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The microstructure and microtexture of an extruded and annealed GWZ (Mg-8.2Gd-3.6Y-1.6Zn-0.5Zr, wt.%) magnesium alloy was recorded strain by strain in the course of thermomechanical processing. The specimens were compressed down to various interruption strains of 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 under the strain rate of 0.001 s−1 at 400 °C, the temperature at which the material was capable to be recrystallized extensively. Appreciable refinement was recognized even at low imposed compressive strain of 0.1, and the recrystallization process was completed at true strain 0.3 where the mean grain size of 4.3 μm was attained. The LPSO stimulated nucleation (LSN) and conventional continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) mechanism were contributed in grain refinement. Consequently, the initial basal texture was considerably weakened which was mainly ascribed to the formation of RE-texture components. At higher imposed strain of 0.5, the majority of grains were found in deformed states, the capability of strain softening was decreased and the microtexture only changed in respect of intensity compared with true strain of 0.3. These indicated that the imposed strain was mainly accommodated through dislocation multiplication and tangling within the previously recrystallized grains. Complementary, the slip/twin activity, and the sequence of strain accommodation was investigated through Schmid analysis of the various systems.

To Investigate optimum growth and production under salinity, some materials have been added in sufficient quantities to obtain an ideal crop of salt sensitive bean plants. This experiment was conducted during the spring growing season in 2022 in the agricultural fields in Abu Ghraib, Baghdad governorate, to study the effects of humic acid, cytokinin, and arginine and their interaction on 6 parameters reflecting the total of quantitative and yield traits of bean plants var. Astrid (from MONARCH seeds, China). A factorial design with 3 replicates was used, the first factor included 3 groups of Humic acid; H0, H1 (6 Kg.h-1), and H2 (12 Kg.h-1). The second factor included 2 groups; C0 (spray distilled water), and C1 (100 mg.l-1 benzel adenine), and the third factor included 3 groups of Arginine; A0 (spray distilled water), A1 (100 mg.l-1), and A2 (200 mg.l-1). For humic acid, the results showed that H2 treatment caused the significantly highest values in all the studied traits, except for proline. Results of cytokinin treatment showed that C1 treatment led to significantly higher values in all the studied traits, except for proline. For arginine treatment, the results indicated that there was no significant difference between A1, and A2. For the binary overlap among treatments, the results showed the highest values were H2C1, A2C1, and H2A2, except for chlorophyll content was H2A1. The H2A2C1 triple overlap treatment resulted in the highest values compared to all other treatments for all traits. It is evident that from the results, proline was the highest value in the control treatment of all traits. In conclusion, the present study found that humic acid, cytokinin, arginine and their interactions enhance significantly the quantitative traits and production of bean plants under salinity stress.

To achieve optimal plant growth and production under salt stress, some products were added in adequate quantities to give a good yield, especially bean plants which are sensitive to salinity. For this purpose, this experiment was carried out during the spring growing season in 2022 in Baghdad, to study the effects of humic acid, cytokinin, arginine and their interaction with 9 parameters that reflect the overall traits of vegetative growth and yield of common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris L. var. Astraid (from MONARCH seeds, China). The factorial design with 3 replicates was used, each with 7 plants treated via foliar spraying or by addition to the soil. The first factor included three groups; H0, H1 and H2 (0, 6, 12 Kg.h-1 Humic acid). The second factor included two groups; C0, and C1 [0, 100 mg.l-1 Cytokinins], and the third factor included three groups; A0, A1 and A2 (0, 100, 200 mg.l-1 Arginine). During the period of plant growing, furrow irrigation with drip pipe irrigation was used regularly with non-saline water EC= 2.2, during the first growth stage until it reaches the stage of four true leaves then irrigated with well saline water EC=3.4 for the rest of the plant life cycle. As for the treatment with humic acid, the results revealed that H2 treatment caused significantly higher values in most the studied traits. For cytokinin treatment, the results showed that C1 treatment resulted in significantly higher values in most the studied traits. And, there was no significant difference between A0, A1, and A2 except for leaves area, shoot dry weight, and root dry weight which exerts a significant difference between (A1, A2) in comparison to control A0. Based on the results of the binary overlap among treatments, H2C1, H2A2, H2A1 and, triple overlap H2C1A2 and H2C1A1 treatments resulted in the highest values as compared to all other treatments for all the studied traits. In conclusion, the present study comes up with the following: humic acid, cytokinin, arginine, and their interactions enhance most of the plant growth parameters and the pods production of common bean plants under salt stress.

CACNA1C encodes the α1c subunit of the L-type Ca2+ channel, Cav1.2. Ventricular myocytes from haploinsufficient Cacna1c (Cacna1c+/−) rats exhibited reduced expression of Cav1.2 but an apparently normal sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx with an impaired response to sympathetic stress. We tested the hypothesis that the altered phosphorylation of Cav1.2 might underlie the sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx phenotype in Cacna1c+/− myocytes using immunoblotting of the left ventricular (LV) tissue from Cacna1c+/− versus wildtype (WT) hearts. Activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) increases L-type Ca2+ current and phosphorylates Cav1.2 at serine-1928. Using an antibody directed against this phosphorylation site, we observed elevated phosphorylation of Cav1.2 at serine-1928 in LV myocardium from Cacna1c+/− rats under basal conditions (+110% versus WT). Sympathetic stress was simulated by isoprenaline (100 nM) in Langendorff-perfused hearts. Isoprenaline increased the phosphorylation of serine-1928 in Cacna1c+/− LV myocardium by ≈410%, but the increase was significantly smaller than in WT myocardium (≈650%). In conclusion, our study reveals altered PKA-dependent phosphorylation of Cav1.2 with elevated phosphorylation of serine-1928 under basal conditions and a diminished phosphorylation reserve during β-adrenergic stimulation. These alterations in the phosphorylation of Cav1.2 may explain the apparently normal sarcolemmal Ca2+ influx in Cacna1c+/− myocytes under basal conditions as well as the impaired response to sympathetic stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve optimal plant growth and production, essential nutrients must be readily available in adequate quantities and in a balanced proportion to give a good yield, especially broccoli which has health benefits that may not be found in many other plants. For this purpose, this experiment was carried out during the seasons 2019/2020 in the botanical garden of the Department of Biology, College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, to study the effects of nitrogen and sulphur and their interaction on eight parameters reflecting the overall traits of vegetative growth, yield, and chlorophyll content of broccoli Brassica oleracea L. (var. italic JASSMINE F1 Hybrid). A factorial design with three replicates was used, each with 7 plants treated via foliar spraying. The first factor included three groups; control N0 (distill water spray), N1 (500 mg.l-1 nitrogen), and N2 (1000 mg.l-1 nitrogen). The second factor also included three groups; control S0 (distill water spray), S1 (500 mg.l-1 sulfur), and S2 (1000 mg.l-1 sulfur). We used Urea (CO(NH2)2) as a nitrogen source and zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) as a sulfur source. As for the treatment with nitrogen, the results revealed that N2 treatment caused the significantly highest values in all the studied traits, except for the plant height, where there was no significant difference between N1 and N2. As related to the treatment with sulphur, the results showed that S2 treatment resulted in the significantly highest values of leave area, leave dry weight, and root fresh weight. S2 also caused the highest values, but with no significant differences, of plant height, stem diameter and chlorophyll content index. S1 treatment, on the other hand, caused insignificantly higher values of leave number per plant and main curd weight. Based on the results of the interaction between nitrogen and sulfur, S1N2 treatment resulted in the significantly highest values as compared to all other treatments of all the studied traits, except for the plant height, root fresh weight, and main curd weight. The results presented here may facilitate improvements of Broccoli cultivation with suitable nutrient concentrations for sustainable agriculture. In conclusion, the present study comes up with the following: nitrogen and sulfur and their interaction enhance significantly the growth and production of broccoli.

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The pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders involves complex interactions between genetic and environmental risk factors. Confirmed by several genome-wide association studies, Cacna1c represents one of the most robustly replicated psychiatric risk genes. Besides genetic predispositions, environmental stress such as childhood maltreatment also contributes to enhanced disease vulnerability. Both, Cacna1c gene variants and stressful life events are associated with morphological alterations in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. Emerging evidence suggests impaired mitochondrial bioenergetics as a possible underlying mechanism of these regional brain abnormalities. In the present study, we simulated the interaction of psychiatric disease-relevant genetic and environmental factors in rodents to investigate their potential effect on brain mitochondrial function using a constitutive heterozygous Cacna1c rat model in combination with a four-week exposure to either post-weaning social isolation, standard housing, or social and physical environmental enrichment. Mitochondria were isolated from the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus to evaluate their bioenergetics, membrane potential, reactive oxygen species production, and respiratory chain complex protein levels. None of these parameters were considerably affected in this particular gene-environment setting. These negative results were very robust in all tested conditions demonstrating that Cacna1c depletion did not significantly translate into altered bioenergetic characteristics. Thus, further investigations are required to determine the disease-related effects on brain mitochondria.

The top-ranked cross-disorder risk gene CACNA1C is strongly associated with multiple neuropsychiatric dysfunctions. In a recent series of studies, we applied a genomically informed approach and contributed extensively to the behavioral characterization of a genetic rat model haploinsufficient for the cross-disorder risk gene Cacna1c. Because deficits in processing social signals are associated with reduced social functioning as commonly seen in neuropsychiatric disorders, we focused on socio-affective communication through 22-kHz and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV). Specifically, we applied a reciprocal approach for studying socio-affective communication in sender and receiver by including rough-and-tumble play and playback of 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV. Here, we review the findings obtained in this recent series of studies and link them to the key features of 50-kHz USV emission during rough-and-tumble play and social approach behavior evoked by playback of 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV. We conclude that Cacna1c haploinsufficiency in rats leads to robust deficits in socio-affective communication through 22-kHz and 50-kHz USV and associated alterations in social behavior, such as rough-and-tumble play behavior.

The cross-disorder risk gene CACNA1C is strongly implicated in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BPD) and schizophrenia (SCZ), with deficits in social functioning being common for all major neuropsychiatric disorders. In the present study, we explored the role of Cacna1c in regulating disorder-relevant behavioral phenotypes, focusing on socio-affective communication after weaning during the critical developmental period of adolescence in rats. To this aim, we used a newly developed genetic Cacna1c rat model and applied a truly reciprocal approach for studying communication through ultrasonic vocalizations, including both sender and receiver. Our results show that a deletion of Cacna1c leads to deficits in social behavior and pro-social 50-kHz ultrasonic communication in rats. Reduced levels of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations emitted during rough-and-tumble play may suggest that Cacna1c haploinsufficient rats derive less reward from playful social interactions. Besides the emission of fewer 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in the sender, Cacna1c deletion reduced social approach behavior elicited by playback of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations. This indicates that Cacna1c haploinsufficiency has detrimental effects on 50-kHz ultrasonic communication in both sender and receiver. Together, these data suggest that Cacna1c plays a prominent role in regulating socio-affective communication in rats with relevance for ASD, BPD and SCZ. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Strength properties of annealed austenitic stainless steels are relatively low and therefore improvements are desired for constructional applications. The reversion of deformation induced martensite to fine-grained austenite has been found to be an efficient method to increase significantly the yield strength of metastable austenitic stainless steels without impairing much their ductility. Research has been conducted during thirty years in many research groups so that the features of the reversion process and enhanced properties are reported in numerous papers. This review covers the main variables and phenomena during the reversion processing and lists the static and dynamic mechanical properties obtained in laboratory experiments, highlighting them to exceed those of temper rolled sheets. Moreover, formability, weldability and corrosion resistant aspects are discussed and finally the advantage of refined grain structure for medical applications is stated. The reversion process has been utilized industrially in a very limited extent, but apparently, it could provide a feasible processing route for strengthened austenitic stainless steels.