Stomata in some species of genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arum</Emphasis> from the Eastern Slavonia and Baranya region

Types and the number of stomata in the following Arum species: Arum italicum Mill., Arum maculatum var. maculatum L. and Arum maculatum var. immaculatum L., Arum alpinum var. pannonicum Terpo. and Arum alpinum var. intermedium Schur. in three different locations in Zablaće, Normanci and Bilje were investigated. The most prevalent stomata type at both upper and lower epidermis for each Arum species was mostly stomata type paracytic, followed by hexacytic, tetracytic or brachyparacytic as far as locality is concerned. Helicocytic type was more prevalent in Arum alpinum var. pannonicum Terpo. and Arum alpinum var. intermedium Schur. at Bilje. Other stomata types were very rare. A striking regularity in the occurrence of stomata types was not found within a single species. Some stomata types, however, were found either at adaxial or abaxial epidermis or were not present at all. The number of stomata per square mm varied from 25 to 651. A statistically significant difference in the number of stomata per square mm at upper and lower epidermis among Arum species was determined in locations Zablaće and Normanci, whereas no statistically significant differences were found in location Bilje.     

Indocyanine Green-Assisted Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling in Macular Hole Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

Background

The opinion of application of indocyanine green (ICG) in the macular hole surgery was contradictory. Here we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of in internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for macular hole surgery.

Methods and Findings

We searched electronic databases for comparative studies published before July 2012 of ILM peeling with and without ICG. Twenty-two studies including 1585 eyes were included. Visual acuity (VA) improvement, including the postoperative rate of ≥20/40 VA gained (OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.97; P = 0.033) and increased LogMAR (WMD, −0.09; 95% CI, −0.16 to −0.02; P = 0.011), was less in the ICG group. The risk of visual field defects was greater in the ICG group than in the non-ICG group. There was no significant difference in the rate of anatomical outcomes between ILM peeling procedures performed with and without ICG. RPE changes and other postoperative complications were not significantly different between the ICG and non-ICG groups. An additional analysis showed that the VA improvement of the ICG group was less than the non-ICG group only within the first year of follow up. A subgroup analysis showed that the rate of VA improvement was lower in the ICG group than in other adjuncts group. A higher rate of secondary closure and less VA improvement were observed in a high proportion (>0.1%) of the ICG group. A sensitivity analysis after the randomized-controlled trials were excluded from the meta-analysis demonstrated no differences compared with the overall results.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis demonstrated that there is no evidence of clinical superiority in outcomes for ICG-assisted ILM peeling procedure over the non-ICG one. The toxicity of ICG should be considered when choosing the various staining methods.     

Nitrogen application enhanced the expression of developmental plasticity of root systems triggered by mild drought stress in rice

Background

The promoted root growth under developmental plasticity triggered specifically by mild drought stress (MDS) is known to contribute to maintained water uptake and dry matter production (DMP).

Aims

To examine whether the expression of developmental plasticity of root systems and its contribution to DMP would be affected by the levels of nitrogen (N) application.

Methods

Two genotypes (CSSL50 derived from Nipponbare/Kasalath cross and Nipponbare) were grown under soil moisture gradients with a line source sprinkler system. Three N fertilizer treatments were used; 25 (low), 75 (standard) and 150 kg N ha^?1 (high) in 2009 and 60 (low), 120 (standard) and 180 kg N ha^?1 (high) in 2011.

Results

Across varying N level treatments, there were no significant differences in any of the traits examined between the two genotypes under well-watered and severe drought stress conditions. In contrast, under MDS conditions (15–25 % w/w of soil moisture content (SMC) in 2009 and 17–25 % w/w of SMC in 2011), CSSL50 showed greater DMP than Nipponbare. The difference, however, varied with N level treatments since CSSL50’s greater root system development under MDS, was more pronounced at standard and high N levels than at low N level than it was for Nipponbare.

Conclusions

N application enhanced the expression of plasticity in root system development at standard and high N levels as compared with low N level under MDS conditions, which contributed to the maintenance of DMP.     

mTORC1 Is Essential for Early Steps during Schwann Cell Differentiation of Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells and Regulates Lipogenic Gene Expression

Schwann cell development is hallmarked by the induction of a lipogenic profile. Here we used amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells and focused on the mechanisms occurring during early steps of differentiation along the Schwann cell lineage. Therefore, we initiated Schwann cell differentiation in AFS cells and monitored as well as modulated the activity of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, the major regulator of anabolic processes. Our results show that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activity is essential for glial marker expression and expression of Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Protein (SREBP) target genes. Moreover, SREBP target gene activation by statin treatment promoted lipogenic gene expression, induced mTORC1 activation and stimulated Schwann cell differentiation. To investigate mTORC1 downstream signaling we expressed a mutant S6K1, which subsequently induced the expression of the Schwann cell marker S100b, but did not affect lipogenic gene expression. This suggests that S6K1 dependent and independent pathways downstream of mTORC1 drive AFS cells to early Schwann cell differentiation and lipogenic gene expression. In conclusion our results propose that future strategies for peripheral nervous system regeneration will depend on ways to efficiently induce the mTORC1 pathway.     

Nectin4 is an epithelial cell receptor for canine distemper virus and involved in neurovirulence

Canine distemper virus (CDV) uses signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM), expressed on immune cells, as a receptor. However, epithelial and neural cells are also affected by CDV in vivo. Wild-type CDV strains showed efficient replication with syncytia in Vero cells expressing dog nectin4, and the infection was blocked by an anti-nectin4 antibody. In dogs with distemper, CDV antigen was preferentially detected in nectin4-positive neurons and epithelial cells, suggesting that nectin4 is an epithelial cell receptor for CDV and also involved in its neurovirulence.     

Large-Stokes-shift-based folded DNA probing systems targeting DNA and miRNA 21 with signal amplification

Large-Stokes-shift based simple folded DNA probing system (LSFP) had a simple folded DNA structure and exhibited a large Stokes-shifted (194?nm) fluorescence signal upon excitation at a single wavelength (386?nm). This Stokes shift was achieved through a simple combination of donor and acceptor fluorophores and employing multi-FRET systematically. This unique large Stokes-shifted fluorescence signal was used to detect target DNA with large increases in the fluorescence signal (9.7–14.2 fold). This LSFP exhibited enough selectivity, distinguishing a perfectly matched sequence from the probe itself and mismatched sequences. Surprisingly, when DSN was used for signal amplification with miR21P probing system whose target is miRNA 21, it showed high sensitivity (13.7?aM) and selectivity (one base mismatch discrimination). This system has several advantages over other molecular beacons (MBs): (i) it is easy to design and synthesize the probing system that does not require the construction of a finely designed stem and loop, as in most MBs (this can prevent the degradation of miR21P itself by DSN enzyme without special backbone modification); (ii) it can control unique fluorescence, such as large Stokes-shifted fluorescence through a simple combination of donor and acceptor fluorophores; and (iii) through signal amplification using DSN, it can efficiently detect extremely small amounts of target miRNA with high sensitivity (13.7?aM).     

Phytoextraction of Cd and Zn from agricultural soils by Salix ssp. and intercropping of Salix caprea and Arabidopsis halleri

Contamination of agricultural topsoils with Cd above guideline values is of concern in many countries throughout the world. Extraction of metals from contaminated soils using high-biomass, metal-accumulating Salix sp. has been proposed as a low-cost, gentle remediation strategy, but reasonable phytoextraction rates remain to be demonstrated. In an outdoor pot experiment we assessed the phytoextraction potential for Cd and Zn of four willow species (Salix caprea, S. fragilis, S. × smithiana, S. × dasyclados) and intercropping of S. caprea with the hyperaccumulator Arabidopsis halleri on three moderately contaminated, agricultural soils. Large concentrations of Cd (250 mg kg⁻¹) and Zn (3,300 mg kg⁻¹) were determined in leaves of Salix × smithiana grown on a soil containing 13.4 mg kg⁻¹ Cd and 955 mg kg⁻¹ Zn, resulting in bioaccumulation factors of 27 (Cd) and 3 (Zn). Total removal of up to 20% Cd and 5% Zn after three vegetation periods were shown for Salix × smithiana closely followed by S. caprea, S. fragilis and S. × dasyclados. While total Cd concentrations in soils were reduced by up to 20%, 1 M NH₄NO₃-extractable metal concentrations did not significantly decrease within 3 years. Intercropping of S. caprea and A. halleri partly increased total removal of Zn, but did not enhance total Cd extraction compared to single plantings of S. caprea after two vegetation periods.