ABSTRACT
Premise: Higher temperatures across the globe are causing an increase in the frequency and severity of droughts. In agricultural crops, this results in reduced yields, financial losses, and increased food costs at the supermarket. Root growth maintenance in drying soils plays a major role in a plant's ability to survive and perform under drought, but phenotyping root growth is extremely difficult due to roots being under the soil. Methods and Results: RootBot is an automated high-throughput phenotyping robot that eliminates many of the difficulties and reduces the time required for performing drought-stress studies on primary roots. RootBot simulates root growth conditions using transparent plates to create a gap that is filled with soil and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to simulate low soil moisture. RootBot has a gantry system with vertical slots to hold the transparent plates, which theoretically allows for evaluating more than 50 plates at a time. Software pipelines were also co-opted, developed, tested, and extensively refined for running the RootBot imaging process, storing and organizing the images, and analyzing and extracting data. Conclusions: The RootBot platform and the lessons learned from its design and testing represent a valuable resource for better understanding drought tolerance mechanisms in roots, as well as for identifying breeding and genetic engineering targets for crop plants.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effects of different forms of a CHO MR on quadriceps muscle performance and corticospinal motor excitability. METHODS: Ten subjects (5 females, 5 males; 25±1 years; 1.71±0.03 m 73±5 kg) completed 4 trials. A different MR condition was applied during each trial (Placebo (PLA), 6.4% glucose (GLU), 6.4% maltose (MAL), 6.4% maltodextrin (MDX)). Maximal voluntary contraction (MVIC) of the right quadriceps and motor-evoked potential (MEP) of the right rectus femoris was determined pre (10 min), immediately after, and post (10 min) MR. MEP was precipitated by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) during muscle contraction (50% of MVIC). MR was held in the mouth for 20 s and treatments were applied using a Latin square design. The relative change in MEP from pre-measures was different across treatments (p=0.025) but was not different across time (p=0.357). RESULTS: Relative change in MEP was greater for all CHO conditions immediately after (GLU=2.58±5.33%; MAL=3.92±3.90%; MDX=18.28±5.57%) and 10 min after (GLU=14.09±13.96%; MAL=8.64±8.67%; MDX=31.54±12.77%) MR compared to PLA (Immediately after=-2.19±4.25%, 10 min=-13.41±7.46%). The relative change in MVC was greater for CHO conditions immediately (GLU=3.98±2.49%; MAL=5.89±2.29.90%; MDX=7.66±1.93%) and 10 min after (GLU=7.22±2.77%; MAL=10.26±4.22%; MDX=10.18±1.50%) MR compared to PLA (Immediately after=-3.24±1.50%, 10 min=-6.46±2.22%). CONCLUSIONS: CHO MR increased corticospinal motor excitability and quadriceps muscle performance immediately and 10 min after application; however, the form of CHO used did not influence this response.
