Oxidase–peroxidase reaction: kinetics of peroxidase-catalysed oxidation of 2-aminophenol

Possible reaction pathways that may lead to horseradish peroxidase inactivation during the aerobic oxidation of 2-aminophenol were investigated using extended kinetic curves. A kinetic model involving the formation of a low-reactive species, Compound III, was proposed and several rate constants were calculated using an optimisation computing program. Sensitivity analysis allowed to conclude that both oxidase and peroxidase cycles occur in 2-aminophenol oxidation.     

Outcomes in patients with and without disability admitted to hospital with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study

Background:Disability-related considerations have largely been absent from the COVID-19 response, despite evidence that people with disabilities are at elevated risk for acquiring COVID-19. We evaluated clinical outcomes in patients who were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 with a disability compared with patients without a disability.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included adults with COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital and discharged between Jan. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2020, at 7 hospitals in Ontario, Canada. We compared in-hospital death, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), hospital length of stay and unplanned 30-day readmission among patients with and without a physical disability, hearing or vision impairment, traumatic brain injury, or intellectual or developmental disability, overall and stratified by age (≤ 64 and ≥ 65 yr) using multivariable regression, controlling for sex, residence in a long-term care facility and comorbidity.Results:Among 1279 admissions to hospital for COVID-19, 22.3% had a disability. We found that patients with a disability were more likely to die than those without a disability (28.1% v. 17.6%), had longer hospital stays (median 13.9 v. 7.8 d) and more readmissions (17.6% v. 7.9%), but had lower ICU admission rates (22.5% v. 28.3%). After adjustment, there were no statistically significant differences between those with and without disabilities for in-hospital death or admission to ICU. After adjustment, patients with a disability had longer hospital stays (rate ratio 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19–1.56) and greater risk of readmission (relative risk 1.77, 95% CI 1.14–2.75). In age-stratified analyses, we observed longer hospital stays among patients with a disability than in those without, in both younger and older subgroups; readmission risk was driven by younger patients with a disability.Interpretation:Patients with a disability who were admitted to hospital with COVID-19 had longer stays and elevated readmission risk than those without disabilities. Disability-related needs should be addressed to support these patients in hospital and after discharge.

A successful public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic requires accurate and timely identification of, and support for, high-risk groups. There is increasing recognition that marginalized groups, including congregate care residents, racial and ethnic minorities, and people experiencing poverty, have elevated incidence of COVID-19.^1,2 Older age and comorbidities such as diabetes are also risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes.^3,4 One potential high-risk group that has received relatively little attention is people with disabilities.The World Health Organization estimates there are 1 billion people with disabilities globally.⁵ In North America, the prevalence of disability is 20%, with one-third of people older than 65 years having a disability.⁶ Disabilities include physical disabilities, hearing and vision impairments, traumatic brain injury and intellectual or developmental disabilities.^5,6 Although activity limitations experienced by people with disabilities are heterogeneous,^5,6 people with disabilities share high rates of risk factors for acquiring COVID-19, including poverty, residence in congregate care and being members of racialized communities.^7–9 People with disabilities may be more reliant on close contact with others to meet their daily needs, and some people with disabilities, especially intellectual developmental disabilities, may have difficulty following public health rules. Once they acquire SARS-CoV-2 infection, people with disabilities may be at risk for severe outcomes because they have elevated rates of comorbidities.¹⁰ Some disabilities (e.g., spinal cord injuries and neurologic disabilities) result in physiologic changes that increase vulnerability to respiratory diseases and may mask symptoms of acute respiratory disease, which may delay diagnosis.^11–13 There have also been reports of barriers to high-quality hospital care for patients with disabilities who have COVID-19, including communication issues caused by the use of masks and restricted access to support persons.^14–17Some studies have suggested that patients with disabilities and COVID-19 are at elevated risk for severe disease and death, with most evaluating intellectual or developmental disability.^13,18–26 Yet, consideration of disability-related needs has largely been absent from the COVID-19 response, with vaccine eligibility driven primarily by age and medical comorbidity, limited accommodations made for patients with disabilities who are in hospital, and disability data often not being captured in surveillance programs.^14–17 To inform equitable pandemic supports, there is a need for data on patients with a broad range of disabilities who have COVID-19. We sought to evaluate standard clinical outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19²⁷ (i.e., in-hospital death, intensive care unit [ICU] admission, hospital length of stay and unplanned 30-d readmission) for patients with and without a disability, overall and stratified by age. We hypothesized that patients with a disability would have worse outcomes because of a greater prevalence of comorbidities,¹⁰ physiologic characteristics that increase morbidity risk^11–13 and barriers to high-quality hospital care.^14–17     

Erosion and landscape development affect plant nutrient status in the Hawaiian Islands

We quantified variation in plant nutrient concentrations and provenance along catenas in landscapes of three different ages (0.15, 1.4, and 4.1 ma) in the Hawaiian Islands. Strontium (Sr) isotopes demonstrate that erosion provides a renewed source of rock-derived nutrients to slopes in landscapes of all ages, in some cases reversing a million years of ecosystem development in a distance of 100 m. However the effects of this input vary with landscape age. Plants on uneroded surfaces in a 0.15-ma landscape derive ~20% of their Sr from local bedrock (foliar ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr~0.7085), while on adjacent slopes this increases to ~80% (foliar ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr~0.7045). Despite this shift in provenance, foliar N and P do not vary systematically with slope position. Conversely, eroded slopes in a 4.1-ma landscape show smaller increases in rock-derived cations relative to stable uplands (foliar ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr~0.7075 vs 0.7090), but have >50% higher foliar N and P. These results demonstrate both that erosion can greatly increase nutrient availability in older landscapes, and that the ecological effects of erosion vary with landscape age. In addition, there can be as much biogeochemical variation on fine spatial scales in eroding landscapes as there is across millions of years of ecosystem development on stable surfaces.     

Plant regeneration from hordeum spontaneum and hordeum bulbosum immature embryo derived calli

Callus cultures were initiated from isolated immature embryos of Hordeum spontaneum and Hordeum bulbosum on MS or B5 basal medium supplemented with 2 mg/1 2,4-D. Shoot regeneration occurred on transfer of tissue to media containing 1 mg/1 IAA and 1 mg/1 zeatin. The regenerated shoot buds were rooted on basal medium without hormones. The in vitro regenerated plants were transferred to soil and were grown to fertile mature plants. A low percentage of albino plants was observed among the regenerated plants. No major differences were detected between the two species in respect to their potency to form callus or to the regeneration capacity. The regeneration capacity of calli decreased gradually and ended after 6 months in culture.Abbreviations IAA indole-3-acetic acid - 2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxy-acetic acid - MS Murashige and Skoog medium     

Transfection techniques affecting Stat3 activity levels

Transfection techniques, such as calcium-phosphate or liposome-mediated gene transfer, are commonly used for the examination of the effect of a gene upon cellular phenotype and biochemical properties. We previously demonstrated that cell to cell adhesion causes a dramatic increase in Stat3 activity. Given that the opportunities for cell to cell adhesion could be altered due to the presence of the DNA-containing complexes, we examined the effect of the calcium-phosphate transfection procedure upon Stat3 activity levels. The results revealed a dramatic increase in Stat3 phosphorylation at the critical tyr705 site and Stat3 activity following calcium-phosphate transfection. This increase was noted even in the absence of DNA and was not due to the mere presence of calcium ions. In contrast, DNA introduction through electroporation or infection with a retroviral vector did not affect Stat3 activity, while cationic lipids such as lipofectamine or Fugene6 had a less pronounced effect than calcium-phosphate transfection. These results indicate that caution is required in the interpretation of results with regard to activity of Stat3 following certain commonly used transient transfection regimens.     

Potential trajectories of old‐growth Neotropical forest functional composition under climate change

Quantifying relationships between plant functional traits and abiotic gradients is valuable for evaluating potential responses of forest communities to climate change. However, the trajectories of change expected to occur in tropical forest functional characteristics as a function of future climate variation are largely unknown. We modeled community level trait values of Costa Rican rain forests as a function of current and future climate, and quantified potential changes in functional composition. We calculated per‐plot community weighted mean (CWM) trait values for leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content, and wood basic specific gravity (WSG), for tree and palm species in 127 0.25 ha plots. We modeled the response of CWM traits to current temperature and precipitation gradients using generalized additive modeling. We then predicted and mapped CWM traits values under current and future climate, and quantified potential changes under a global warming scenario (RCP8.5, year 2050). We calculated the area within the multi trait functional space occupied by forest plots under both current and future climate, and determined potential changes in functional space occupied by forest plots. Overall, precipitation predicted CWM traits better than temperature. Models indicated increases in CWM SLA, N and P, and a decrease in CWM LDMC under climate change. Lowland forest communities converged on a single direction of change towards more acquisitive CWM trait values, indicating a change in forest functional composition resulting from a changed climate. Functional space occupied by forest plots was reduced by 50% under the future climate. Functional composition changes may have further effects on forests ecosystem services. Assessing functional trait spatial‐gradients can help bridge the gap between species‐based biogeography and biogeochemical approaches to strengthen biodiversity and ecosystem services conservation efforts.     

Plant regeneration from immature and mature embryo derived calli of Hordeum marinum

Callus cultures were obtained from immature and mature embryos of Hordeum marnium on MS media containing 0.5 mg l^-1 parachlorophenoxyacetic acid or 2 mg l^-1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Regeneration occurred after transferring calli to MS either devoid of hormones or supplemented with 1 mg l^-1 indole-3-acetic acid and 1 mg l^-1 zeatin. The regeneration capacity of the immature embryo derived calli (94%) was about 5 times higher than that of mature embryo derived calli (17%). A total of 30 and 964 plantlets were obtained from 21 mature and 59 immature embryo derived calli, respectively. Low frequency (less than 1%) of albino plantlets was obtained from both explants after 3–9 months in culture. Plants expressing transient chlorophyll deficiency were produced from immature embryo derived cultures at a frequency of 10%. However, when transferred to soil, these plantlets became green.