Longitudinal reallocations of time between 24-h movement behaviours and their associations with inflammation in children and adolescents: the UP&DOWN study.

BACKGROUND: While there is evidence that physical activity, sedentary behaviour (SB) and sleep may all be associated with modified levels of inflammatory markers in adolescents and children, associations with one movement behaviour have not always been adjusted for other movement behaviours, and few studies have considered all movement behaviours in the 24-hour day as an exposure. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to explore how longitudinal reallocations of time between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light physical activity (LPA), SB and sleep are associated with changes in inflammatory markers in children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 296 children/adolescents participated in a prospective cohort study with a 3-year follow-up. MVPA, LPA and SB were assessed by accelerometers. Sleep duration was assessed using the Health Behavior in School-aged Children questionnaire. Longitudinal compositional regression models were used to explore how reallocations of time between movement behaviours are associated with changes in inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Reallocations of time from SB to sleep were associated with increases in C3 levels (difference for 60 min/d reallocation [d60] = 5.29 mg/dl; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.28, 10.29) and TNF-α (d60 = 1.81 mg/dl; 95% CI = 0.79, 15.41) levels. Reallocations from LPA to sleep were also associated with increases in C3 levels (d60 = 8.10 mg/dl; 95% CI = 0.79, 15.41). Reallocations from LPA to any of the remaining time-use components were associated with increases in C4 levels (d60 ranging from 2.54 to 3.63 mg/dl; p < 0.05), while any reallocation of time away from MVPA was associated with unfavourable changes in leptin (d60 ranging from 3088.44 to 3448.07 pg/ml; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Reallocations of time between 24-h movement behaviours are prospectively associated with some inflammatory markers. Reallocating time away from LPA appears to be most consistently unfavourably associated with inflammatory markers. Given that higher levels of inflammation during childhood and adolescence are associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases in adulthood, children and adolescents should be encouraged to maintain or increase the level of LPA to preserve a healthy immune system.

A study on prospective associations between adiposity and 7-year changes in movement behaviors among older women based on compositional data analysis.

INTRODUCTION: It is unclear whether adiposity leads to changes in movement behaviors, and there is a lack of compositional analyses of longitudinal data which focus on these associations. Using a compositional approach, this study aimed to examine the associations between baseline adiposity and 7-year changes in physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) among elderly women. We also explored the longitudinal associations between change in adiposity and change in movement-behavior composition. METHODS: This longitudinal study included 176 older women (mean baseline age 62.8 (4.1) years) from Central Europe. Movement behavior was assessed by accelerometers and adiposity was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis at baseline and follow-up. A set of multivariate least-squares regression analyses was used to examine the associations of baseline adiposity and longitudinal changes in adiposity as explanatory variables with longitudinal changes in a 3-part movement-behavior composition consisting of SB, light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) as outcome variables. RESULTS: No significant associations were found between baseline adiposity and longitudinal changes in the movement-behavior composition (p > 0.05). We found significant associations of changes in body mass index (BMI) and fat mass percentage (FM%) with changes in the movement-behavior composition. An increase in BMI was associated with an increase of SB at the expense of LPA and MVPA (ß = 0.042, p = 0.009) and with a decrease of MVPA in favor of SB and LPA (ß = - 0.059, p = 0.037). An increase in FM% was significantly associated only with an increase of SB at the expense of LPA and MVPA (ß = 0.019, p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: This study did not support the assumption that baseline adiposity is associated with longitudinal changes in movement behaviors among elderly women, but we found evidence for change-to-change associations, suggesting that a 7-year increase in adiposity is associated with a concurrent increase of SB at the expense of LPA and MVPA and with a concurrent decrease of MVPA in favor of LPA and SB. Public health interventions are needed to simultaneously prevent weight gain and promote physically active lifestyle among elderly women.

Replacing school and out-of-school sedentary behaviors with physical activity and its associations with adiposity in children and adolescents: a compositional isotemporal substitution analysis.

BACKGROUND: Little is known on how context-specific sedentary behaviors (SB) affect adiposity. This study aimed to investigate compositional associations between context-specific SB and adiposity and estimate the differences in adiposity associated with replacing school and out-of-school SB with physical activity (PA). METHODS: This study included 336 children and adolescents. Time spent in SB and PA was estimated using multi-day 24-hour raw accelerometer data. SB and PA were specified for school and out-of-school times. Fat mass percentage (FM%) and fat mass index (FMI) were used as adiposity indicators. A compositional isotemporal substitution model was used to estimate differences in adiposity associated with one-to-one reallocations of time from context-specific SB to PA. RESULTS: Participants spent approximately two thirds of their school and out-of-school time being sedentary. Relative to the remaining 24-h movement behaviors, significant associations between out-of-school SB and adiposity were found in both boys (ßilr1 = 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.03-1.22 for FM%; ßilr1 = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.03-1.49 for FMI) and girls (ßilr1 = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.25-0.98 for FM%; ßilr1 = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.28-1.32 for FMI). Replacing 30 min/day of out-of-school SB with out-of-school light PA decreased FM% by 10.1% (95% CI = 3.3-17.9) and FMI by 14% (95% CI = 2.7-24) in girls. No significant associations were found for school SB. CONCLUSIONS: A reduction of out-of-school SB in favor of light PA should be advocated as an appropriate target for interventions and strategies to prevent childhood obesity.

Are longitudinal reallocations of time between movement behaviours associated with adiposity among elderly women? A compositional isotemporal substitution analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to use compositional data analysis to: (1) investigate the prospective associations between changes in daily movement behaviours and adiposity among elderly women; and (2) to examine how the reallocation of time between movement behaviours was associated with longitudinal changes in adiposity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This is a 7-year longitudinal study in Central European older women (n = 158, baseline age 63.9 ± 4.4 years). At baseline and follow-up, light-intensity physical activity (LIPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour were measured by accelerometer and body adiposity (body mass index [BMI], body fat percentage [%BF]) was assessed from measured height and weight and bioelectrical impedance analyser. Compositional regression with robust estimators and compositional longitudinal isotemporal substitution analysis explored if, and how, changes in movement behaviours were associated with adiposity. RESULTS: Over 7 years, the prevalence of obesity in the sample increased by 10.1% and 14.6% according to BMI and %BF, respectively, and time spent in sedentary behaviour increased by 14%, while time spent in LIPA and MVPA decreased by 14% and 21%, respectively. The increase in sedentary behaviour at the expense of LIPA and MVPA during the 7-year period was associated with higher BMI and %BF at follow-up (both p < 0.01). The increase in LIPA or MVPA at the expense of sedentary behaviour was associated with reduced BMI and %BF at follow-up. In our sample, the largest change in BMI (0.75 kg/m2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37-1.13) and %BF (1.28 U; 95% CI: 0.48-2.09) was associated with longitudinal reallocation of 30 min from MVPA to sedentary behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: We found an association between longitudinal changes in daily movement behaviours and adiposity among elderly women in Central Europe. Our findings support public health programmes to increase or maintain time spent in higher-intensity physical activity among elderly women.

How do short sleepers use extra waking hours? A compositional analysis of 24-h time-use patterns among children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: To examine compositional associations between short sleep duration and sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among children and adolescents. METHODS: Multi-day 24-h data on sleep, SB, LPA and MVPA were collected using accelerometers among 343 children (8-13 years old) and 316 adolescents (14-18 years old). Children and adolescents with sleep duration of < 9 and < 8 h, respectively, were classified as short sleepers. Robust compositional regression analysis was used to examine the associations between short sleep duration and the waking-time composition. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of children and 75.3% of adolescents were classified as short sleepers. In children, being a short sleeper was associated with higher SB by 95 min/day (p < 0.001) and lower MVPA by 16 min/day (p = 0.002). Specifically, it was associated with a higher amount of time spent in long sedentary bouts (ßilr1 = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.29 to 0.62) and lower amounts of time spent in sporadic SB (ßilr1 = - 0.17, 95% CI = -0.24 to - 0.10), sporadic LPA (ßilr1 = - 0.09, 95% CI = -0.14 to - 0.04) and sporadic MVPA (ßilr1 = - 0.17, 95% CI = -0.25 to - 0.10, p < 0.001 for all), relative to the remaining behaviours. In adolescents, being a short sleeper was associated with a higher amount of time spent in SB by 67 min/day (p = 0.001) and lower LPA by 2 min/day (p = 0.035). Specifically, it was associated with more time spent in sedentary bouts of 1-9 min (ßilr1 = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.14, p = 0.007) and 10-29 min (ßilr1 = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.18, p = 0.015), relative to the remaining behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Among children and adolescents, short sleep duration seems to be highly prevalent and associated with less healthy waking time. Public health interventions and strategies to tackle the high prevalence of short sleep duration among children and adolescents are warranted.

Sedentary behavior patterns and adiposity in children: a study based on compositional data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Between-person differences in sedentary patterns should be considered to understand the role of sedentary behavior (SB) in the development of childhood obesity. This study took a novel approach based on compositional data analysis to examine associations between SB patterns and adiposity and investigate differences in adiposity associated with time reallocation between time spent in sedentary bouts of different duration and physical activity. METHODS: An analysis of cross-sectional data was performed in 425 children aged 7-12 years (58% girls). Waking behaviors were assessed using ActiGraph GT3X accelerometer for seven consecutive days. Multi-frequency bioimpedance measurement was used to determine adiposity. Compositional regression models with robust estimators were used to analyze associations between sedentary patterns and adiposity markers. To examine differences in adiposity associated with time reallocation, we used the compositional isotemporal substitution model. RESULTS: Significantly higher fat mass percentage (FM%; ßilr1 = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.34; p = 0.040) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT; ßilr1 = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.71; p = 0.034) were associated with time spent in middle sedentary bouts in duration of 10-29 min (relative to remaining behaviors). No significant associations were found for short (< 10 min) and long sedentary bouts (≥30 min). Substituting the time spent in total SB with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was associated with a decrease in VAT. Substituting 1 h/week of the time spent in middle sedentary bouts with MVPA was associated with 2.9% (95% CI: 1.2, 4.6), 3.4% (95% CI: 1.2, 5.5), and 6.1% (95% CI: 2.9, 9.2) lower FM%, fat mass index, and VAT, respectively. Moreover, substituting 2 h/week of time spent in middle sedentary bouts with short sedentary bouts was associated with 3.5% (95% CI: 0.02, 6.9) lower FM%. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that adiposity status could be improved by increasing MVPA at the expense of time spent in middle sedentary bouts. Some benefits to adiposity may also be expected from replacing middle sedentary bouts with short sedentary bouts, that is, by taking standing or activity breaks more often. These findings may help design more effective interventions to prevent and control childhood obesity.

Adiposity and changes in movement-related behaviors in older adult women in the context of the built environment: a protocol for a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In older adults, sedentary behaviors increase while physical activity decreases over time following the compositional nature of 24-h behaviors. These changes in movement-related behaviors (MRBs) might be associated with unhealthy weight gain and several health comorbidities. However, information is lacking on how obesity influences longitudinal changes in the composition of MRBs in older adults. Furthermore, the moderating effect of the built environment on prospective associations between obesity and MRBs in older adults is not fully understood. Therefore, using an integrated time-use approach, this study aims to identify prospective associations between obesity and MRBs together with an assessment of the moderating effect of the built environment in elderly women. METHODS: The study was designed as a prospective 7-year follow-up study. It is based on two previous cross-sectional studies that enable the use of participant data (women aged 60+ years, n = 409) as a baseline dataset in the current study. All methods designed for 7-year follow-up are based on previous studies. The data collection comprises device-based measurement of MRBs (ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer), objective assessment of body adiposity (multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis), subjective assessment of the built environment (NEWS-A questionnaire), and other possible confounding factors. Time spent in sedentary behavior, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity will be used as three components in a composition reflecting individual MRBs. In linear multiple compositional regression analysis assessing the prospective association between obesity and MRBs, the 7-year follow-up composition of the three mentioned components represents the dependent variable. The 7-year changes in the percentage of body fat (body adiposity), baseline composition of MRBs, and parameters of the built environment represent regressors. DISCUSSION: This study will use an integrated time-use approach to explore causality from obesity to device-measured behaviors in older women. The design and respective analysis consider the compositional nature of MRBs data and the potential moderating effects of various factors. A comprehensive assessment of causality may help to develop multilevel interventional models that enhance physical activity in older adults.

Profiling of Health-Promoting and Taste-Relevant Compounds in Sixteen Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Genotypes Grown under Controlled Conditions.

It is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain crop yields and quality as the global climate changes. The aim of this study was to determine whether and how the profile of health-promoting and taste-related compounds of radishes changes within a growing season. A total of 16 radish (Raphanus sativus L.) genotypes that are commercially available on the Czech market were assessed by means of chemical analysis. Radishes were cultivated in three independent growing cycles under controlled conditions, and the effects of the genotype and growing cycle, as well as their interactions, on the chemical traits were evaluated. Most of the variability in chemical composition was associated with the growing cycle, which accounted for 51.53% of total variance, followed by the genotype (26% of total variance). The interaction between the growing cycle and genotype explained 22.47% of total variance. The growing cycle had the strongest effect on amino acid profiles. More specifically, the amino acids that are known to contribute to overall taste (glycine, along with glutamic and aspartic acids) showed the highest degree of variation, while the amino acids related to glucosinolate biosynthesis (methionine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine) showed relatively low variability. On the other hand, indole glucosinolates were found to differ the most between genotypes.

Investigation of the Effect of the Auxin Antagonist PEO-IAA on Cannabinoid Gene Expression and Content in Cannabis sativa L. Plants under In Vitro Conditions.

The in vitro shoot propagation of Cannabis sativa L. is an emerging research area for large-scale plant material production. However, how in vitro conditions influence the genetic stability of maintained material, as well as whether changes in the concentration and composition of secondary metabolites can be expected are aspects that need to be better understood. These features are essential for the standardised production of medicinal cannabis. This work aimed to find out whether the presence of the auxin antagonist α-(2-oxo-2-phenylethyl)-1H-indole-3-acetic acid (PEO-IAA) in the culture media influenced the relative gene expression (RGE) of the genes of interest (OAC, CBCA, CBDA, THCA) and the concentrations of studied cannabinoids (CBCA, CBDA, CBC, ∆9-THCA, and ∆9-THC). Two C. sativa cultivars, 'USO-31' and 'Tatanka Pure CBD', were cultivated by in vitro conditions with PEO-IAA presence and then analysed. The RT-qPCR results indicated that even though some changes in the RGE profiles could be observed, no differences were statistically significant compared with the control variant. The results of the phytochemical analyses demonstrate that although there were some differences from the control variant, only the cultivar 'Tatanka Pure CBD' showed a statistically significant increase (at a statistical significance level α = 0.05) in the concentration of the cannabinoid CBDA. In conclusion, it would appear that using PEO-IAA in the culture medium is a suitable approach to improve in vitro cannabis multiplication.

Phenylpropanoid Content of Chickpea Seed Coats in Relation to Seed Dormancy.

The physical dormancy of seeds is likely to be mediated by the chemical composition and the thickness of the seed coat. Here, we investigate the link between the content of phenylpropanoids (i.e., phenolics and flavonoids) present in the chickpea seed coat and dormancy. The relationship between selected phenolic and flavonoid metabolites of chickpea seed coats and dormancy level was assessed using wild and cultivated chickpea parental genotypes and a derived population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The selected phenolic and flavonoid metabolites were analyzed via the LC-MS/MS method. Significant differences in the concentration of certain phenolic acids were found among cultivated (Cicer arietinum, ICC4958) and wild chickpea (Cicer reticulatum, PI489777) parental genotypes. These differences were observed in the contents of gallic, caffeic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric, salicylic, and sinapic acids, as well as salicylic acid-2-O-ß-d-glucoside and coniferaldehyde. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the flavonoids myricetin, quercetin, luteolin, naringenin, kaempferol, isoorientin, orientin, and isovitexin. When comparing non-dormant and dormant RILs, significant differences were observed in gallic, 3-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, and sinapic acids, as well as the flavonoids quercitrin, quercetin, naringenin, kaempferol, and morin. Phenolic acids were generally more highly concentrated in the wild parental genotype and dormant RILs. We compared the phenylpropanoid content of chickpea seed coats with related legumes, such as pea, lentil, and faba bean. This information could be useful in chickpea breeding programs to reduce dormancy.

Phytocannabinoid-rich galenic preparations for topical administration: extraction and stability testing.

Although medical cannabis was legalized in Czechia in 2013 and its use in topical treatments of skin disorders is now allowed, galenic formulations prepared from medical cannabis have not been widely implemented in the Czech healthcare system. One of the main reasons is the lack of a straightforward standardized protocol for their preparation. Cannabinoids, e.g., cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), have been shown to have therapeutic effects on various skin conditions, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, scleroderma, acne and skin pigmentation. Recognizing the potential of dermatological treatment with medical cannabis, the present study aimed to evaluate the extraction capacity of various pharmaceutical bases for cannabinoids and the stability of prepared galenic formulations for dermatological applications with respect to cannabinoid content. The results showed that the stability of cannabinoids in formulations depended on the bases' physical and chemical properties. The highest THC decomposition was observed in cream bases and Vaseline, with estimated percentage loss of total content of up to 5.4% and 5.6% per week, respectively. In contrast, CBD was more stable than THC. Overall, the tested bases were comparably effective in extracting cannabinoids from plant material. However, olive oil and Synderman bases exhibited the highest cannabinoid extraction efficiencies (approximately 70%) and the best storage stabilities in terms of the content of monitored compounds. The proposed preparation protocol is fast and easily implementable in pharmacies and medical facilities.

Changes in sedentary behavior patterns during the transition from childhood to adolescence and their association with adiposity: a prospective study based on compositional data analysis.

BACKGROUND: To date, no longitudinal study using a compositional approach has examined sedentary behavior (SB) patterns in relation to adiposity in the pediatric population. Therefore, our aims were to (1) investigate the changes in SB patterns and adiposity from childhood to adolescence, (2) analyze the prospective compositional associations between changes in SB patterns and adiposity, and (3) estimate the changes in adiposity associated with substituting SB with physical activity (PA) of different intensities. METHODS: The study presents a longitudinal design with a 5-year follow-up. A total of 88 participants (61% girls) were included in the analysis. PA and SB were monitored for seven consecutive days using a hip-worn accelerometer. Adiposity markers (fat mass percentage [FM%], fat mass index [FMI], and visceral adiposity tissue [VAT]) were assessed using the multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis. The prospective associations were examined using compositional data analysis. RESULTS: Over the follow-up period, the proportion of time spent in total SB increased by 154.8 min/day (p < 0.001). The increase in total SB was caused mainly by an increase in middle and long sedentary bouts, as these SB periods increased by 79.8 min/day and 62.0 min/day (p < 0.001 for both), respectively. FM%, FMI, and VAT increased by 2.4% points, 1.0 kg/m2, and 31.5 cm2 (p < 0.001 for all), respectively. Relative to the remaining movement behaviors, the increase in time spent in middle sedentary bouts was significantly associated with higher FM% (ßilr1 = 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02 to 0.53) at follow-up. Lower VAT by 3.3% (95% CI: 0.8 to 5.7), 3.8% (95% CI: 0.03 to 7.4), 3.9% (95% CI: 0.8 to 6.9), and 3.8% (95% CI: 0.7 to 6.9) was associated with substituting 15 min/week spent in total SB and in short, middle, and long sedentary bouts, respectively, with an equivalent amount of time spent in vigorous PA. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed unfavorable changes in SB patterns and adiposity status in the transition from childhood to adolescence. Incorporating high-intensity PA at the expense of SB appears to be an appropriate approach to reduce the risk of excess adiposity in the pediatric population.

Biostimulants as an Alternative to Improve the Wine Quality from Vitis vinifera (cv. Tempranillo) in La Rioja.

The application of biostimulants appears to be an environmentally friendly, innovative, and sustainable agronomical tool to mitigate the negative effects induced by adverse climatology in traditional grape-growing regions such as La Rioja (Spain). However, their mechanism of action in grapevines is still unclear. We evaluated how commercial substances (two from Ascophyllum nodosum extraction and one amino acids-based biostimulant) and the non-proteinogenic amino acid ß-aminobutyric acid (BABA) affect the quality and quantity of musts and grapes in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo from a semi-arid region of La Rioja during two seasons. We hypothesized an enhancement in organic metabolites in berries and leaves in response to these treatments, changing the organoleptic characteristics of the final products. The treatments altered the primary metabolites such as carbohydrates, organic acids (AcOrg), and free amino acids, first in the leaves as the effect of the foliar application and second in grapes and musts. As the main result, the biostimulant efficiency depended on the climatology and vineyard location to improve the final yield. Whereas biostimulant application enhanced the yield in 2018 (less dry year), it did not help production in 2019 (dry year). BABA was the most efficient biostimulant, enhancing plant production. Regarding yield quality, the biostimulant application improved the musts mainly by enhancing the fumaric acid content and by reducing carbohydrates, except in BABA-treated plants, where they were accumulated. These results corroborate biostimulants as an exciting approach in wine production, especially for improving wine quality.

Optimizing growing conditions for hydroponic farming of selected medicinal and aromatic plants.

This work presents a pipeline for optimizing semi-hydroponic growth conditions and analyzes the impact on the growth and metabolism in three Mentha species (M. arvensis, M. x piperita, or M. spicata) and three Ocimum basilicum genotypes (́Chládek cervená́, ́Litrá, or ́Mánes). The plant growth and the content- of nitrogen-containing compounds, phenolics, and terpenoids were determined under different nitrate concentrations and salt stress. Different responses were observed among genotypes for both species. ́Chládek cervená́ had the best growth under low nitrate, with lower histamine and higher flavonoid levels. Mentha x piperita was the best mint species performing under low nitrate and salt stress. Altogether, we demonstrate that a combination of phenomics and metabolomics is ideal to identify the optimal growth conditions for these plants and the chemical markers associated with these conditions. Besides, we showed that both primary and secondary metabolites can be good markers for classifying both species.

Priming with Small Molecule-Based Biostimulants to Improve Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Biostimulants became a hotspot in the fight to alleviate the consequences of abiotic stresses in crops. Due to their complex nature, it is challenging to obtain stable and reproducible final products and more challenging to define their mechanism of action. As an alternative, small molecule-based biostimulants, such as polyamines have promoted plant growth and improved stress tolerance. However, profound research about their mechanisms of action is still missing. To go further, we tested the effect of putrescine (Put) and its precursor ornithine (Orn) and degradation product 1,3-diaminopropane (DAP) at two different concentrations (0.1 and 1 mM) as a seed priming on in vitro Arabidopsis seedlings grown under optimal growth conditions, osmotic or salt stress. None of the primings affected the growth of the seedlings in optimal conditions but altered the metabolism of the plants. Under stress conditions, almost all primed plants grew better and improved their greenness. Only Orn-primed plants showed different plant responses. Interestingly, the metabolic analysis revealed the implication of the N- acetylornithine and Orn and polyamine conjugation as the leading player regulating growth and development under control and stress conditions. We corroborated polyamines as very powerful small molecule-based biostimulants to alleviate the adverse abiotic stress effects.

Elevated CO2 Improves the Physiology but Not the Final Yield in Spring Wheat Genotypes Subjected to Heat and Drought Stress During Anthesis.

Heat and drought events often occur concurrently as a consequence of climate change and have a severe impact on crop growth and yield. Besides, the accumulative increase in the atmospheric CO2 level is expected to be doubled by the end of this century. It is essential to understand the consequences of climate change combined with the CO2 levels on relevant crops such as wheat. This study evaluated the physiology and metabolite changes and grain yield in heat-sensitive (SF29) and heat-tolerant (LM20) wheat genotypes under individual heat stress or combined with drought applied during anthesis at ambient (aCO2) and elevated CO2 (eCO2) levels. Both genotypes enhanced similarly the WUE under combined stresses at eCO2. However, this increase was due to different stress responses, whereas eCO2 improved the tolerance in heat-sensitive SF29 by enhancing the gas exchange parameters, and the accumulation of compatible solutes included glucose, fructose, ß-alanine, and GABA to keep water balance; the heat-tolerant LM20 improved the accumulation of phosphate and sulfate and reduced the lysine metabolism and other metabolites including N-acetylornithine. These changes did not help the plants to improve the final yield under combined stresses at eCO2. Under non-stress conditions, eCO2 improved the yield of both genotypes. However, the response differed among genotypes, most probably as a consequence of the eCO2-induced changes in glucose and fructose at anthesis. Whereas the less-productive genotype LM20 reduced the glucose and fructose and increased the grain dimension as the effect of the eCO2 application, the most productive genotype SF29 increased the two carbohydrate contents and ended with higher weight in the spikes. Altogether, these findings showed that the eCO2 improves the tolerance to combined heat and drought stress but not the yield in spring wheat under stress conditions through different mechanisms. However, under non-stress conditions, it could improve mainly the yield to the less-productive genotypes. Altogether, the results demonstrated that more studies focused on the combination of abiotic stress are needed to understand better the spring wheat responses that help the identification of genotypes more resilient and productive under these conditions for future climate conditions.

Prospective study on sedentary behaviour patterns and changes in body composition parameters in older women: A compositional and isotemporal substitution analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: The aims of this study were to examine the prospective compositional associations between sedentary behaviour (SB) patterns and longitudinal changes in body composition parameters, and to use compositional isotemporal substitution modelling to analyse the longitudinal changes in body composition parameters associated with time reallocation from SB to physical activity (PA) in older women. METHODS: The study included women aged 60 years and older (n = 182) with valid data at baseline and at the subsequent 7-year follow-up. For both time points, the ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer was used for SB and PA assessments and multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis was used to assess the body composition parameters related to adiposity and muscle mass. Compositional regression models were used to analyse the associations between proportion of time spent in sedentary bouts of different duration and longitudinal changes in body composition parameters. A compositional isotemporal substitution model was created to estimate the differences in body composition parameters associated with one-to-one time reallocations between baseline SB and PA. RESULTS: A significant increase in fat mass index (ßilr1 = 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18, 1.04) and visceral adipose tissue (ßilr1 = 6.01, 95% CI: 1.52, 10.5) was associated with a higher baseline proportion of time spent in long sedentary bouts (i.e. sedentary bout of ≥30 min). Reallocating 1 h/week and 3.5 h/week from the time spent in long sedentary bouts in favour of light PA was associated with a significant decrease in fat mass index by 0.78% (95% CI: 0.24, 1.32) and 3.13% (95% CI: 0.97, 5.29), respectively. No association was found for indicators of muscle mass. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that long-term adiposity status could be improved by increasing the proportion of time spent in light PA at the expense of time spent in prolonged SB. This finding may help in designing more effective and feasible interventions for the maintenance of healthy body composition in advanced age.

Reallocating Time From Sedentary Behavior to Physical Activity in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: Analyzing the Effects on Walking Capacity Using Compositional Data Analysis.

BACKGROUND: To examine the associations between physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with walking capacity and the effects of reallocating time from SB to PA in patients with symptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) using compositional data analysis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 178 patients (34% females, mean age = 66 [9] y, body mass index = 27.8 [5.0] kg/m2, and ankle-brachial index = 0.60 [0.18]). Walking capacity was assessed as the total walking distance (TWD) achieved in a 6-minute walk test, while SB, light-intensity PA, and moderate to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) were measured by a triaxial accelerometer and conceptualized as a time-use composition. Associations between time reallocation among wake-time behaviors and TWD were determined using compositional isotemporal substitution models. RESULTS: A positive association of MVPA with TWD (relative to remaining behaviors) was found in men (ßilr = 66.9, SE = 21.4, P = .003) and women (ßilr = 56.5, SE = 19.8; P = .005). Reallocating 30 minutes per week from SB to MVPA was associated with higher TWD in men (6.7 m; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-10.9 m) and women (4.5 m; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-7.5 m). CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight, using a compositional approach, the beneficial and independent association of MVPA with walking capacity in patients with symptomatic PAD, whereas SB and light-intensity PA were not associated.

Variation in wild pea (Pisum sativum subsp. elatius) seed dormancy and its relationship to the environment and seed coat traits.

BACKGROUND: Seed germination is one of the earliest key events in the plant life cycle. The timing of transition from seed to seedling is an important developmental stage determining the survival of individuals that influences the status of populations and species. Because of wide geographical distribution and occurrence in diverse habitats, wild pea (Pisum sativum subsp. elatius) offers an excellent model to study physical type of seed dormancy in an ecological context. This study addresses the gap in knowledge of association between the seed dormancy, seed properties and environmental factors, experimentally testing oscillating temperature as dormancy release clue. METHODS: Seeds of 97 pea accessions were subjected to two germination treatments (oscillating temperatures of 25/15 °C and 35/15 °C) over 28 days. Germination pattern was described using B-spline coefficients that aggregate both final germination and germination speed. Relationships between germination pattern and environmental conditions at the site of origin (soil and bioclimatic variables extracted from WorldClim 2.0 and SoilGrids databases) were studied using principal component analysis, redundancy analysis and ecological niche modelling. Seeds were analyzed for the seed coat thickness, seed morphology, weight and content of proanthocyanidins (PA). RESULTS: Seed total germination ranged from 0% to 100%. Cluster analysis of germination patterns of seeds under two temperature treatments differentiated the accessions into three groups: (1) non-dormant (28 accessions, mean germination of 92%), (2) dormant at both treatments (29 acc., 15%) and (3) responsive to increasing temperature range (41 acc., with germination change from 15 to 80%). Seed coat thickness differed between groups with dormant and responsive accessions having thicker testa (median 138 and 140 µm) than non-dormant ones (median 84 mm). The total PA content showed to be higher in the seed coat of dormant (mean 2.18 mg g-1) than those of non-dormant (mean 1.77 mg g-1) and responsive accessions (mean 1.87 mg g-1). Each soil and bioclimatic variable and also germination responsivity (representing synthetic variable characterizing germination pattern of seeds) was spatially clustered. However, only one environmental variable (BIO7, i.e., annual temperature range) was significantly related to germination responsivity. Non-dormant and responsive accessions covered almost whole range of BIO7 while dormant accessions are found in the environment with higher annual temperature, smaller temperature variation, seasonality and milder winter. Ecological niche modelling showed a more localized potential distribution of dormant group. Seed dormancy in the wild pea might be part of a bet-hedging mechanism for areas of the Mediterranean basin with more unpredictable water availability in an otherwise seasonal environment. This study provides the framework for analysis of environmental aspects of physical seed dormancy.

Reallocating Time from Sedentary Behavior to Light and Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity: What Has a Stronger Association with Adiposity in Older Adult Women?

This study is the first to use compositional data analysis to investigate movement behaviors of elderly women and their relationships with fat mass percentage (FM%). The focus of the study is on the associations of time reallocations from sedentary behavior (SB) to light physical activity (LIPA) or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with adiposity. Over 400 older adult women were recruited as part of the cross-sectionally conducted measurements of older adults aged 60+ in Central European countries. An accelerometer was used to assess daily movement behaviors. Body mass index (BMI) and fat mass percentage (FM%) were assessed as adiposity indicators using InBody 720 MFBIA. Using LS-regression, we found positive relationships of BMI and FM% with SB (relative to remaining movement behaviors) (p < 0.001 for both), while their relationship with MVPA (relative to remaining movement behaviors) were negative (p < 0.001 for both). The estimated BMI and FM% associated with a 30-min SB-to-MVPA reallocation were reduced by 1.5 kg/m² and 2.2 percentage points, respectively, whereas they were not reduced significantly with the reallocation of 30 min from SB to LIPA. The findings highlight that SB and MVPA, but not LIPA, are significantly associated with adiposity in elderly women. The reallocation of time from SB to MVPA could be advocated in weight loss interventions in older women.