The importance of effect sizes when comparing cycle threshold values of SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Purpose: We aimed to elaborate whether cycle threshold (Ct) values differ significantly between wild type SARS-CoV-2 (wtV) and certain viral variants and how strong or weak a potential significant effect might be.

Methods: In a retrospective study, we investigated 1873 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples for the occurrence of viral marker mutations. Age, gender, clinical setting, days after onset of symptoms, and Ct values were recorded.

Changes in the allocation of endogenous strigolactone improve plant biomass production on phosphate-poor soils.

Strigolactones (SLs) are carotenoid-derived phytohormones shaping plant architecture and inducing the symbiosis with endomycorrhizal fungi. In Petunia hybrida, SL transport within the plant and towards the rhizosphere is driven by the ABCG-class protein PDR1. PDR1 expression is regulated by phytohormones and by the soil phosphate abundance, and thus SL transport integrates plant development with nutrient conditions.

Non-destructive measurement of soybean leaf thickness via X-ray computed tomography allows the study of diel leaf growth rhythms in the third dimension.

Present-day high-resolution leaf growth measurements provide exciting insights into diel (24-h) leaf growth rhythms and their control by the circadian clock, which match photosynthesis with oscillating environmental conditions. However, these methods are based on measurements of leaf area or elongation and neglect diel changes of leaf thickness. In contrast, the influence of various environmental stress factors to which leaves are exposed to during growth on the final leaf thickness has been studied extensively.

RADIX: rhizoslide platform allowing high throughput digital image analysis of root system expansion.

Background: Phenotyping of genotype-by-environment interactions in the root-zone is of major importance for crop improvement as the spatial distribution of a plant's root system is crucial for a plant to access water and nutrient resources of the soil. However, so far it is unclear to what extent genetic variations in root system responses to spatially varying soil resources can be utilized for breeding applications. Among others, one limiting factor is the absence of phenotyping platforms allowing the analysis of such interactions.

Parkinson subtype-specific Granger-causal coupling and coherence frequency in the subthalamic area.

Previous work on Parkinson's disease (PD) has indicated a predominantly afferent coupling between affected arm muscle activity and electrophysiological activity within the subthalamic nucleus (STN). So far, no information is available indicating which frequency components drive the afferent information flow in PD patients. Non-directional coupling e.

The ETH field phenotyping platform FIP: a cable-suspended multi-sensor system.

Crop phenotyping is a major bottleneck in current plant research. Field-based high-throughput phenotyping platforms are an important prerequisite to advance crop breeding. We developed a cable-suspended field phenotyping platform covering an area of ~1ha.

Rapid phenotyping of crop root systems in undisturbed field soils using X-ray computed tomography.

Background: X-ray computed tomography (CT) has become a powerful tool for root phenotyping. Compared to rather classical, destructive methods, CT encompasses various advantages. In pot experiments the growth and development of the same individual root can be followed over time and in addition the unaltered configuration of the 3D root system architecture (RSA) interacting with a real field soil matrix can be studied.

Assessing potato tuber diel growth by means of X-ray computed tomography.

The formation and development of belowground organs is difficult to study. X-ray computed tomography (CT) provides the possibility to analyse and interpret subtle volumetric changes of belowground organs such as tubers, storage roots and nodules. Here, we report on the establishment of a method based on a voxel dimension of 240 μm and precision (standard deviation) of 30 μL that allows interpreting growth differences among potato tubers happening within 3 h.

Spring barley shows dynamic compensatory root and shoot growth responses when exposed to localised soil compaction and fertilisation.

The impact of heterogeneous soil compaction in combination with nutrient availability on root system architecture and root growth dynamics has scarcely been investigated. We quantified changes of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) root and shoot growth during the first 3 weeks of growth in a controlled-environment chamber.

Subthalamic stimulation modulates self-estimation of patients with Parkinson's disease and induces risk-seeking behaviour.

Patients with Parkinson's disease with deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus postoperatively often display higher impulsivity and therefore may experience difficulties in social interactions. Here, we examined social interactions of patients with Parkinson's disease with and without deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus in competitive situations. We hypothesized altered self-estimation and risk-seeking behaviour in this patient group induced by deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus.

Statistical pitfalls in the comparison of multivariate causality measures for effective causality.

The study of Wu et al. (2011) compared the performance of six different causality measures when the autoregressive process was estimated with the Dynamic Autoregressive Neuromagnetic Causal Imaging (DANCI) algorithm to help applied researchers in choosing the best method to estimate effective connectivity. This letter to the editor argues that four methodological restrictions limit the applicability of the results to actual applied research.

GROWSCREEN-Rhizo is a novel phenotyping robot enabling simultaneous measurements of root and shoot growth for plants grown in soil-filled rhizotrons.

Root systems play an essential role in ensuring plant productivity. Experiments conducted in controlled environments and simulation models suggest that root geometry and responses of root architecture to environmental factors should be studied as a priority. However, compared with aboveground plant organs, roots are not easily accessible by non-invasive analyses and field research is still based almost completely on manual, destructive methods.

Reliability of multivariate causality measures for neural data.

In the past decade several multivariate causality measures based on Granger causality have been suggested to assess directionality of neural signals. To date, however, a detailed evaluation of the reliability of these measures is largely missing. We systematically evaluated the performance of five different causality measures (squared partial directed coherence (sPDC), partial directed coherence (PDC), directed transfer function (DTF), direct directed transfer function (dDTF) and transfer function) depending upon data length, noise level, coupling strength, and model order and performed simulations based on four different neural data recording procedures (magnetoencephalography, electroencephalography, electromyography, intraoperative local field potentials).

The effect of filtering on Granger causality based multivariate causality measures.

In the past, causality measures based on Granger causality have been suggested for assessing directionality in neural signals. In frequency domain analyses (power or coherence) of neural data, it is common to preprocess the time series by filtering or decimating. However, in other fields, it has been shown theoretically that filtering in combination with Granger causality may lead to spurious or missed causalities.