Living with Two Genomes: Grafting and Its Implications for Plant Genome-to-Genome Interactions, Phenotypic Variation, and Evolution.

Plant genomes interact when genetically distinct individuals join, or are joined, together. Individuals can fuse in three contexts: artificial grafts, natural grafts, and host-parasite interactions. Artificial grafts have been studied for decades and are important platforms for studying the movement of RNA, DNA, and protein. Yet several mysteries about artificial grafts remain, including the factors that contribute to graft incompatibility, the prevalence of genetic and epigenetic modifications caused by exchanges between graft partners, and the long-term effects of these modifications on phenotype. Host-parasite interactions also lead to the exchange of materials, and RNA exchange actively contributes to an ongoing arms race between parasite virulence and host resistance. Little is known about natural grafts except that they can be frequent and may provide opportunities for evolutionary innovation through genome exchange. In this review, we survey our current understanding about these three mechanisms of contact, the genomic interactions that result, and the potential evolutionary implications.

Increasing Activity After Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial of High-Intensity Walking and Step Activity Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity in people with chronic stroke profoundly affects daily function and increases recurrent stroke risk and mortality, making physical activity improvements an important target of intervention. We compared the effects of a high-intensity walking intervention (FAST), a step activity monitoring behavioral intervention (SAM), or a combined intervention (FAST+SAM) on physical activity (ie, steps/day). We hypothesized the combined intervention would yield the greatest increase in steps/day. METHODS: This assessor-blinded multisite randomized controlled trial was conducted at 4 university/hospital-based laboratories. Participants were 21 to 85 years old, walking without physical assistance following a single, unilateral noncerebellar stroke of ≥6 months duration, and randomly assigned to FAST, SAM, or FAST+SAM for 12 weeks (2-3 sessions/week). FAST training consisted of walking-related activities at 70% to 80% heart rate reserve, while SAM received daily feedback and goal setting of walking activity (steps/day). Assessors and study statistician were masked to group assignment. The a priori-determined primary outcome and end point was a comparison of the change in steps/day between the 3 intervention groups from pre- to post-intervention. Adverse events were tracked after randomization. All randomized participants were included in the intent-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: Participants were enrolled from July 18, 2016, to November 16, 2021. Of 2385 participants initially screened, 250 participants were randomized (mean [SE] age, 63 [0.80] years; 116 females/134 males), with 89 assigned to FAST, 81 to SAM, and 80 to FAST+SAM. Steps/day significantly increased in both the SAM (mean [SE], 1542 [267; 95% CI, 1014-2069] P<0.001) and FAST+SAM group (1307 [280; 95% CI, 752-1861] P<0.001) but not in the FAST group (406 [238; 95% CI, -63 to 876] P=0.09). There were no deaths or serious study-related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Only individuals with chronic stroke who completed a step activity monitoring behavioral intervention with skilled coaching and goal progression demonstrated improvements in physical activity (steps/day). REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02835313.

Moderate to Vigorous Intensity Locomotor Training After Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Mean Effects and Response Variability.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This meta-analysis quantified mean effects of moderate to vigorous intensity locomotor training (LT mv ) on walking outcomes in subacute and chronic stroke, and the magnitude of variability in LT mv response. METHODS: Databases were searched for randomized trials comparing LT mv with no intervention, nongait intervention, or low-intensity gait training. Comfortable gait speed (CGS), fastest gait speed (FGS), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), walking activity (steps per day), and adverse effect/event (AE) data were extracted. Pooled estimates were calculated for mean changes, AE relative risks, and the standard deviation of response (SD response ) to LT mv versus control groups, stratified by study chronicity where possible. RESULTS: There were 19 eligible studies (total N = 1096): 14 in chronic stroke (N = 839) and 5 in subacute stroke (N = 257). Compared with control interventions, LT mv yielded significantly greater increases in CGS (chronic, +0.06 m/s [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.01-0.10]; subacute, +0.16 [0.12-0.19]; subacute vs chronic, P = 0.03), FGS (chronic, +0.07 m/s [0.02-0.13]; subacute, +0.21 [0.01, 0.41]; P = 0.04), and 6MWT (chronic, +33 m [24-42]; subacute, +51 [26-77]; P = 0.054) but not steps/day (+260 [-1159 to 1679]). There were no treatment-related serious AEs among 398 LT mv participants in 14 AE-reporting studies. SD response estimates indicated substantial response variability: CGS, 0.11 m/s [0.00-0.15]; FGS, 0.14 m/s [-0.00 to 0.20]; and 6MWT, 41 m [27-51]. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: LT mv improves mean walking capacity outcomes in subacute and chronic stroke and does not appear to have high risk of serious harm. Response magnitude varies within and between chronicity subgroups, and few studies have tested effects on daily walking activity or non-serious AEs.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1 available at: http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A452 ).

Quantifying the effects of sleep on sensor-derived variables from upper limb accelerometry in people with and without upper limb impairment.

BACKGROUND: Despite the promise of wearable sensors for both rehabilitation research and clinical care, these technologies pose significant burden on data collectors and analysts. Investigations of factors that may influence the wearable sensor data processing pipeline are needed to support continued use of these technologies in rehabilitation research and integration into clinical care settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of one such factor, sleep, on sensor-derived variables from upper limb accelerometry in people with and without upper limb impairment and across a two-day wearing period. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of data collected during a prospective, longitudinal cohort study (n = 127 individuals, 62 with upper limb impairment and 65 without). Participants wore a wearable sensor on each wrist for 48 h. Five upper limb sensor variables were calculated over the full wear period (sleep included) and with sleep time removed (sleep excluded): preferred time, non-preferred time, use ratio, non-preferred magnitude and its standard deviation. Linear mixed effects regression was used to quantify the effect of sleep on each sensor variable and determine if the effect differed between people with and without upper limb impairment and across a two-day wearing period. RESULTS: There were significant differences between sleep included and excluded for the variables preferred time (p < 0.001), non-preferred time (p < 0.001), and non-preferred magnitude standard deviation (p = 0.001). The effect of sleep was significantly different between people with and without upper limb impairment for one variable, non-preferred magnitude (p = 0.02). The effect of sleep was not substantially different across wearing days for any of the variables. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the effects of sleep on sensor-derived variables of upper limb accelerometry are small, similar between people with and without upper limb impairment and across a two-day wearing period, and can likely be ignored in most contexts. Ignoring the effect of sleep would simplify the data processing pipeline, facilitating the use of wearable sensors in both research and clinical practice.

Grapevine scion gene expression is driven by rootstock and environment interaction.

BACKGROUND: Grafting is a horticultural practice used widely across woody perennial crop species to fuse together the root and shoot system of two distinct genotypes, the rootstock and the scion, combining beneficial traits from both. In grapevine, grafting is used in nearly 80% of all commercial vines to optimize fruit quality, regulate vine vigor, and enhance biotic and abiotic stress-tolerance. Rootstocks have been shown to modulate elemental composition, metabolomic profiles, and the shape of leaves in the scion, among other traits. However, it is currently unclear how rootstock genotypes influence shoot system gene expression as previous work has reported complex and often contradictory findings. RESULTS: In the present study, we examine the influence of grafting on scion gene expression in leaves and reproductive tissues of grapevines growing under field conditions for three years. We show that the influence from the rootstock genotype is highly tissue and time dependent, manifesting only in leaves, primarily during a single year of our three-year study. Further, the degree of rootstock influence on scion gene expression is driven by interactions with the local environment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate that the role of rootstock genotype in modulating scion gene expression is not a consistent, unchanging effect, but rather an effect that varies over time in relation to local environmental conditions.

Confusion will be my epitaph: genome-scale discordance stifles phylogenetic resolution of Holothuroidea.

Sea cucumbers (Holothuroidea) are a diverse clade of echinoderms found from intertidal waters to the bottom of the deepest oceanic trenches. Their reduced skeletons and limited number of phylogenetically informative traits have long obfuscated morphological classifications. Sanger-sequenced molecular datasets have also failed to constrain the position of major lineages. Noteworthy, topological uncertainty has hindered a resolution for Neoholothuriida, a highly diverse clade of Permo-Triassic age. We perform the first phylogenomic analysis of Holothuroidea, combining existing datasets with 13 novel transcriptomes. Using a highly curated dataset of 1100 orthologues, our efforts recapitulate previous results, struggling to resolve interrelationships among neoholothuriid clades. Three approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction (concatenation under both site-homogeneous and site-heterogeneous models, and coalescent-aware inference) result in alternative resolutions, all of which are recovered with strong support and across a range of datasets filtered for phylogenetic usefulness. We explore this intriguing result using gene-wise log-likelihood scores and attempt to correlate these with a large set of gene properties. While presenting novel ways of exploring and visualizing support for alternative trees, we are unable to discover significant predictors of topological preference, and our efforts fail to favour one topology. Neoholothuriid genomes seem to retain an amalgam of signals derived from multiple phylogenetic histories.

Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists/CDC Surveillance Case Definition for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection - United States.

This report summarizes the evidence and rationale supporting the components of the CSTE/CDC MIS-C surveillance case definition and describes the methods used to develop the definition. These methods included convening MIS-C clinical experts (i.e., consultants): regarding identification of MIS-C and its distinction from other pediatric conditions, a review of available literature comparing MIS-C phenotype with that of pediatric COVID-19 and other hyperinflammatory syndromes, and retrospective application of different criteria to data from MIS-C cases previously reported to CDC.

Functional Characteristics and Phenotypic Plasticity of CD57+PD1- CD4 T Cells and Their Relationship with Transplant Immunosuppression.

Costimulation blockade (CoB)-based immunosuppression offers the promise of improved transplantation outcomes with reduced drug toxicity. However, it is hampered by early acute rejections, mediated at least in part by differentiated, CoB-resistant T cells, such as CD57+PD1- CD4 T cells. In this study, we characterize these cells pretransplant, determine their fate posttransplant, and examine their proliferative capacity in vitro in humans. Our studies show that CD57+PD1- CD4 T cells are correlated with increasing age and CMV infection pretransplant, and persist for up to 1 y posttransplant. These cells are replication incompetent alone but proliferated in the presence of unsorted PBMCs in a contact-independent manner. When stimulated, cells sorted by CD57/PD1 status upregulate markers of activation with proliferation. Up to 85% of CD57+PD1- cells change expression of CD57/PD1 with stimulation, typically, upregulating PD1 and downregulating CD57. PD1 upregulation is accentuated in the presence of rapamycin but prevented by tacrolimus. These data support a general theory of CoB-resistant cells as Ag-experienced, costimulation-independent cells and suggest a mechanism for the synergy of belatacept and rapamycin, with increased expression of the activation marker PD1 potentiating exhaustion of CoB-resistant cells.

COVID-19 associated severe mucocutaneous blistering eruptions: A case series.

Mucocutaneous eruptions are associated with numerous infectious processes and can present as erythema multiforme (EM), reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME), Stevens Johnson syndrome (SJS), or toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). Limited reports have detailed the association of these eruptions with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We present a series of eight cases of severe mucocutaneous blistering eruptions associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. A retrospective case series was performed at six tertiary medical centers from March 1, 2020 to August 1, 2022. Inclusion criteria were met with a clinical diagnosis of EM, RIME, SJS, or TEN and a positive SARS-CoV-2 test (rapid antigen or polymerase chain reaction) less than 4 weeks prior to onset of dermatologic manifestation. Data was collected at time of each patient encounter. Eight patients met criteria with six pediatric patients (<18 years of age) having a median age of 15 years and two adult patients (>18 years of age) having a median age of 36 years. Patients were found to have a clinical diagnosis of RIME in 85.7% of cases. Oral mucosal involvement was the most common clinical finding (100%), followed by ocular (50.0%), urogenital (50.0%), and skin (37.5%) involvement. Evaluation did not reveal any additional infectious triggers in four patients. Evidence of possible concurrent or previous infectious triggers were identified in four patients. This case series highlights the development of severe mucocutaneous eruptions in association with COVID-19 infection, as well as the potential contributing role of concurrent or prior infections.

Computed tomography of suppurative and neoplastic diseases involving the canine omenta and omental bursa.

The greater and lesser omenta are fused peritoneal folds that largely delimit the omental bursa (lesser peritoneal cavity). The omental bursa is a potential space within the abdominal cavity that communicates with the greater peritoneal cavity via the omental (epiploic) foramen: it is subdivided into the omental vestibule, caudal omental recess, and splenic recess. Aims of this retrospective case series study were to describe the frequencies of CT findings of dogs with confirmed inflammatory or neoplastic disease of the omenta, omental bursa, or both. The sample included seven adult, medium-to-large breed dogs. All had fluid in the greater peritoneal cavity and 5/7 (71%) dogs also had fluid in the omental bursa. Primary suppurative inflammatory disease was present in three dogs, each dog had a large abscess with central gas in either the omental vestibule (two dogs) or caudal omental recess (one dog). Both abscesses in the omental vestibule arose from the papillary process of the caudate liver lobe and were surgically removed without complication. Neoplasia was present in four dogs and either arose from omentum (hemangiosarcoma, carcinoma) or infiltrated the omentum from an adjacent organ (splenic leiomyosarcoma, gastric adenocarcinoma). Neoplasms created mass-like tumors, infiltrative tumors, or both and had variable distribution (focal, multifocal, or locally extensive). All dogs with neoplasia were euthanized. CT signs of inflammatory and neoplastic disease overlapped, but the presence of gas might prioritize abscessation. CT signs helped decide feasibility of surgery based on extent of local invasion, especially involvement of structures passing through the porta hepatis.

Canine intrahepatic portosystemic shunts: Interlobar and intralobar classifications.

This two-part study design showed that a canine congenital intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (IPSS) may be classified by its location within a liver fissure (interlobar) or lobe (intralobar). A prospective anatomic study reviewed normal canine liver morphology and showed the CT angiography (CTA) appearance of the normal canine ductus venosus (DV), which was confirmed via dissection and literature review to be between the papillary process and left-lateral liver lobe (in the fissure for ligamentum venosum). A retrospective multi-institutional case series documented the frequency of imaging findings in 56 dogs with a single IPSS that underwent portal CTA at Cornell University or the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center between June 2008 and August 2022. An interlobar IPSS was seen in 24 of 56 (43%) dogs, all arose from the left portal branch except one. These shunts were typically near the median plane, remained interlobar throughout the course, and were nearly always (96%) craniodorsal to the porta hepatis. Four types were distinguished: patent DV (11 dogs), left interlobar (11 dogs), right interlobar (1 dog), and ventral interlobar (1 dog). Only about half (46%) were in the fissure for ligamentum venosum and therefore classified as a patent DV. An intralobar IPSS was seen in 32 of 56 (57%) dogs, most (88%) originated from the right portal branch and were in the right-lateral liver lobe (21 dogs) or caudate process (7 dogs). During canine portal CTA, documenting the interlobar or intralobar location of an IPSS might increase the consistency and validity of IPSS description.

Childhood maltreatment history and trauma-specific predictors of parenting stress in new fathers.

For new fathers, parenting stress is a risk factor for impaired early parenting and child maltreatment perpetration. Predictors of parenting stress, including fathers' own experiences of trauma, could be useful intervention targets to support new fathers. We aim to examine associations between new fathers' own histories of child maltreatment, and their perinatal mental health, relationships, and parenting stress. We recruited 298 first-time fathers for a survey that measured child maltreatment history, trauma sequelae including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), interpersonal reactivity, substance use, anger expression, coparenting quality, and parenting stress. On the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) (from 36 to 180), bivariate analysis demonstrated that new fathers who experienced child maltreatment (n = 94) had significantly higher parenting stress (x̅ = 85.3, σ = 18.7) than those who did not (n = 204; x̅ = 76.0, σ = 16.6; P < .000). Hierarchical linear regression modeling indicated that a child maltreatment history, PTSD, and MDD were significantly associated with parenting stress. The strongest predictors of parenting stress were coparenting quality and complex trauma sequelae-interpersonal reactivity and anger expression. Interventions to reduce fathers' parenting stress by targeting known mental health and relationship sequelae of maltreatment are promising avenues to breaking intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and psychiatric vulnerability.

Para nuevos papás, el estrés de crianza es un factor de riesgo para la deficiente crianza temprana y para cometer maltrato infantil. Los factores de predicción del estrés de crianza, incluyendo las propias experiencias de trauma de los papás, pueden ser útiles metas de intervención para apoyar a los nuevos papás. Nos propusimos examinar las asociaciones entre las propias historias de maltrato de los nuevos papás, y su salud mental perinatal, relaciones y estrés de crianza. Reclutamos 298 papás primerizos para una encuesta que medía la historia de maltrato infantil, la secuela de trauma incluyendo el trastorno de estrés postraumático (PTSD), el trastorno depresivo serio (MDD), la reactividad interpersonal, el uso de sustancias, la expresión de ira, la calidad de la crianza compartida, así como el estrés de crianza. En el Índice de Estrés de Crianza (de 36-180), los análisis bivariantes demostraron que los nuevos papás que habían experimentado maltrato infantil (N = 94) tenían significativamente un mayor estrés de crianza (x̅ = 85.3, σ = 18.7) que aquellos que no habían tenido tal experiencia (N = 204; x̅ = 76.0, σ = 16.6; P<.000). El modelo de regresión lineal jerárquica indicó que una historia de maltrato infantil, PTSD y MDD estaban significativamente asociados con el estrés de crianza. Los más fuertes factores de predicción del estrés de crianza fueron la calidad de la crianza compartida y la compleja secuela de trauma-la reactividad interpersonal y la expresión de la ira. Las intervenciones para reducir el estrés de crianza de los papás por medio del enfoque en la salud mental conocida y las secuelas en la relación del maltrato son una vía prometedora para romper la transmisión intergeneracional del maltrato infantil y la vulnerabilidad siquiátrica.

Pour les nouveaux pères le stress de parentage est un facteur de risque pour le parentage précoce compromis et la perpétration de maltraitance de l'enfant. Les prédicteurs de stress de parentage, y compris les propres expériences de trauma des pères, pourraient être des cicles d'intervention utiles afin de soutenir les nouveaux pères. Nous nous sommes donné pour but d'examiner les liens entre le propre passé de maltraitance de l'enfant des nouveaux pères et leur santé mentale périnatale, leurs relations et le stress de parentage. Nous avons recruté 298 nouveaux pères (pères pour la première fois) pour un sondage mesurant l'histoire de la maltraitance de l'enfant, les séquelles de trauma y compris les troubles de stress post-traumatique (TSPT), les troubles dépressifs majeurs (MDD en anglais), la réactivité interpersonnelle, la toxicomanie, l'expression de colère et la qualité du co-parentage ainsi que le stress parental. Pour l'Index de Stress de Parentage (de 36-180), une analyse bivariée a montré que les nouveaux pères qui avaient fait l'expérience de maltraitance de l'enfance (N = 94) avaient un stress de parentage bien plus élevé (x̅ = 85,3, σ = 18,7) que ceux n'en ayant pas fait l'expérience (N = 204; x̅ = 76,0, σ = 16,6; P<,000). Un modèle de régression linéaire hiérarchique a indiqué qu'un passé de maltraitance de l'enfant, le TSPT et le MDD étaient fortement liés au stress de parentage. Les facteurs de prédiction les plus forts de stress de parentage étaient la qualité du co-parentage et les séquelles de trauma complexes - réactivité interpersonnelle et l'expression de la colère. Les interventions pour réduire le stress de parentage des pères en ciblant la santé mentale connue et les séquelles de maltraitance sont un chemin prometteur pour casser la transmission intergénérationnelle de la maltraitance de l'enfant et la vulnérabilité psychiatrique.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children During Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta and Omicron Variant Circulation-United States, July 2021-January 2022.

We describe 2116 multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during Delta and Omicron circulation from July 2021 through January 2022. Half of MIS-C patients were aged 5-11 years, 52% received intensive care unit-level care, and 1.1% died. Only 3.0% of eligible patients were fully vaccinated prior to MIS-C onset.

Trends in Treatments for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), United States, February 2020 - July 2021.

BACKGROUND: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a novel severe postinfectious condition associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The purpose of this report is to describe nationwide trends in the evolving clinical management of MIS-C. METHODS: Patients with MIS-C were reported from state and local jurisdictions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) MIS-C national surveillance system. Patients' case reports were reviewed to ensure that they met the CDC MIS-C case definition and had sufficient data for analysis. The prevalence of use of treatments for MIS-C, temporal trends in use of these treatments, and frequency of administration of different treatment combinations were analyzed. RESULTS: There were 4470 patients meeting the MIS-C case definition with onset dates from 19 February 2020 to 31 July 2021. The proportion of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) has declined over time, from 78.7% in April 2020 to 57.5% in June 2021 (P = .001). The most common treatments were intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), given to 85.6% of patients; steroids (77.7%), and antiplatelet medications (73.7%); use of each of these treatments has increased over time, particularly in patients not requiring admission to an ICU (all P < .001). Older patients and non-Hispanic Black patients were more likely to receive additional modes of therapy including vasoactive medication, noninvasive respiratory support, anticoagulation medication, and intubation/mechanical ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: IVIG, steroids, and antiplatelet medication have become increasingly utilized as standard treatment for MIS-C patients, while the use of other treatments may be contingent on the type and severity of clinical findings.

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children-United States, February 2020-July 2021.

BACKGROUND: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe hyperinflammatory condition in persons aged <21 years associated with antecedent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Our objective was to describe MIS-C cases reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) national surveillance since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began. METHODS: We included patients meeting the MIS-C case definition with onset date from 19 February 2020 through 31 July 2021, using CDC's MIS-C case report form, which collects information on demographics, clinical presentation, and laboratory results. Trends over time across 3 MIS-C pandemic waves were assessed using Cochran-Armitage test for categorical and Jonckheere-Terpstra test for continuous variables. RESULTS: Of 4901 reported cases, 4470 met inclusion criteria. Median patient age increased over time (P < .001), with a median of 9 years (interquartile range, 5-13 years) during the most recent (third) wave. Male predominance also increased (62% in third wave, P < .001). A significant (P < .001) increase in severe hematologic and gastrointestinal involvement was observed across the study period. Frequency of several cardiovascular complications (ie, cardiac dysfunction, myocarditis, and shock/vasopressor receipt) and renal failure declined (P < .001). Provision of critical care including mechanical ventilation (P < .001) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO; P = .046) decreased, as did duration of hospitalization and mortality (each P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Over the first 3 pandemic waves of MIS-C in the United States, cardiovascular complications and clinical outcomes including length of hospitalization, receipt of ECMO, and death decreased over time. These data serve as a baseline for monitoring future trends associated with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) or other variants and increased COVID-19 vaccination among children.

Crop genetic erosion: understanding and responding to loss of crop diversity.

Crop diversity underpins the productivity, resilience and adaptive capacity of agriculture. Loss of this diversity, termed crop genetic erosion, is therefore concerning. While alarms regarding evident declines in crop diversity have been raised for over a century, the magnitude, trajectory, drivers and significance of these losses remain insufficiently understood. We outline the various definitions, measurements, scales and sources of information on crop genetic erosion. We then provide a synthesis of evidence regarding changes in the diversity of traditional crop landraces on farms, modern crop cultivars in agriculture, crop wild relatives in their natural habitats and crop genetic resources held in conservation repositories. This evidence indicates that marked losses, but also maintenance and increases in diversity, have occurred in all these contexts, the extent depending on species, taxonomic and geographic scale, and region, as well as analytical approach. We discuss steps needed to further advance knowledge around the agricultural and societal significance, as well as conservation implications, of crop genetic erosion. Finally, we propose actions to mitigate, stem and reverse further losses of crop diversity.

Optimisation of root traits to provide enhanced ecosystem services in agricultural systems: A focus on cover crops.

Roots are the interface between the plant and the soil and play a central role in multiple ecosystem processes. With intensification of agricultural practices, rhizosphere processes are being disrupted and are causing degradation of the physical, chemical and biotic properties of soil. However, cover crops, a group of plants that provide ecosystem services, can be utilised during fallow periods or used as an intercrop to restore soil health. The effectiveness of ecosystem services provided by cover crops varies widely as very little breeding has occurred in these species. Improvement of ecosystem service performance is rarely considered as a breeding trait due to the complexities and challenges of belowground evaluation. Advancements in root phenotyping and genetic tools are critical in accelerating ecosystem service improvement in cover crops. In this study, we provide an overview of the range of belowground ecosystem services provided by cover crop roots: (1) soil structural remediation, (2) capture of soil resources and (3) maintenance of the rhizosphere and building of organic matter content. Based on the ecosystem services described, we outline current and promising phenotyping technologies and breeding strategies in cover crops that can enhance agricultural sustainability through improvement of root traits.

Increases in vein length compensate for leaf area lost to lobing in grapevine.

PREMISE: Leaf lobing and leaf size vary considerably across and within species, including among grapevines (Vitis spp.), some of the best-studied leaves. We examined the relationship between leaf lobing and leaf area across grapevine populations that varied in extent of leaf lobing. METHODS: We used homologous landmarking techniques to measure 2632 leaves across 2 years in 476 unique, genetically distinct grapevines from five biparental crosses that vary primarily in the extent of lobing. We determined to what extent leaf area explained variation in lobing, vein length, and vein to blade ratio. RESULTS: Although lobing was the primary source of variation in shape across the leaves we measured, leaf area varied only slightly as a function of lobing. Rather, leaf area increases as a function of total major vein length, total branching vein length, and vein to blade ratio. These relationships are stronger for more highly lobed leaves, with the residuals for each model differing as a function of distal lobing. CONCLUSIONS: For leaves with different extents of lobing but the same area, the more highly lobed leaves have longer veins and higher vein to blade ratios, allowing them to maintain similar leaf areas despite increased lobing. These findings show how more highly lobed leaves may compensate for what would otherwise result in a reduced leaf area, allowing for increased photosynthetic capacity through similar leaf size.

Socializing the evidence for diabetes control to develop "Mindlines": A qualitative pilot study.

Context: Evidence on specific interventions to improve diabetes control in primary care is available, but this evidence is not always well-implemented. The concept of "mindlines" has been proposed to explain how clinicians integrate evidence using specifics of their practices and patients to produce knowledge-in-practice-in-context. Objective: We designed a pilot study to operationalize the "mindlines" concept by creating a venue for clinician-staff interaction concerning evidence. We attempted to hold "mindlines"-producing conversations in primary care practices about evidence to improve diabetes control. Study design and Analysis: Qualitative analysis of recordings of facilitated practice-wide conversations and field notes. Setting: 4 primary care practices in a health system in southwest Virginia. Population Studied: Clinicians, nurses, medical assistants, and clerical staff in primary care practices. Intervention: In each of four primary care practices in a single health system, we held a practice-wide conversation about a simple diabetes intervention model over a provided lunch. We attempted to keep the conversation relatively informal and encouraged participation from all. We recorded the conversations and took field notes. Outcome Measures: We analyzed the data using a framework adapted from the "mindlines" research and noted additional emerging themes. We also analyzed practice average proportions of controlled glycated hemoglobin levels in diabetic patients. Results: While most of the conversation concerned barriers to implementation of the simple diabetes intervention model, we noted examples of practices adopting and adapting the evidence to suit their own needs and context, consistent with the fundamentals of the "mindlines" model. Performance metrics regarding diabetes control for the four practices improved after the intervention. Conclusions: It appears that the type of conversations that "mindlines" research describes can be generated with facilitation around evidence, but further research is required to better understand the limitations and impact of this intervention.

Population Genomics of New Zealand Pouched Lamprey (kanakana; piharau; Geotria australis).

Pouched lamprey (Geotria australis) or kanakana/piharau is a culturally and ecologically significant jawless fish that is distributed throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite its importance, much remains unknown about historical relationships and gene flow between populations of this enigmatic species within New Zealand. To help inform management, we assembled a draft G. australis genome and completed the first comprehensive population genomics analysis of pouched lamprey within New Zealand using targeted gene sequencing (Cyt-b and COI) and restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADSeq) methods. Employing 16 000 genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from RADSeq (n = 186) and sequence data from Cyt-b (766 bp, n = 94) and COI (589 bp, n = 20), we reveal low levels of structure across 10 sampling locations spanning the species range within New Zealand. F-statistics, outlier analyses, and STRUCTURE suggest a single panmictic population, and Mantel and EEMS tests reveal no significant isolation by distance. This implies either ongoing gene flow among populations or recent shared ancestry among New Zealand pouched lamprey. We can now use the information gained from these genetic tools to assist managers with monitoring effective population size, managing potential diseases, and conservation measures such as artificial propagation programs. We further demonstrate the general utility of these genetic tools for acquiring information about elusive species.