cultivars, and AMF to restore sustainable cotton production in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of soil-specific management. Full article

Drought and water scarcity are some of the most important challenges facing agricultural producers in dry environments. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of algae extract and zeolite in terms of their biostimulant action on water stress tolerance to obtain better growth and production of tomato Lycopersicum esculentum L. grown in an open field under suboptimum and deficient soil moisture content. Large plots had a suboptimum soil moisture content (SSMC) of 25% ± 2 [28% below field capacity (FC)] and deficient soil moisture content (DSMC) of 20% ± 2 [11% above permanent wilting point (PWP)]; both soil moisture ranges were based on field capacity FC (32%) and PWP (18%). Small plots had four treatments: algae extract (AE) 50 L ha⁻¹ and zeolite (Z) 20 t ha⁻¹, a combination of both products (AE + Z) 25 L ha⁻¹ and 10 t h⁻¹, and a control (without application of either product). By applying AE, Z, and AE + Z, plant height, plant vigor, and chlorophyll index were significantly higher compared to the control by 20.3%, 10.5%, and 22.3%, respectively. The effect on relative water content was moderate—only 2.6% higher than the control applying AE, while the best treatment for the photosynthesis variable was applying Z, with a value of 20.9 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹, which was 18% higher than the control. Consequently, tomato yield was also higher compared to the control by 333% and 425% when applying AE and Z, respectively, with suboptimum soil moisture content. The application of the biostimulants did not show any mitigating effect on water stress under soil water deficit conditions close to permanent wilting. These findings are relevant to water-scarce agricultural areas, where more efficient irrigation water use is imperative. Plant biostimulation through organic and inorganic extracts plays an important role in mitigating environmental stresses such as those caused by water shortages, leading to improved production in vulnerable agricultural areas with extreme climates. Full article

This article presents a spatial analysis of projects selected by city residents and implemented in five successive editions (2015–2019) of the participatory budgeting in Częstochowa, Poland. The study examines the relationship between the type of hard projects (small investments in public infrastructure and landscaping) and the pre-existing characteristics of the land use of each district. Kernel density estimation and Spearman correlation analysis were used. The highest spatial density occurred in projects related to the modernization of roads and sidewalks, recreation, and greenery, indicating a relatively high number of proposals within or near residential areas. Key correlations included the following: (1) greenery projects were more common in districts lacking green areas; (2) recreational infrastructure was more frequently chosen in areas with significant water features; (3) street furniture projects were mostly selected in districts with sparse development, scattered buildings, and postindustrial sites; (4) educational infrastructure was often chosen in low-density, but developing districts. The selected projects often reflect local deficits in specific land use or public infrastructure, but also stress the predestination of the recreational use of waterside areas. Full article

Stem radius growth (GRO), tree water deficit (TWD), and maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) were monitored throughout 2023 in a semi-arid Mediterranean forest stand in Burdur, Türkiye, where Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe and Pinus brutia Ten. naturally co-occur. These indicators, derived from electronic band dendrometers, were analyzed in relation to key climatic variables. Results indicated that P. brutia had a longer growth period, while P. nigra exhibited a higher average daily increment under the environmental conditions of 2023 at the study site. Annual stem growth was nearly equal for both species. Based on dendrometer observations, P. brutia exhibited lower normalized TWD and higher normalized MDS values under varying vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil water potential (SWP) conditions. A linear mixed-effects model further confirmed that P. brutia consistently maintained lower TWD than P. nigra across a wide climatic range, suggesting a comparatively lower degree of drought-induced water stress. GRO was most influenced by air temperature and VPD, and negatively by SWP. TWD was strongly affected by both VPD and SWP, while MDS was primarily linked to minimum air temperature and VPD. Moreover, MDS in P. brutia appeared more sensitive to climate variability compared to P. nigra. Although drought limited stem growth in both species during the study year, the lower TWD and higher MDS observed in P. brutia may indicate distinct physiological strategies for coping with drought. These findings offer preliminary insights into interspecific differences in water regulation under the particular climatic conditions observed during the study year in this semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystem. Full article

The Po valley (northern Italy) is the leading European region for processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production. Although historically characterized by abundant water availability, this area is now increasingly affected by drought risk. This study presents a two-year evaluation of regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) on processing tomatoes in northern Italy. In 2019 (Parma) and 2022 (Piacenza), full irrigation (IRR, restoring 100% crop evapotranspiration) and RDI (100% IRR until the color-breaking stage, followed by 50% IRR) strategies were compared within a completely randomized block design. Overall, RDI resulted in a 25% reduction in water use without compromising yield, which was maintained through unchanged plant fertility and fruit size compared to IRR. Remote sensing data from PlanetScope imagery confirmed the absence of water stress in RDI-treated plants. Furthermore, increased soluble solids and dry matter contents under RDI suggest a physiological adaptation of processing tomatoes to late-season water deficit. Remarkably, environmental and economic sustainability indicators—namely water productivity and yield quality—were enhanced under RDI management. This study validates a simple, sustainable, and readily applicable irrigation approach for tomato cultivation in the Po valley. Future research should refine this method by investigating plant physiological responses to optimize water use in this key agricultural region. Full article

This study investigates the downstream wake characteristics of a helical hydrokinetic turbine through combined experimental and numerical analyses. A four-bladed helical turbine with a 20 cm rotor diameter and blockage ratio of 53.57% was tested in an open water channel under a flow rate of 180 m³/h, corresponding to a Reynolds number of approximately 90 × 10³. Velocity measurements were collected at 13 downstream cross-sections using an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter, with each point sampled repeatedly. Standard error analysis was applied to quantify measurement uncertainty. Complementary numerical simulations were conducted in ANSYS Fluent using a steady-state k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model, with a mesh of 4.7 million elements and mesh independence confirmed. Velocity deficit and turbulence intensity were employed as primary parameters to characterize the wake structure, while the analysis also focused on the recovery of cross-sectional velocity profiles to validate the extent of wake influence. Experimental results revealed a maximum velocity deficit of over 40% in the near-wake region, which gradually decreased with downstream distance, while turbulence intensity exceeded 50% near the rotor and dropped below 10% beyond 4 m. In comparison, numerical findings showed a similar trend but with lower peak velocity deficits of 16.6%. The root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) between experimental and numerical mean velocity profiles were calculated as 0.04486 and 0.03241, respectively, demonstrating reasonable agreement between the datasets. Extended simulations up to 30 m indicated that flow profiles began to resemble ambient conditions around 18–20 m. The findings highlight the importance of accurately identifying the downstream distance at which the wake effect fully dissipates, as this is crucial for determining appropriate inter-turbine spacing. The study also discusses potential sources of discrepancies between experimental and numerical results, as well as the limitations of the modeling approach. Full article

The context of global climate change, water stress has a significant impact on the ecological function and landscape value of urban greening shrubs. In this study, three typical greening shrubs (Euonymus japonicus, Ligustrum × vicaryi, and Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea) in North China were subjected to a two-year field-controlled experiment (2022–2023) with four water treatments: full irrigation, deficit irrigation, natural rainfall, and extreme drought. The key findings are as follows: (1) Extreme drought reduced the color indices substantially—the G_CC of E. japonicus decreased by 40% (2023); the R_CC of B. thunbergii var. atropurpurea declined by 35% (2022); and the color indices of L. × vicaryi remained stable (variation < 15%). (2) Early-season soil water content (SWC) strongly correlated with the color index of E. japonicus (r² = 0.42, p < 0.05) but weakly with B. thunbergii (r² = 0.28), suggesting species-specific drought-tolerance mechanisms like reduced leaf area. (3) Deficit irrigation (SWC ≈ 40%) maintained color indices between fully irrigated and drought-stressed levels. Notably, B. thunbergii retained high redness (R_CC > 0.8) at an SWC ≈ 40%; E. japonicus required an SWC > 60% to preserve greenness (G_CC). The research results provide a scientific basis for urban greening plant screening and water-saving irrigation strategies, and expand the application scenarios of color coordinates in plant physiological and ecological research. Full article

Global warming raises surface water temperatures, impacting fish alongside pollutants, such as ubiquitous xenoestrogens. Combined stressor effects are poorly studied but likely to worsen impacts and hinder biota adaptation, warranting further research. Unadapted fish face heightened risks. The liver is a vital metabolic organ, sensitive to temperature and xenoestrogens, eventually adjusting hepatocyte size and number to ensure survival, growth, and reproduction. This study assessed, for the first time, the impact of exposure (45 days) to thermal stress (29 °C versus 26 °C) and ethinylestradiol (EE2, 5 ng/L) on male guppies, primarily on body and quantitative liver morphology. Higher temperature reduced body mass (14%) and standard length (3.6%) gain. EE2 exposure reduced body mass increase (14%), hepatosomatic index (20%), and the volumes of the liver (32%), hepatocytes (16%), and their nuclei (17%). The nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio and total hepatocyte number remained stable. No histopathological lesions existed. Guppies appear to have adapted to stressors by reducing hepatocyte size and utilizing lipid reserves, yet they exhibited deficits in body growth and hepatosomatic index. Gonadal maturation was unaffected. Only under EE2 at 29 °C did hepatocytes show minimal lipid droplet content (less vacuolation). This indicated exhausted reserves, reinforcing how heat and toxicants interact to exacerbate impacts. Full article

Curcuma spp. is a popular ornamental crop valued for its vibrant appearance and suitability for both regular and off-season production. As global emphasis on freshwater conservation increases and with a demand for compact potted plants, reducing water use while maintaining high aesthetic quality presents a key challenge for horticulturists. Potassium silicate (PS) has been proposed as a foliar spray to alleviate plant water stress. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of PS on growth, ornamental traits, and photosynthetic parameters of off-season potted Curcuma cv. ‘Jasmine Pink’ under deficit irrigation (DI). Plants were subjected to three treatments in a completely randomized design: 100% crop evapotranspiration (ETc), 50% ETc, and 50% ETc with 1000 ppm PS (weekly sprayed on leaves for 11 weeks). Both DI treatments (50% ETc and 50% ETc + PS) reduced plant height by 7.39% and 9.17%, leaf number by 16.99% and 7.03%, and total biomass by 21.13% and 20.58%, respectively, compared to 100% ETc. Notably, under DI, PS-treated plants maintained several parameters equivalent to the 100% ETc treatment, including flower bud emergence, blooming period, green bract number, effective quantum yield of PSII (ΔF/Fm′), and electron transport rate (ETR). In addition, PS application increased leaf area by 8.11% and compactness index by 9.80% relative to untreated plants. Photosynthetic rate, ΔF/Fm′, and ETR increased by 31.52%, 13.63%, and 9.93%, while non-photochemical quenching decreased by 16.51% under water-limited conditions. These findings demonstrate that integrating deficit irrigation with PS foliar application can enhance water use efficiency and maintain ornamental quality in off-season potted Curcuma, promoting sustainable water management in horticulture. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition in which amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques trigger oxidative stress (OS) and neuroinflammation, causing memory loss. OS and neurodegeneration can also be caused by reactive astrocytes, thereby promoting AD via toxic metabolite accumulation in the astrocytic urea cycle. However, the effect of molecular hydrogen (H₂) on this cycle remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated whether H₂ treatment could reduce OS-induced neurodegeneration and memory loss. 5xFAD (n = 14) and wild-type (n = 15) mice were randomized into four groups and treated with either 3% hydrogen gas (H₂) or vehicle for 60 days. Cognitive behaviors were evaluated using the Morris water maze and Y-maze tests. In addition, we used biochemical assays to measure ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels in the hippocampi of the mice and AβO-treated primary mouse astrocytes. Aβ, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and the expression of inflammatory markers were evaluated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We observed that H₂ treatment significantly prevented cognitive deficits, oxidative stress, the accumulation of toxic metabolites, and the increase in inflammatory markers in 5xFAD mice. These results suggest that H₂ therapy can mitigate toxic metabolites in the astrocytic urea cycle, thereby reducing neurodegeneration and memory loss in AD. Full article