A prophage tail-like protein facilitates the endophytic growth of Burkholderia gladioli and mounting immunity in tomato.

A prophage tail-like protein (Bg_9562) of Burkholderia gladioli strain NGJ1 possesses broad-spectrum antifungal activity, and it is required for the bacterial ability to forage over fungi. Here, we analyzed whether heterologous overexpression of Bg_9562 or exogenous treatment with purified protein can impart disease tolerance in tomato. The physiological relevance of Bg_9562 during endophytic growth of NGJ1 was also investigated. Bg_9562 overexpressing lines demonstrate fungal and bacterial disease tolerance. They exhibit enhanced expression of defense genes and activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. Treatment with Bg_9562 protein induces defense responses and imparts immunity in wild-type tomato. The defense-inducing ability lies within 18-51 aa region of Bg_9562 and is due to sequence homology with the bacterial flagellin epitope. Interaction studies suggest that Bg_9562 is perceived by FLAGELLIN-SENSING 2 homologs in tomato. The silencing of SlSERK3s (BAK1 homologs) prevents Bg_9562-triggered immunity. Moreover, type III secretion system-dependent translocation of Bg_9562 into host apoplast is important for elicitation of immune responses during colonization of NGJ1. Our study emphasizes that Bg_9562 is important for the endophytic growth of B. gladioli, while the plant perceives it as an indirect indicator of the presence of bacteria to mount immune responses. The findings have practical implications for controlling plant diseases.

Evaluating Low-Carbon Transportation Technologies When Demand Responds to Price.

The carbon intensity (CI) of travel is commonly used to evaluate transportation technologies. However, when travel demand is sensitive to price, CI alone does not fully capture the emissions impact of a technology. Here, we develop a metric to account for both CI and the demand response to price (DR) in technology evaluation, for use by distributed decision-makers in industry and government, who are becoming increasingly involved in climate change mitigation as the costs of lower-carbon technologies fall. We apply this adjusted carbon intensity (ACI) to evaluate ethanol-fueled, hybrid, and battery electric vehicles individually and against policy targets. We find that all of these technologies can be used to help meet a 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of up to 40% below 2005 levels and that decarbonized battery electric vehicles can meet a 2050 target of 80%, even when evaluated using the ACI instead of CI. Using the CI alone could lead to a substantial overshoot of emissions targets especially in markets with significant DR, including in rapidly growing economies with latent travel demand. The ACI can be used to adjust decarbonization transition plans to mitigate this risk. For example, in examining several transportation technologies, we find that accelerating low-carbon technology transitions by roughly 5-10 years would mitigate the risk associated with DR estimates. One particularly robust strategy is to remove carbon from fuels through faster decarbonization of electricity and vehicle electrification.

Unifocal Gastric Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in a Child-A Unique Case to Remember.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is the most common of the histiocytic disorders and occurs when the body accumulates too many CD1a/CD 207 positive Langerhans cells, a subset of the histiocytes in certain parts of the body where they can form tumors or damage organs. LCH is not a very common diagnosis in the pediatric age group. More than two-thirds of cases have the single-system disease with bones or skin as the commonly involved sites. Here, we present a 4-year-old child who had acute abdominal pain as chief complaint and etiological workup eventually led to a diagnosis of gastric LCH without affection of any other organ system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a unifocal gastric LCH in a child.

Macrophage activation syndrome in pediatrics: 10 years data from an Indian center.

AIMS: Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a dreaded complication of systemic inflammatory diseases and is most commonly seen in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA). We evaluate the clinical features, laboratory findings and outcomes in pediatric MAS, assess the response to different pharmacological therapies, and finally identify possible factors associated with an unfavorable outcome. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of data from patients diagnosed as having MAS, admitted between July 2008 and April 2018 into the Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Institute Of Child Health Kolkata. The data noted were the clinical and laboratory features, treatment details, responses to therapy and outcomes. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were diagnosed as having MAS. Primary illness was sJIA in 26 (84%), systemic lupus erythematosus in 4 (13%) and Kawasaki disease (KD) in 1 (3%). All had fever with varying degrees of multisystemic involvement. Hyperferritinemia was universally present. Pulse methylprednisolone with cyclosporine was used for treating the majority. Ten patients (32%) expired. CONCLUSION: Macrophage activation syndrome is a near fatal complication with protean manifestations and multiorgan dysfunction. Hyperferritinemia is characteristic, higher values being associated with increased mortality. Cases resistant to steroids and cyclosporine had a poor prognosis. Late presentations with multiorgan dysfunction were associated with the poorest outcomes.