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Ripening is a complex physiological process that involves changes in reactive nitrogen and oxygen species that govern the shelf-life and quality of fruits. Nitric oxide (NO)-dependent changes in the sweet pepper fruit transcriptome were determined by treating fruits at the initial breaking point stage with NO gas. Fruits were also harvested at the immature (green) and ripe (red) stages. Fruit ripening in the absence of NO resulted in changes in the abundance of 8805 transcripts whose function could be identified. Among these, functional clusters associated with reactive oxygen/nitrogen species and lipid metabolism were significantly modified. NO treatment resulted in the differential expression of 498 genes framed within these functional categories. Biochemical analysis revealed that NO treatment resulted in changes in fatty acid profiling, glutathione and proline contents, and the extent of lipid peroxidation, as well as increases in the activity of ascorbate peroxidase and lipoxygenase. These data provide supporting evidence for the crucial role of NO in the ripening of pepper fruit.

Soil fertility provides the foundation for nutritious food production and resilient and sustainable livelihoods. A comprehensive survey and summit meeting were conducted with the aims of understanding barriers to enhancing soil fertility in sub-Saharan Africa and providing evidence-based recommendations. The focus regions were West Africa, East Africa, the Great Lakes region, and Ethiopia. Overall recommendations were developed with four emerging themes: (1) strengthening inorganic fertilizer-based systems, (2) access to and use of quality organic inputs, (3) capacity building along the entire knowledge-transfer value chain, and (4) strengthening farming systems research and development across biophysical and socio-economic factors. The evidence-based process and methodology for prioritizing these recommendations makes these findings useful for setting out action plans for future investments and strategies. Access to inorganic fertilizer, its use, and related implementation issues were prominent considerations; nevertheless, biophysical and socio-economic barriers and solutions were identified as equally important to building soil fertility and natural resources. Soil management initiatives should focus on providing holistic solutions covering both biophysical and socio-economic aspects along the entire value chain of actors and creating an enabling environment for adoption. A broader view of soil fertility improvement using all available options including both inorganic and organic sources of nutrients and farming system approaches are highly recommended.

Photosynthesis is currently measured using time-laborious and/or destructive methods which slows research and breeding efforts to identify crop germplasm with higher photosynthetic capacities. We present a plot-level screening tool for quantification of photosynthetic parameters and pigment contents that utilizes hyperspectral reflectance from sunlit leaf pixels collected from a plot (~2 m×2 m) in <1 min. Using field-grown Nicotiana tabacum with genetically altered photosynthetic pathways over two growing seasons (2017 and 2018), we built predictive models for eight photosynthetic parameters and pigment traits. Using partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis of plot-level sunlit vegetative reflectance pixels from a single visible near infra-red (VNIR) (400-900 nm) hyperspectral camera, we predict maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (V c,max, R²=0.79) maximum electron transport rate in given conditions (J 1800, R²=0.59), maximal light-saturated photosynthesis (P max, R²=0.54), chlorophyll content (R²=0.87), the Chl a/b ratio (R²=0.63), carbon content (R²=0.47), and nitrogen content (R²=0.49). Model predictions did not improve when using two cameras spanning 400-1800 nm, suggesting a robust, widely applicable and more ‘cost-effective’ pipeline requiring only a single VNIR camera. The analysis pipeline and methods can be used in any cropping system with modified species-specific PLSR analysis to offer a high-throughput field phenotyping screening for germplasm with improved photosynthetic performance in field trials.

Data integrity continues to be a persistent problem in the current healthcare sector. It ensures that the data is correct and has not even in any manner been improperly changed. Incorrect data might become significant health threats for patients and a big responsibility for clinicians, resulting in problems such as scam, misconduct, inadequate treatment and data theft. This sort of endangering scenario causes tremendous difficulty in handling healthcare data. This research intends to describe the threat plot of data integrity in healthcare through numerous attack statistics from around the world and Saudi Arabia and identify the criticality in Saudi Arabia in particular. A literature review by descriptive analysis, unit analysis and rating analysis to achieve the planned systematic literature review goal is outlined. The outcome of ranking analysis using a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process methodology offers a route for Saudi Arabian researchers to promote medical records or data security in Arabic healthcare. It is suggested that blockchain is the most prioritized method for regular use and adaptation across Saudi Arabia in all data integrity management techniques. To address the challenges of data integrity and future path, the authors critically examine the challenges posed by data integrity in the healthcare sector.

Drought stress during reproductive development could drastically reduce wheat grain number and yield, but quantitative evaluation of such an effect is unknown under climate change. The objectives of this study were to evaluate potential yield benefits of drought tolerance during reproductive development for wheat ideotypes under climate change in Europe, and to identify potential cultivar parameters for improvement. We used the Sirius wheat model to optimize drought-tolerant (DT) and drought-sensitive (DS) wheat ideotypes under a future 2050 climate scenario at 13 contrasting sites, representing major wheat growing regions in Europe. Averaged over the sites, DT ideotypes achieved 13.4% greater yield compared with DS, with higher yield stability. However, the performances of the ideotypes were site dependent. Mean yield of DT was 28–37% greater compared with DS in southern Europe. In contrast, no yield difference (≤1%) between ideotypes was found in north-western Europe. An intermediate yield benefit of 10–23% was found due to drought tolerance in central and eastern Europe. We conclude that tolerance to drought stress during reproductive development is important for high yield potentials and greater yield stability of wheat under climate change in Europe.

Edaphic factors such as salinity, sodicity, and drought adversely affect crop productivity, either alone or in combination. Despite soil sodicity being reported as an increasing problem worldwide, limited efforts have been made to address this issue. In the present study, we aimed to generate rice with tolerance to sodicity in conjunction with tolerance to salinity and drought. Using a fusion gene from E. coli coding for trehalose-6-phosphate synthase/phosphatase (TPSP) under the control of an ABA-inducible promoter, we generated marker-free, high-yielding transgenic rice (in the IR64 background) that can tolerate high pH (~9.9), high EC (~10.0 dS m–1), and severe drought (30–35% soil moisture content). The transgenic plants retained higher relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic efficiency compared to the wild-type under these stresses. Positive correlations between trehalose overproduction and high-yield parameters were observed under drought, saline, and sodic conditions. Metabolic profiling using GC-MS indicated that overproduction of trehalose in leaves differently modulated other metabolic switches, leading to significant changes in the levels of sugars, amino acids, and organic acids in transgenic plants under control and stress conditions. Our findings reveal a novel potential technological solution to tackle multiple stresses under changing climatic conditions.

Crop yield stability requires an attenuation of the reduction of yield losses caused by environmental stresses such as drought. Using a combination of metabolomics and high-throughput colorimetric assays, we analysed central metabolism and oxidative stress status in the flag leaf of 292 indica rice (Oryza sativa) accessions. Plants were grown in the field and were, at the reproductive stage, exposed to either well-watered or drought conditions to identify the metabolic processes associated with drought-induced grain yield loss. Photorespiration, protein degradation, and nitrogen recycling were the main processes involved in the drought-induced leaf metabolic reprogramming. Molecular markers of drought tolerance and sensitivity in terms of grain yield were identified using a multivariate model based on the values of the metabolites and enzyme activities across the population. The model highlights the central role of the ascorbate–glutathione cycle, particularly dehydroascorbate reductase, in minimizing drought-induced grain yield loss. In contrast, malondialdehyde was an accurate biomarker for grain yield loss, suggesting that drought-induced lipid peroxidation is the major constraint under these conditions. These findings highlight new breeding targets for improved rice grain yield stability under drought.

One way to increase yield potential in wheat is screening for natural variation in photosynthesis. This study uses measured and modelled physiological parameters to explore genotypic diversity in photosynthetic capacity (P c, Rubisco carboxylation capacity per unit leaf area at 25 °C) and efficiency (P eff, P c per unit of leaf nitrogen) in wheat in relation to fertilizer, plant stage, and environment. Four experiments (Aus1, Aus2, Aus3, and Mex1) were carried out with diverse wheat collections to investigate genetic variation for Rubisco capacity (V cmax25), electron transport rate (J), CO₂ assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, and complementary plant functional traits: leaf nitrogen, leaf dry mass per unit area, and SPAD. Genotypes for Aus1 and Aus2 were grown in the glasshouse with two fertilizer levels. Genotypes for Aus3 and Mex1 experiments were grown in the field in Australia and Mexico, respectively. Results showed that V cmax25 derived from gas exchange measurements is a robust parameter that does not depend on stomatal conductance and was positively correlated with Rubisco content measured in vitro. There was significant genotypic variation in most of the experiments for P c and P eff. Heritability of P c reached 0.7 and 0.9 for SPAD. Genotypic variation and heritability of traits show that there is scope for these traits to be used in pre-breeding programmes to improve photosynthesis with the ultimate objective of raising yield potential.

Seed germination is crucial for the plant life cycle. We investigated the role of nitric oxide (NO) in two chickpea varieties that differ in germination capacity: Kabuli, which has a low rate of germination and germinates slowly, and Desi, which shows improved germination properties. Desi produced more NO than Kabuli and had lower respiratory rates. As a result of the high respiration rates, Kabuli had higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Treatment with the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetyl-D,L-penicillamine (SNAP) reduced respiration in Kabuli and decreased ROS levels, resulting in accelerated germination rates. These findings suggest that NO plays a key role in the germination of Kabuli. SNAP increased the levels of transcripts encoding enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and the cell cycle. Moreover, the levels of amino acids and organic acids were increased in Kabuli as a result of SNAP treatment. ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed that Kabuli has a higher capacity for glucose oxidation than Desi. An observed SNAP-induced increase in 13C incorporation into soluble alanine may result from enhanced oxidation of exogenous [13C]glucose via glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway. A homozygous hybrid that originated from a recombinant inbred line population of a cross between Desi and Kabuli germinated faster and had increased NO levels and a reduced accumulation of ROS compared with Kabuli. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the importance of NO in chickpea germination via the control of respiration and ROS accumulation.

Background Patient and public engagement is growing, but evaluative efforts remain limited. Reviews looking at evaluation tools for patient engagement in individual decision making do exist, but no similar articles in research and health systems have been published. Objective Systematically review and appraise evaluation tools for patient and public engagement in research and health system decision making. Methods We searched literature published between January 1980 and February 2016. Electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL and PsycINFO) were consulted, as well as grey literature obtained through Google, subject‐matter experts, social media and engagement organization websites. Two independent reviewers appraised the evaluation tools based on 4 assessment criteria: scientific rigour, patient and public perspective, comprehensiveness and usability. Results In total, 10 663 unique references were identified, 27 were included. Most of these tools were developed in the last decade and were designed to support improvement of engagement activities. Only 11% of tools were explicitly based on a literature review, and just 7% were tested for reliability. Patients and members of the public were involved in designing 56% of the tools, mainly in the piloting stage, and 18.5% of tools were designed to report evaluation results to patients and the public. Conclusion A growing number of evaluation tools are available to support patient and public engagement in research and health system decision making. However, the scientific rigour with which such evaluation tools are developed could be improved, as well as the level of patient and public engagement in their design and reporting.