Journal articleIFPRI3; Breeding for Nutrition; ISI; HarvestPlusHarvestPlusP

There is significant within-seed control over Zn entering the seed endosperm. While the seed crease Zn concentration can be raised to very high levels by increasing external Zn supply, the endosperm Zn concentrations will not increase correspondingly. The limited transfer of Zn beyond the crease requires more research to provide further insight into the rate-determining processes and their location along the pathway from crease to the deeper endosperm.

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Recent advancements in information and communication technology is enabling a significant revolution in e-Health research and industry. In the case of personal medical data sharing, data security and convenience are crucial requirements to the interaction and collaboration of electronic medical record (EMR) systems. However, it’s hard for current systems to meet these requirements as they have inconsistent structures in terms of security policies and access control models. A new solution direction is essential to enhance data-accessing while regulating it with government mandates in privacy and security to ensure the accountability of the medical usage data. Blockchain seems to pave the way for revolution in the conventional healthcare industry benefiting by its unique features such as data privacy and transparency. In this paper, a blockchain-based medical platform using a smart contract is proposed to secure the EMR management. This approach provides patients a comprehensive, immutable log and easy access to their medical information across different departments within the hospital. A case study for hospital is built on a permissioned network, and a series of experimental tests are performed to demonstrate the usability and efficiency of the designed platform. Lastly, a benchmark study by leveraging various performance metrics is made and the outcomes indicate that the designed platform surpasses the ability of existing works in various aspects. The results of this work reveal that the proposed solution has the great potential to accelerate the development of a decentralized digital healthcare ecosystem.

Cultivar differences in root elongation under B toxic conditions were observed in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A significant increase in the length and width of the root meristematic zone (RMZ) was observed in Sahara 3771 (B tolerant) when it was grown under excessive B concentration, compared to when grown at adequate B supply. This coincided with an increase in cell width and cell numbers in the meristematic zone (MZ), whereas a significant decrease in the length and no significant effect on the width of the MZ was observed in Clipper (B intolerant) when it was grown under excessive B supply. This was accompanied by a decrease in cell numbers, but an increase in the length and width of individual cells present along the MZ. Excessive B concentrations led to a significantly lower osmotic potential within the cell sap of the root tip in SloopVic (B tolerant) and Sahara 3771, while the opposite was observed in Clipper. Enhanced sugar levels in the root tips of SloopVic were observed between 48 and 96 h after excess B was applied. This coincided with an increase in the root elongation rate and with a 2.7-fold increase in sucrose level within mature leaf tissue. A significant decrease in reducing sugar levels was observed in the root tips of Clipper under excessive B concentrations. This coincided with significantly lower root elongation rates and lower sucrose levels in leaf tissues. Results indicate a B tolerance mechanism associated with a complex control of sucrose levels between leaf and root tip that assist in maintaining root growth under B toxicity.