Production of a triple mutant,chlorophyll-deficient,streptomycin-, and kanamycin-resistant Nicotiana tabacum,and its use in intergeneric somatic hybrid formation with Solanum melongena

Summary In order to produce a triple mutant, sexual crosses between a chlorophyll-deficient, streptomycin-resistant mutant of Nicotiana tabacum (SA) and a kanamycin-resistant transformant of N. tabacum (KR.) were carried out. From the offspring of this cross, a triple mutant (KR-SA) was selected. In N. tabacum KR-SA, chlorophyll deficiency is due to recessive mutation in the nuclear genome, streptomycin resistance is due to a dominant mutation in the chloroplast genome, and kanamycin resistance is shown to be a dominant nuclear marker. Cell suspension protoplasts of N. tabacum KRSA were fused with callus protoplasts of Solanum melongena by dextran treatment. Somatic hybrid plants were selected for streptomycin resistance and the ability to produce clorophyll in regenerated plants. By using this selection system, green plants were recovered from two colonies. When these green plants were then tested for kanamycin resistance, all analyzed plants carried this trait. In addition, the hybrid nature of these plants was confirmed by investigation of the peroxidase isozyme. The present results show that the use of N. tabacum KR-SA in studies of somatic hybridization makes it possible to select somatic hybrid plants easily and provides information of the N. tabacum genome.Chemical Regulation of Biomechanism, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Wako 351-01, Japan     

Incidence of thyroid diseases in Zhejiang Province,China, after 15 years of salt iodization

Thyroid diseases(TD) can be induced by either deficient or excessive iodine intake. Universal Salt Iodization(USI) program has been implemented in China since 1995, to prevent iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). To evaluate the current conditions of TD and the role of USI, a multi-stage stratified random sampling scheme was used to perform a cross-sectional survey on the incidence of TD among participants in 6600 households in Zhejiang Province, a coastal area in China. Iodine nutrition status of the population was assessed by dietary iodine intake recall and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) of the participants, and TD were diagnosed by thyroid ultrasonography for 15122 participants and for 5873 participants by serum criteria for thyroid function(fT3, fT4, TSH, TRAb, TgAb, TPOAb; see Introduction for abbreviations). The median UIC of the surveyed population was 163 μg iodine/L. From the participants 23.2% had UIC < 100 μg/L which is moderately iodine-deficient according to WHO classification. Diffuse goiter was present in 2.3% of the population and thyroid nodule in 20.9%. The incidence of hyperthyroidism, subclinical hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism, Graves’ disease and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis was 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.6%, 7.8%, 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively. The proportion of several TD for participants with non-iodized salt intake was higher than that for participants with iodized salt intake.     

Better survival after transcatheter aortic valve replacement by process improvements

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the effects on procedural, 30-day, and 1‑year all-cause mortality by a newly introduced quality improvement strategy in patients after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).MethodsIn October 2015, a coherent set of quality improving interventions with respect to patient geriatric screening, general diagnostic examination and safety of the procedure was implemented at a single centre in the Netherlands. Patients undergoing TAVR in 2013–2018 were included for retrospective analysis. Mortality was assessed in the pre-quality improvement strategy cohort (January 2013 to October 2015; cohort A) and in the post-quality improvement strategy cohort (November 2015 to December 2018; cohort B). Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the influence of patient and procedural characteristics on the results of the quality improvement strategy in terms of procedural, 30-day, and 1‑year all-cause mortality.ResultsIn total, 806 patients were analysed with 274 patients in cohort A and 532 patients in cohort B. After introduction of the quality improvement strategy, procedural (4.4% to 1.3%, p < 0.01), 30-day (8.4% to 2.7%, p < 0.01) and 1‑year (16.4% to 8.5%, p < 0.01) all-cause mortality significantly decreased. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the quality improvement strategy also significantly reduced 30-day (odds ratio [OR] 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.09–0.42) and 1‑year (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.24–0.61) all-cause mortality if corrected for patient characteristics.ConclusionStructural meetings on evaluation of outcomes highlight potential areas for improvement and subsequent outcome-based quality improvement initiatives can result in lower procedural, 30-day, and 1‑year all-cause mortality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s12471-020-01526-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Can indicator species predict restoration outcomes early in the monitoring process? a case study with peatlands

Success in ecological restoration is rarely assessed rigorously due to insufficient planning for post-restoration monitoring programs, limited funding and, especially, lack of scientifically validated evaluation criteria and protocols. In this article, we propose the use of the Indicator Value Index technique (IndVal), which statistically determines the association of species to one or several particular site types, to obtain indicators of success at the early stages of the recovery process in restoration projects. Peat bogs extracted by the vacuum method, subsequently restored by a moss-transfer technique and regularly monitored for ~10 years were used as a model system to test this approach. We first identified 34 restored sectors of ~10 ha from 4 to 11 years old in twelve eastern-Canadian bogs. These sectors were then classified according to their degree of success in recovering a typical sphagnum moss carpet (restoration goal). Then, we retrospectively reviewed vegetation communities recorded at the third year after restoration to identify indicator species of different categories of restoration success, using the IndVal methodology. By identifying early indicator species, our method provides a tool that guides intervention soon after restoration if a site is not on a desired successional trajectory. Typical bog species, namely the bryophytes S. rubellum and Mylia anomala and the tree Picea mariana, were indicative of successful restoration; while bare peat, lichens and one species of ericaceous shrubs (Empetrum nigrum), which cope better under drier conditions, indicated sites where restoration failed. A surprising finding was that the moss Polytrichum strictum, which is known to facilitate the colonization of sphagnum in disturbed peatlands, is an early indicator of unsuccessful restoration. This finding made us question the nursing role of P. strictum at a cover threshold above ca. 30%, when P. strictum could be outcompeting sphagnum and become dominant. We conclude that the IndVal method is an effective tool to identify early indicators of restoration success when combined with a thoughtful examination of species frequency and cover within each site type.     

Versatile Solid Supports for Oligonucleotide Synthesis that Incorporate Urea Bridge

The universal solid support, USIII, representing a new and improved version of commercial USII, as well as 2 ′-deoxynucleoside and 2 ′-deoxy-2 ′-fluoronucleoside bound supports, incorporating a labile phenoxyacetyl fragment, was synthesized by an aminomethyl polystyrene carbamoylation with corresponding azides in the presence of aqueous triethylammonium bicarbonate. All three solid phases incorporate a stable urea tether, thus bridging the polymer and functional linker. These new matrices proved to be potent solid phases for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, or modified oligonucleotides as well as randomized mixed 2 ′-ribo/2 ′-deoxy-2 ′-fluoro-RNA libraries and/or DNA libraries, randomized with trinucleotides (codons).     

Effects of smoking severity and moderate and severe periodontitis on serum C-reactive protein levels: an age- and gender-matched retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background and purpose: C-reactive protein (CRP) which might affect cardiovascular events can be affected by chronic diseases and smoking. Since the effects of smoking dosage as well as the mutual effect of smoking and periodontitis on CRP levels have not been evaluated, we aimed to assess these.

Materials and methods: This retrospective age- and gender-matched study was performed on 120 dental patients. Clinical attachment loss, pocket probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BoP), O’Leary plaque index and serum CRP were recorded. Patients were divided into one control and five cohort groups (n?=?20 each) according to smoking severity [pack years (PY) below or above 30] and periodontal condition (healthy periodontium and moderate/severe periodontitis). The effects of clinical measurements, age, gender, smoking and periodontitis on CRP were assessed using one- and two-way analyses of variance, Tukey and Bonferroni post hoc tests, and multiple linear regression (α?=?0.05).

Results: CRP concentrations were 0.07255?±?0.009539, 0.09645?±?0.010625, 0.122235?±?0.018442, 0.3758?±?0.187369, 0.81595?±?0.0410299 and 1.8717?±?0.652728?mg/l, respectively, in the control (PY?≤?30 with healthy periodontium), cohort 1 (PY?>?30 with healthy periodontium), cohort 2 (PY?≤?30 with moderate periodontitis), cohort 3 (PY?>?30 with moderate periodontitis), cohort 4 (PY?≤?30 with severe periodontitis) and cohort 5 (PY?>?30 with severe periodontitis). The positive effects of age, smoking severity, periodontitis and PPD, on CRP increase were significant (Regression p?<?0.02). BoP had a negative effect (p?=?0.015).

Conclusions: Clinicians should warn the patients, especially the older ones, about the effects of their gingival health and smoking on their cardiovascular condition.     

Nutrigenomics-based personalised nutritional advice: in search of a business model?

Nutritional advice has mainly focused on population-level recommendations. Recent developments in nutrition, communication, and marketing sciences have enabled potential deviations from this dominant business model in the direction of personalisation of nutrition advice. Such personalisation efforts can take on many forms, but these have in common that they can only be effective if they are supported by a viable business model. The present paper takes an inventory of approaches to personalised nutrition currently available in the market place as its starting point to arrive at an identification of their underlying business models. This analysis is presented as a unifying framework against which the potential of nutrigenomics-based personalised advice can be assessed. It has uncovered nine archetypical approaches to personalised nutrition advice in terms of their dominant underlying business models. Differentiating features among such business models are the type of information that is used as a basis for personalisation, the definition of the target group, the communication channels that are being adopted, and the partnerships that are built as a part of the business model. Future research should explore the consumer responses to the diversity of “archetypical” business models for personalised nutrition advice as a source of market information on which the delivery of nutrigenomics-based personalised nutrition advice may further build.     

Comparing methods for metabolic network analysis and an application to metabolic engineering

Bioinformatics tools have facilitated the reconstruction and analysis of cellular metabolism of various organisms based on information encoded in their genomes. Characterization of cellular metabolism is useful to understand the phenotypic capabilities of these organisms. It has been done quantitatively through the analysis of pathway operations. There are several in silico approaches for analyzing metabolic networks, including structural and stoichiometric analysis, metabolic flux analysis, metabolic control analysis, and several kinetic modeling based analyses. They can serve as a virtual laboratory to give insights into basic principles of cellular functions. This article summarizes the progress and advances in software and algorithm development for metabolic network analysis, along with their applications relevant to cellular physiology, and metabolic engineering with an emphasis on microbial strain optimization. Moreover, it provides a detailed comparative analysis of existing approaches under different categories.     

The computationalist reformulation of the mind-body problem

Computationalism, or digital mechanism, or simply mechanism, is a hypothesis in the cognitive science according to which we can be emulated by a computer without changing our private subjective feeling. We provide a weaker form of that hypothesis, weaker than the one commonly referred to in the (vast) literature and show how to recast the mind-body problem in that setting.