Innovative multi-scale approach to study the phenotypic variation of seedling leaves in four weedy Amaranthus species.

Plant phenotyping on morpho-anatomical traits through image analysis, from microscope images to large-scale acquisitions through remote sensing, represents a low-invasive tool providing insight into physiological and structural trait variation, as well as plant-environment interactions. High phenotype diversity in the genus Amaranthus includes annual weed species with high invasiveness and impact on important summer crops, and nutritive grain or vegetable crops. Identification of morpho-anatomical leaf characters at very young stages across weedy amaranths could be useful for better understanding their performance in agroecosystems.

New perspective for the upscaling of plant functional response to flooding stress in salt marshes using remote sensing.

Understanding the response of salt marshes to flooding is crucial to foresee the fate of these fragile ecosystems, requiring an upscaling approach. In this study we related plant species and community response to multispectral indices aiming at parsing the power of remote sensing to detect the environmental stress due to flooding in lagoon salt marshes. We studied the response of Salicornia fruticosa (L.

Characterisation and functionalisation of chitosan nanoparticles as carriers for double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules towards sustainable crop protection.

The need to minimise the impact of phytosanitary treatments for disease control boosted researchers to implement techniques with less environmental impact. The development of technologies using molecular mechanisms based on the modulation of metabolism by short dsRNA sequences appears promising. The intrinsic fragility of polynucleotides and the high cost of these techniques can be circumvented by nanocarriers that protect the bioactive molecule enabling high efficiency delivery to the leaf surface and extending its half-life.

Calcium Phosphate Particles Coated with Humic Substances: A Potential Plant Biostimulant from Circular Economy.

Nowadays, the use of biostimulants to reduce agrochemical input is a major trend in agriculture. In this work, we report on calcium phosphate particles (CaP) recovered from the circular economy, combined with natural humic substances (HSs), to produce a plant biostimulant. CaPs were obtained by the thermal treatment of bones and were subsequently functionalized with HSs by soaking in a HS water solution.

How doctors generate diagnostic hypotheses: a study of radiological diagnosis with functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: In medical practice, diagnostic hypotheses are often made by physicians in the first moments of contact with patients; sometimes even before they report their symptoms. We propose that generation of diagnostic hypotheses in this context is the result of cognitive processes subserved by brain mechanisms that are similar to those involved in naming objects or concepts in everyday life.

Methodology And Principal Findings: To test this proposal we developed an experimental paradigm with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using radiological diagnosis as a model.