Does Inoculation with Glomus mosseae Improve Salt Tolerance in Pepper Plants?

A pot experiment was conducted to determine the effects of Glomus mosseae inoculation on growth and some biochemical activities in roots and shoots of pepper (Capsicum annuum L. cv. Zhongjiao 105) plants subjected to four levels of NaCl [0 (control), 25 (low), 50 (medium), and 100 (high) mM] for 30 days, after 30 days of establishment under non-saline conditions. In mycorrhizal (M) plants, root colonization varied from 48 to 16 %. M plants had higher root and shoot dry weight and leaf area compared with non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants. Under salinity stress, M plants accumulated higher amounts of leaf photosynthetic pigments as well as soluble sugar, soluble protein, and total free amino acids in roots and shoots than those of NM plants. In contrast, the accumulation of proline was less intense in M plants than NM plants. Salt stress induced oxidative stress by increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content; however, the extent of oxidative damage in M plants was less compared with NM plants due to G. mosseae-enhanced activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD). We concluded that inoculation with G. mosseae improved growth performance and enhanced salt tolerance of pepper plants via improving photosynthetic pigments and the accumulation of organic solutes (except proline), reducing oxidative stress, and enhancing antioxidant activities of the SOD-POD system.     

Statin pharmacogenomics: what have we learned, and what remains unanswered?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Statins are widely prescribed and are established as first-line therapy for the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Response to treatment varies considerably from person to person; however, inherited traits (genetic variability) may play a central role in this inter-individual variation. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent progress in the research for exploring genetic determinants of clinical efficacy and safety of statin therapy. RECENT FINDINGS: In addition to 41 previous studies of 19 genes, the results of 17 pharmacogenomic studies investigating the relationship between common genetic variants and response to statin therapy in terms of lipid responses, clinical outcomes, and adverse events have been reported since January 2004 - 15 candidate genes related to pharmacodynamics and three to pharmacokinetics of statins. These reported data suggest that genetic variations influencing intestinal cholesterol absorption, cholesterol production, and lipoprotein catabolism may all play a role in modulating responsiveness, as well as genes involved in drug metabolism of statins. They also suggest that combined analysis of multiple variants in several genes, all of which have possible functional relations, is more likely to give significant results, especially when being performed with a larger number of participants. SUMMARY: Pharmacogenomic studies of statin therapy will provide a better picture as to who is most likely and least likely to benefit from treatment, which results in more individualized management of coronary artery disease.     

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT： Professor, Associate/Assistant Professor ＆ Postdoc

The newly formed Institute for Biomedical Research （IBMR） in Xiamen University, Xiamen, China seeks outstanding scientists for the positions at levels of Professor, Associate/Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral fellows.     

On Your Mark,Get Set…

Abstract

Eric Hill, My Pets, The Park, at Home and Up There, (Baby Bear Books), Random House: New York, 1983, unpaged, $1.95 each (board pages)

Dayar Kaur Khalsa, The Baabee Books, Tundra: Montreal, Canada, set of 4, $12.95., (board pages)

Kay Charo, Kate's Car (Box, Quilt and Snowman), Dutton: New York, 1982, unpaged, $3.95 each (boards)

Colin McNaughton, At Playschool, Philomel: New York, 1982, unpaged, $3.95 (boards)

E. H. Shepard (words by A. A. Milne), Pooh's Counting Book, Dutton: New York, 1982, unpaged, $4.95 (board cover)

Arthur Dorros, Alligator Shoes, Dutton: New York, 1982, unpaged, $3.95 (boards)

Tana Hoben, Round & Round & Round, Greenwillow: New York, 1983, unpaged, $9.50

Nicole Rubel, Me and My Kitty, Macmillan: New York, 1983, unpaged, $7.95     

In memoriam Professor Enrique Ega?a, MD (1912-1997).

Enrique Ega?a-Barahona. Born Santiago, Chile, 10 March 1912. Deceased Santiago, Chile, 23 November 1997. MD, University of Chile, 1936. Rockefeller Foundation Fellow at Harvard University Medical School, 1940-1944. Professor of Pathophysiology, 1963; Director, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of medicine, University of Chile. Author of a Textbook on General Pathophysiology (1963) and of many scientific articles in Chilean and American medical journals. Strong supporter of evidence-based medicine as well as of medical education by involving students in short research projects.     

Is Your System Calibrated? MRI Gradient System Calibration for Pre-Clinical,High-Resolution Imaging

High-field, pre-clinical MRI systems are widely used to characterise tissue structure and volume in small animals, using high resolution imaging. Both applications rely heavily on the consistent, accurate calibration of imaging gradients, yet such calibrations are typically only performed during maintenance sessions by equipment manufacturers, and potentially with acceptance limits that are inadequate for phenotyping. To overcome this difficulty, we present a protocol for gradient calibration quality assurance testing, based on a 3D-printed, open source, structural phantom that can be customised to the dimensions of individual scanners and RF coils. In trials on a 9.4 T system, the gradient scaling errors were reduced by an order of magnitude, and displacements of greater than 100 µm, caused by gradient non-linearity, were corrected using a post-processing technique. The step-by-step protocol can be integrated into routine pre-clinical MRI quality assurance to measure and correct for these errors. We suggest that this type of quality assurance is essential for robust pre-clinical MRI experiments that rely on accurate imaging gradients, including small animal phenotyping and diffusion MR.     

Taking U out, with two nucleases?

Background  

REX1 and REX2 are protein components of the RNA editing complex (the editosome) and function as exouridylylases. The exact roles of REX1 and REX2 in the editosome are unclear and the consequences of the presence of two related proteins are not fully understood. Here, a variety of computational studies were performed to enhance understanding of the structure and function of REX proteins in Trypanosoma and Leishmania species.     

What's wrong with novel ecosystems,really?

The novel ecosystems concept has gained much traction in the restoration community. It has also drawn the ire of several prominent ecologists and is the focus of an ongoing debate. We consider three key aspects of this debate: irreversible thresholds, non‐native species, and the hybrid state. Irreversible thresholds have been acknowledged in restoration for years, but predicting when a threshold will be crossed and the degree of reversibility is problematic. Oftentimes reversibility is a function of multiple factors, such as cost and public support. In this sense, a novel ecosystem is not an alternate state but a decision. The need for pragmatism regarding control of non‐natives has also long been recognized in restoration circles. Proponents of the novel ecosystem idea adopt this pragmatism by recommending that management decisions be based on impacts conferred by species in altered ecosystems, regardless of their origin. The concept of a hybrid state has proven difficult to operationalize. We suggest that rather than trying to identify the boundary between hybrid and novel states, ecosystems exist on a gradient of alteration. We offer a decision tree for restoration action that integrates aspects of novel ecosystems with other perspectives in modern restoration ecology. We conclude that the idea of novel ecosystems, though not perfect, deserves a place under the “big tent” of restoration that includes efforts to return fully to a reference state, as well as strategies for reinstating lost ecological processes and enhancing ecosystem services in transformed landscapes where such a return is deemed infeasible.