Differential gene expression analysis reveals the fast-growth mechanisms in Melia dubia at different stand ages.

BACKGROUND: Melia dubia Cav. is a fast-growing multipurpose tree suitable for agroforestry and has been widely cultivated for wood-based industries, particularly pulp and paper production. Despite its high economic value in India, there is a lack of information regarding the molecular mechanism driving its fast-growth. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for fast-growth by expression analysis of selective candidate genes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Initially, growth traits were assessed, including tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH), across three different ages (one-year-old, two-year-old, and three-year-old) of M. dubia plantations. Tree volume based on tree height and DBH, was also calculated. The analysis of annual tree height increment revealed that the second-year plantation exhibited the higher increment, followed by first and third years. In contrast, DBH was maximum in third-year plantation, followed by the second and first years. Similarly, annual tree volume increment showed a similar trend with DBH that maximum in the third year, followed by second and first years. Furthermore, a differential gene expression analysis was performed using qRT-PCR on four genes such as Phloem Intercalated with Xylem (PXY), Clavata3/Embryo Surrounding Region-Related 41 (CLE41), 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS-1) and Hemoglobin1 (Hb1) for downstream analysis. The relative gene expression showed up-regulation of CLE41, ACS-1, and Hb1 genes, while the PXY gene was downregulated across the tree ages. Interestingly, a positive association was observed between tree growth and the expression of the selected candidate genes. CONCLUSION: Our results pave the way for further research on the regulatory mechanisms of genes involved in fast-growth and provide a basis for genetic improvement of Melia dubia.

Controlled mechanical stimuli reveal novel associations between basil metabolism and sensory quality.

There is an increasing interest in the use of automation in plant production settings. Here, we employed a robotic platform to induce controlled mechanical stimuli (CMS) aiming to improve basil quality. Semi-targeted UHPLC-qToF-MS analysis of organic acids, amino acids, phenolic acids, and phenylpropanoids revealed changes in basil secondary metabolism under CMS, which appear to be associated with changes in taste, as revealed by different means of sensory evaluation (overall liking, check-all-that-apply, and just-about-right analysis). Further network analysis combining metabolomics and sensory data revealed novel links between plant metabolism and sensory quality. Amino acids and organic acids including maleic acid were negatively associated with basil quality, while increased levels of secondary metabolites, particularly linalool glucoside, were associated with improved basil taste. In summary, by combining metabolomics and sensory analysis we reveal the potential of automated CMS on crop production, while also providing new associations between plant metabolism and sensory quality.

Whole plant response of Pongamia pinnata to drought stress tolerance revealed by morpho-physiological, biochemical and transcriptome analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pongamia is considered an important biofuel species worldwide. Drought stress in the early growth stages of Pongamia influences negatively on the germination and seedling development. Due to lack of cultivar stability under drought stress conditions, establishment of successful plantation in drought hit areas becomes a major problem. To address this issue, drought stress response of four Pongamia genotypes was studied at morphological, physio-chemical and transcriptome levels. METHODS AND RESULTS: Drought stress was levied by limiting water for 15 days on three months old seedlings of four genotypes. A significant effect of water stress was observed on the traits considered. The genotype NRCP25 exhibited superior morpho-physiological, biochemical drought responses. Also, the genotype had higher root length, photosynthetic pigments, higher antioxidant enzymes and solute accumulation compared to other genotypes. In addition, transcript profiling of selected drought responsive candidate genes such as trehalose phosphate synthase 1 (TPS1), abscisic acid responsive elements-binding protein 2 (ABF2-2), heat shock protein 17 (HSP 17 kDa), tonoplast intrinsic protein 1 (TIP 1-2), zinc finger homeodomain protein 2 (ZFP 2), and xyloglucan endotransglucolase 13 (XET 13) showed only up-regulation in NRCP25. Further, the transcriptome responses are in line with key physio-chemical responses exhibited by NRCP25 for drought tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: As of now, there are no systematic studies on Pongamia drought stress tolerance; therefore this study offers a comprehensive understanding of whole plant drought stress responsiveness of Pongamia. Moreover, the results support important putative trait indices with potential candidate genes for drought tolerance improvement of Pongamia.

Performance of a Closed Set Picture Identification Test in Tamil for Children with Cochlear Implant.

The study attempted to assess the closed set word identification abilities in children with cochlear implant (CI) with a picture identification test developed in Tamil. The test was validated on typically developing children with normal hearing (NH) to build a reference for comparison. Participants for the study included 205 children with NH between the age range of 3-6 years and 45 children with cochlear implant within the age range of 3-11 years. The picture identification test was developed using bisyllabic words with corresponding pictures in Tamil. Two lists were created with 25 words each and administered to the children with NH and CI. The scores of both the groups were analysed. The results indicated that the mean scores improved as age increased for children in the NH group. Also, there was no significant difference in performance between the two-word lists. Significant difference in scores was noted between the CI and the NH group (p < 0.01). However, the mean scores in the CI group increased as the experience with CI increased. The picture identification test in Tamil is deemed appropriate to elicit closed set word identification responses for children with CI between the age of 3-6 years. The test will provide supplemental information for mapping and to plan habilitation for children with CI.

Metrics of shock in pediatric trauma patients: A systematic search and review.

INTRODUCTION: Shock-index (SI) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) are metrics for identifying children and adults with hemodynamic instability following injury. The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the quality of these metrics as predictors of outcomes following pediatric injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a literature search in Pubmed, SCOPUS, and CINAHL to identify studies describing the association between shock metrics on the morbidity and mortality of injured children and adolescents. We used the data presented in the studies to calculate the sensitivity and specificity for each metric. This study was registered with Prospero, protocol CRD42020162971. RESULTS: Fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria. seven studies evaluated SI or SIPA score, an age-corrected version of SI, as predictors of outcomes following pediatric trauma, with one study comparing SIPA score and SBP and one study comparing SI and SBP. The remaining eight studies evaluated SBP as the primary indicator of shock. The median sensitivity for predicting mortality and need for blood transfusion was highest for SI, followed by SIPA, and then SBP. The median specificity for predicting these outcomes was highest for SBP, followed by SIPA, and then SI. CONCLUSIONS: Common conclusions were that high SIPA scores were more specific than SI and more sensitive than SBP. SIPA score had better discrimination for severely injured children compared to SI and SBP. An elevated SIPA was associated with a greater need for blood transfusion and higher in-hospital mortality. SIPA is specific enough to exclude most patients who do not require a blood transfusion.

Assessment of Non-Routine Events and Significant Physiological Disturbances during Emergency Department Evaluation after Pediatric Head Trauma.

Outcomes following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) are dependent on initial injury severity and prevention of secondary injury. Hypoxia, hypotension, and hyperventilation following TBI are associated with increased mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of non-routine events (NREs) during the initial resuscitation phase with these physiological disturbances. We conducted a video review of pediatric trauma resuscitations of patients with suspected TBI and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores <13. NREs were rated as "momentary" if task progression was delayed by <1 min and "moderate" if delayed by >1 min. Vital sign monitor data were used to identify periods of significant physiological disturbances. We calculated the association between the rate of overall and moderate NREs per case and the proportion of cases with abnormal vital signs using multi-variate linear regression, controlling for GCS score and need for intubation. Among 26 resuscitations, 604 NREs were identified with a median of 23 (interquartile range [IQR] 17-27.8, range 5-44) per case. Moderate delay NREs occurred in 19 resuscitations (n = 32, median 1 NRE/resuscitation, IQR 0.3-1, range 0-5). Oxygen desaturation and respiratory depression were associated with a greater rate of moderate NREs (p = 0.008, p < 0.001, respectively). We observed no association between duration of hypotension, desaturation, and respiratory depression and overall NRE rate. NREs are common in the initial resuscitation of children with moderate to severe TBI. Episodes of hypoxia and respiratory depression are associated with NREs that cause a moderate delay in task progression. Conformance with resuscitation guidelines is needed to prevent physiological events associated with adverse outcomes following pediatric TBI.

Assessment of Nonroutine Events During Intubation After Pediatric Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Intubation in the early postinjury phase can be a high-risk procedure associated with an increased risk of mortality when delayed. Nonroutine events (NREs) are workflow disruptions that can be latent safety threats in high-risk settings and may contribute to adverse outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed videos of intubations of injured children (age<17 y old) in the emergency department occurring between 2014 and 2018 to identify NREs occurring between the decision to intubate and successful intubation ("critical window"). RESULTS: Among 34 children requiring intubation, the indications included GCS≤8 (n = 20, 58.8%), cardiac arrest (n = 6, 17.6%), airway protection (n = 5, 14.7%), and respiratory failure (n = 3, 8.8%). The median duration of the "critical window" was 7.5 min (range 1.4-27.5 min), with a median of six NREs per case in this period (range 2-30). Most NREs (n = 159, 61.9%) delayed workflow, with 31 (12.1%) of these delays each lasting more than one minute. Eighty-seven NREs (33.9%) had a potential for harm but did not lead to direct patient harm. The most common NREs directly related to the intubation process were poor positioning for intubation (n = 23, 8.9%) and difficulty passing the endotracheal tube (n = 5, 1.9%), with most being attributed to the anesthesiologist performing the intubation (n = 51, range 0-7). CONCLUSIONS: Workflow disruptions related to nonroutine events were frequent during pediatric trauma intubation and were often associated with delays and potential for patient harm. Interventions for improving the efficiency and timeliness of the critical window should focus on adherence to intubation protocol and improving communication and teamwork related to tasks in this phase.

Pattern of Biliary Disease Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy in Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The use of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has risen steadily as a treatment for adolescents with obesity. This study determined whether obstructive biliary complications after rapid, LSG-related weight loss occur similarly in adolescents compared with adults. METHODS: Between 2010 and 2019, 309 patients underwent LSG. Demographics and clinical factors, including pre- and perioperative BMI and weight changes, were included. RESULTS: Overall, 21 patients (7%) had post-LSG biliary disease (BD), of whom 13 presented with acute pancreatitis (AP) and 8 with biliary colic. No differences existed between those with BD (n = 21) and the remaining cohort (n = 288). Patients with BD were 16.3 (SD 2.4) years of age at LSG, with a preoperative BMI of 49.3 (SD 6.7) kg/m2 . Preoperative excess BMI loss was 7.1% (SD 11.3%). An ultrasound revealed gallstones (71%) and sludge or crystals (12%). Eighteen patients underwent cholecystectomy between 4 weeks and 29 months after LSG. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric patients present with BD at a similar rate after LSG compared with adults. The majority of adolescents, however, manifest with AP. Thus, pancreatitis should be high on the differential diagnosis list when evaluating post-LSG abdominal symptoms. Additional studies are warranted to elucidate the pathophysiology of post-LSG AP for prevention in the future because its etiology may or may not be solely related to BD.

Organic zinc and copper supplementation on antioxidant protective mechanism and their correlation with sperm functional characteristics in goats.

Trace minerals feeding had significant effects on sperm production and fertility with better absorption and proper utilization within the body for optimum reproductive function. Several studies have shown that more influenced trace elements in the diets of animals are copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Bucks showing deficiency of this mineral might affect the quality of semen production which in turn would affect the fertility. This experiment was thus designed to test the effects of organic Cu and Zn supplementation on antioxidants enzyme activities and sperm functional attributes in fresh semen of bucks. Forty bucks (n = 40, Aged 5 months) were assigned to ten groups of four animals in each group, supplemented (for a period of 8 months) with different levels of organic Zn: 20 mg (T2), 40 mg (T3) and 60 mg (T4), organic Cu: 12.5 mg (T5), 25 mg (T6), 37.5 mg (T7) and combined organic Zn and Cu: 20 + 12.5 mg (T8), 40 + 25 mg (T9), 60 + 37.5 mg (T10), respectively, per kg dry matter and no additional mineral diet (control; T1). One hundred and sixty semen samples were collected through electro-ejaculator and analysed for sperm quantity, quality, acrosome intactness and plasma membrane integrity and correlated with the catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase enzyme activities in seminal plasma. The results indicated organic Cu and zinc supplemented bucks produced more sperm cells, had higher sperm concentrations, maintained higher (p < .01) sperm livability, plasma membrane and acrosome integrities, more motility and velocity. The increased antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced oxidative stress and lowered lipid peroxidation were positively correlated (p < .05) with the sperm functional attributes. In conclusion, organic Cu and Zn supplement to male goats showed protective roles against oxidative damage and maintained better fresh semen characteristics.

Systemic therapy treatment patterns in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): PIvOTAL study.

The aim of this multinational retrospective cohort study, conducted at academic and community oncology centres, was to describe real-world treatment patterns for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of advanced/metastatic (stage IIIB/IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who initiated first-line systemic therapy from January 2011 through June 2014. The study included 1265 patients in Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, Korea, Taiwan and Brazil. The proportion of patients with squamous versus non-squamous NSCLC was approximately 20% versus 75%, and associated patient demographic characteristics were similar in all countries, excepting race. Patients with squamous NSCLC were predominantly male and current/ex-smokers. Biomarker tests were performed for the majority of patients with non-squamous NSCLC, ranging from 54% (Brazil) to 91% in Taiwan, where, of those tested, 68% with non-squamous NSCLC had positive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutation status; in other countries the EGFR-positive percentages ranged from 17% (Spain/Brazil) to 40% (Korea). Platinum-based regimens were the most common first-line therapy in all countries except Taiwan, where gefitinib was the most common first-line agent. Median overall survival ranged from 9.3 months (Brazil) to 25.5 months (Taiwan). The diagnostic and treatment patterns recorded in this study were heterogeneous but largely in line with NSCLC guidelines during the study period.

Characterization of sprayed TiO2 on ITO substrates for solar cell applications.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films had been deposited with various substrate temperatures by spray pyrolysis technique onto ITO substrates. All films exhibited polycrystalline nature with the preferred orientation along (101) plane. At the substrate temperature 450 °C, the film favored the formation of anatase phase. The higher substrate temperature (475 °C) favored the appearance of rutile structure. The SEM image of the film at substrate temperature (Ts=450 °C) showed high structural quality with the porous nature. The typical AFM image of TiO2 film deposited at the substrate temperature, 450 °C depicted the regular arrangement of fine closely packed tetragonal structured grains. The transmittance of the spectra exhibited above 85% with energy band gap of 3.6 eV. From the study of photoluminescence, the emission at 417 nm, 437 nm and with weak emission at 551 nm was observed, which confirmed the lesser defects in the samples. The electrical resistivity was found to be 6.856×10(1) Ω cm for the substrate temperature 450 °C. The efficiency of anatase TiO2 photoelectrode deposited at the substrate temperature 450 °C based cell was much higher than the efficiency of TiO2 photoelectrode deposited at the substrate temperature 475 °C based cell.

Physical properties of Zn doped TiO2 thin films with spray pyrolysis technique and its effects in antibacterial activity.

Zinc doped Titanium dioxide (TiO2: Zn) thin films were deposited onto glass substrates by the spray pyrolysis technique with the substrate temperature 450°C. The structural, optical, photoluminescence (PL) properties and morphological studies were investigated for the films deposited with various doping concentration (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8at.%) of zinc. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD) had shown the presence of anatase peak with a strong orientation along (101) plane at 8at.% of Zn-doped TiO2 film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study showed the uniform distribution of grains with porous nature. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) observations indicated the tetragonal shape at 8at.% of Zn-doped TiO2 with the particle size and decrease in surface roughness. The emission at 398nm was observed at the 8at.% of Zn-doped TiO2 thin film. The carrier concentration and Hall mobility was increased with doping. The antibacterial activity was highly yielded for the Zn-doped TiO2 thin films.

Biochemical and hormonal variables in black and white women matched for age and weight.

Weight and age may influence the levels of indexes of bone remodeling and the calciotropic hormones. In a study of interracial differences in these women, our black population was heavier than our white population. We therefore matched a subset of 96 black and 96 white women from our larger population for age and weight to determine whether a racial difference exists independent of the effects of weight and age. In addition, we were able to measure other indexes of bone remodeling (N-telopeptide of cross-linked collagen and pyridinoline cross-links), as well as hormones that may influence calcium metabolism (insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), insulin, calcitonin, and gastrin) in this subset. All indexes of bone remodeling were lower in black women. Black postmenopausal women had lower serum levels of calcidiol and higher parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. The higher bone mass of black women is associated with lower bone remodeling in the presence of skeletal resistance to PTH. Serum IGF- 1, insulin, and calcitonin levels did not differ significantly between races. Serum gastrin levels were higher in black women. The higher levels of gastrin in black women should be investigated further for its possible effect on the absorption of calcium salts.