Development of a Simple Hydroponic Assay to Study Vertical and Horizontal Resistance of Soybean and Pathotypes of Phytophthora sojae.

Phytophthora root rot, caused by Phytophthora sojae, is one of the most damaging diseases of soybean and the introgression of Rps (Resistance to P. sojae) genes into elite soybean lines is arguably the best way to manage this disease. Current bioassays to phenotype the gene-for-gene relationship are hampered with respect to reproducibility and long-term stability of isolates, and do not accurately predict horizontal resistance individually. The aim of our study was to investigate a new way of phenotyping P. sojae isolates and vertical and horizontal resistance in soybean that relies on zoospores inoculated directly into a hydroponic system. Inoculation of P. sojae isolates against a set of eight differentials accurately and reproducibly identified pathotypes over a period of two years. When applied to test vertical resistance of soybean lines with known and unknown Rps genes, the bioassay relied on plant dry weight to correctly identify all genes. In addition, simultaneous inoculations of three P. sojae isolates, collectively carrying eight major virulence factors against 64 soybean lines with known and unknown levels of horizontal resistance, separated the plants into five distinct groups of root rot, allowing the discrimination of lines with various degrees of partial resistance. Based on those results, this bioassay offers several advantages in facilitating efforts in breeding soybean for P. sojae resistance and in identifying virulence factors in P. sojae.

Measurement Properties of the Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work: A Rasch Analysis.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the measurement properties of the Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPS Nordic) and the domains of demand, control and support. The Rasch analysis (RUMM 2030) was based on responses from 226 subjects with back pain who completed the QPS Nordic dimensions of demand, control, and social support (30 items) at one year follow up. The Rasch analysis revealed disordered thresholds in a total of 25 of the 30 items. The domains of demand, control and support fit the Rasch model when analyzed separately. The demand domain was well targeted, whereas patients with current neck and back pain had lower control and higher support than reflected by the questions. Two items revealed DIF by gender, otherwise invariance to age, gender, occupation and sick-leave was documented. The demand, control support domains of QPS Nordic comprised unidimensional constructs with adequate measurement properties.

Equation of state of liquid mercury to 520 K and 7 GPa from acoustic velocity measurements.

Ultrafast acoustics measurements on liquid mercury have been performed at high pressure and temperature in a diamond anvil cell using picosecond acoustic interferometry. We extract the density of mercury from adiabatic sound velocities using a numerical iterative procedure. We also report the pressure and temperature dependence of the thermal expansion, isothermal and adiabatic compressibility, bulk modulus, and pressure derivative of the latter up to 7 GPa and 520 K. We finally show that the sound velocity follows a scaling law as a function of density in the overall measured metallic state.

CO2-helium and CO2-neon mixtures at high pressures.

The properties of mixtures of carbon dioxide with helium or neon have been investigated as a function of CO(2) concentration and pressure up to 30 GPa at room temperature. The binary phase diagrams of these mixtures are determined over the full range of CO(2) concentrations using visual observations and Raman scattering measurements. Both diagrams are of eutectic type, with a fluid-fluid miscibility gap for CO(2) concentrations in the range [5, 75] mol. % for He and [8, 55] mol. % for Ne, and a complete separation between the two components in the solid phase. The absence of alloys or stoichiometric compounds for these two binary systems is consistent with the Hume-Rothery rules of hard sphere mixtures. The Raman spectra and x-ray diffraction patterns of solid CO(2) embedded in He or Ne for various initial concentrations have been measured up to 30 GPa and 12 GPa, respectively. The frequencies of the Raman modes and the volume of solid phase I are identical, within error bars, to those reported for 100% CO(2) samples, thus confirming the total immiscibility of CO(2) with He and Ne in the solid phase. These results demonstrate the possibility to perform high-pressure experiments on solid CO(2) under (quasi-)hydrostatic conditions using He or Ne as pressure transmitting medium.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of laparotomy compared with laparoscopic management of interstitial pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial pregnancy is a rare but life-threatening condition accounting for 1-4% of all types of tubal ectopic pregnancies. It can be managed by open and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Our goal was to compare laparoscopic and open surgery for managing interstitial pregnancy. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane up to May 2020. SELECTION CRITERIA: 1) Women with interstitial pregnancy, 2) Intervention: laparoscopic surgery, 3) Comparator: open surgery, 4) Outcomes: Hospital stay, operation time, pain scale, blood loss. Secondary outcomes: any other reported 5) Study designs: interventional and observational. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data was extracted from the relevant articles and was pooled as mean difference (MD) or relative risk (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). MAIN RESULTS: We included six studies, three of which provided eligible data. The duration of hospital stay was lower in the laparoscopic surgery group (MD = -1.42, 95% CI [-1.72, -0.76], P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in operative time (MD = 5.90, 95% CI [-11.30, 23.09], P = 0.50, blood loss (MD = -9.43, 95% CI [-214.18, 195.32], P = 0.93), complications (RR = 1.54, 95% CI [0.20, 11.85], P = 0.68), or blood transfusions (RR = 0.77, 95% CI [0.50, 1.25], P = 0.30). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic surgery is associated with shorter hospital stay, with no difference in terms of blood loss, post-, and intraoperative complications, and need for blood transfusion compared with laparotomy.

Identification of genes potentially involved in the biocontrol activity of Pseudozyma flocculosa.

Flocculosin is an antifungal cellobiose lipid linked to the biocontrol activity of Pseudozyma flocculosa and whose structure is very similar to that of ustilagic acid produced by Ustilago maydis. In this work, homologs of the U. maydis cyp1 gene, involved in the biosynthesis of ustilagic acid, were isolated and sequenced from P. flocculosa and P. fusiformata, the latter species being also known to produce ustilagic acid. Interestingly, no homologs were found in four other closely related Pseudozyma spp. from which no evidence of ustilagic acid production has ever been obtained, thus supporting the specificity of cyp1 with ustilagic acid synthesis. In addition, a homolog of the U. maydis uat1 gene involved in the acetylation of the molecule and located next to the cyp1 gene was partially sequenced from P. flocculosa. All three newly sequenced genes showed strong sequence similarity to their counterparts in U. maydis. Cyp1 expression was monitored in conditions that were either conducive or repressive to flocculosin production. Expression increased markedly (>100x) when P. flocculosa was inoculated in a growth medium conducive to flocculosin production but was rapidly downregulated in a repressive medium (in vitro) or on powdery mildew-infected cucumber leaves (in vivo). This suggests that the molecule was preferentially synthesized early in the process of searching for a growth substrate. This study provides the first identification of genes involved in the production of flocculosin, a molecule potentially associated with the biocontrol properties of P. flocculosa.

Organic synthesis in soft wall-free microreactors: real-time monitoring of fluorogenic reactions.

A new approach of "laboratory on a chip" (LOC) devoted to organic synthesis based on electrically operated ionic liquid microdroplets used as air-stable "soft" microreactors was recently introduced. A number of challenging issues have yet to be addressed to allow standard macroscale organic chemistry to be directly transposed in these nonclassical microreactors. In particular, since standard (i.e., magnetical or mechanical) stirring methods are prohibited in such wall-free microreactors, effective alternatives have to be developed to circumvent mass-transfer limitations. With this aim in mind, a fluorogenic version of a click chemistry reaction was developed to evaluate the efficiency of alternative mixing methods on the reaction kinetics. We demonstrate that the combination of chaotic advection created by surface acoustic waves combined with a temperature increase (Marangoni effect) leads to the same kinetics regime as in standard macroscale conditions. This opens the route for application of the new generation of LOC to efficient organic synthesis in microscale.

Phosphaturic effect of dopamine in dogs. Possible role of intrarenally produced dopamine in phosphate regulation.

A possible role for dopamine in phosphate handling by the dog kidney was investigated by intrarenal artery infusions of dopamine. Dopamine increased fractional phosphate excretion both in the presence and absence of control of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin. In addition, dopamine increased both renal blood flow and sodium excretion, however, the phosphaturia was independent of these changes; since 30 min after completion of dopamine infusion, renal blood flow and sodium excretion returned to control levels and phosphate excretion remained elevated. For comparison, the vasodilator isoproterenol increased renal blood flow and sodium excretion without a significant change in fractional phosphate excretion. Thus, the phosphaturic effect of dopamine is probably independent of its vasodilator effect. The phosphaturic effect of dopamine could not be accounted for by subsequent conversion to norepinephrine, since norepinephrine was antiphosphaturic in the dog. The effect of endogenous dopamine on renal phosphate excretion was investigated by intrarenal infusion of the precursor dopa. Dopa was phosphaturic both in the presence and absence of parathyroid hormone and calcitonin. In dogs pretreated with carbidopa, which blocks conversion of dopa to dopamine, dopa was no longer phosphaturic, although the kidney remained responsive to dopamine. It is postulated that dopamine may play a role in the intrarenal regulation of phosphate excretion.

Alternative methods for genetic transformation of Pseudozyma antarctica, a basidiomycetous yeast-like fungus.

Electroporation and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) were adapted and optimized for genetic transformation of the basidiomycetous yeast-like fungus Pseudozyma antarctica as alternatives to the cumbersome PEG/CaCl(2)-mediated transformation of protoplasts. Electroporation yielded 100-200 transformants per mug of DNA per 10(8) cells after 3 days on selective medium. For its part, ATMT yielded 60-160 transformants per 10(6) input cfu after 5-10 days on a selective medium. Transformants obtained from both methods showed stable hygromycin resistance and strong expression of green fluorescent protein. Analysis of integration events revealed a limited number of predominantly tandem insertions in the genome of transformants, an improvement over PEG/CaCl(2)-mediated transformation. Both protocols relied on intact conidia of P. antarctica as starting material and thus eliminated the need for cell wall-degrading or weakening agents such as lytic enzymes or chemicals. Other advantages over protoplast transformation included higher yield of transformants and shorter recovery time of transformed colonies on selective medium.

Topologically frustrated ionisation in a water-ammonia ice mixture.

Water and ammonia are considered major components of the interiors of the giant icy planets and their satellites, which has motivated their exploration under high P-T conditions. Exotic forms of these pure ices have been revealed at extreme (~megabar) pressures, notably symmetric, ionic, and superionic phases. Here we report on an extensive experimental and computational study of the high-pressure properties of the ammonia monohydrate compound forming from an equimolar mixture of water and ammonia. Our experiments demonstrate that relatively mild pressure conditions (7.4 GPa at 300 K) are sufficient to transform ammonia monohydrate from a prototypical hydrogen-bonded crystal into a form where the standard molecular forms of water and ammonia coexist with their ionic counterparts, hydroxide (OH-) and ammonium [Formula: see text] ions. Using ab initio atomistic simulations, we explain this surprising coexistence of neutral/charged species as resulting from a topological frustration between local homonuclear and long-ranged heteronuclear ionisation mechanisms.

Thermodynamic properties of liquid gallium from picosecond acoustic velocity measurements.

Due to discrepancies in the literature data the thermodynamic properties of liquid gallium are still in debate. Accurate measurements of adiabatic sound velocities as a function of pressure and temperature have been obtained by the combination of laser picosecond acoustics and surface imaging on sample loaded in diamond anvil cell. From these results the thermodynamic parameters of gallium have been extracted by a numerical procedure up to 10 GPa and 570 K. It is demonstrated that a Murnaghan equation of state accounts well for the whole data set since the isothermal bulk modulus BT has been shown to vary linearly with pressure in the whole temperature range. No evidence for a previously reported liquid-liquid transition has been found in the whole pressure and temperature range explored.

Picosecond acoustics method for measuring the thermodynamical properties of solids and liquids at high pressure and high temperature.

Based on the original combination of picosecond acoustics and diamond anvils cell, recent improvements to accurately measure hypersonic sound velocities of liquids and solids under extreme conditions are described. To illustrate the capability of this technique, results are given on the pressure and temperature dependence of acoustic properties for three prototypical cases: polycrystal (iron), single-crystal (silicon) and liquid (mercury) samples. It is shown that such technique also enables the determination of the density as a function of pressure for liquids, of the complete set of elastic constants for single crystals, and of the melting curve for any kind of material. High pressure ultrafast acoustic spectroscopy technique clearly opens opportunities to measure thermodynamical properties under previously unattainable extreme conditions. Beyond physics, this state-of-the-art experiment would thus be useful in many other fields such as nonlinear acoustics, oceanography, petrology, in of view. A brief description of new developments and future directions of works conclude the article.

Atrial natriuretic factor inhibits norepinephrine release in an adrenergic clonal cell line (PC12).

Evidence for a presynaptic neuromodulatory effect of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) has been obtained in rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells (PC12), a clonal line that differentiates into adrenergic neuron-like cells when treated with nerve growth factor. ANF had no effect on basal norepinephrine (NE) release. In contrast, ANF markedly and significantly inhibited carbachol-induced NE release in a concentration-dependent manner. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that ANF may be an inhibitory neuromodulator.

[Epidemiology of and risk factors for lower limb arteriopathy obliterans]. / Epidémiologie et facteurs de risque de l'artériopathie oblitérante des membres inférieurs.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is most frequently caused by atherosclerosis. The prevalence of intermittent claudication is about 3 to 6% of the men over 60 years. But recent epidemiological studies demonstrate that prevalence of asymptomatic forms is two to three fold higher--about 3.4 to 12.1%. The most relevant diagnostic criteria for asymptomatic PAD is probably the measure of the ankle/brachial index. Most important risk factors for PAD are smoking and diabetes mellitus. Improving symptoms or stabilization are a common fate (50%) in PAD. About 25% will experience revascularization procedures (angioplasty or surgery), 4% will have severe amputation and worsening symptoms occur in 15% of patients. Critical limb ischemia is mostly rare (1%). It is not surprising that fate of claudicant and mortality is determined by coronary events and cardiovascular diseases.