Calcium sulphate biomineralisation: Artefact of sample preparation?

Calcium biomineralisation is widely documented in plants. However, crystallisation of Ca-sulphate-containing minerals is closely related to water content, and sample processing, such as drying, alters the water balance of plant tissues. We hypothesised that common sample processing practices may favour the formation of crystals, leading to spurious crystallisation not observed in unaltered plant tissues. We selected three species (Ononis tridentata, Helianthemum squamatum and Gypsophila struthium) with reported gypsum biomineralisation. We used x-ray diffractometry on fresh intact or sliced leaves, and on the same leaves processed by subsequent drying, to address whether sample processing alters crystal formation. Ca-sulphate crystals were detected in dry samples of all species but not in fresh intact samples. Ca-sulphate crystallisation occurred in some cut fresh samples, although the accumulation greatly increased after drying. In addition, G. struthium exhibited Ca-oxalate crystals in both fresh and dry treatments, with a tendency for greater accumulation in dry treatments. Our results demonstrate that the Ca-sulphate crystals observed by x-ray diffractometry in these species are artefacts caused by common sample processing practices, such as excessive drying and slicing samples. We encourage future studies on the biomineral potential of plants to avoid the use of procedures that alter the water balance of tissues.

Assessing Effect of Rootstock Micropropagation on Field Performance of Grafted Peach Varieties by Fitting Mixed-Effects Models: A Longitudinal Study.

Rootstock micropropagation has been extensively used as an alternative to propagation by cuttings. Although studies have recently been conducted on other species, no conclusive reports have been published on the effect of rootstock micropropagation on the field performance of fruit trees. Here, we present the results of a five-year study of peach varieties grafted on two rootstocks (Adesoto 101 and Adafuel), either micropropagated or propagated by cuttings, to ascertain the effect of the rootstock propagation method on field performance. Fruit trees are woody plants with a long life cycle; so, to reduce the influence of environmental or cultural factors on the agronomical results, studies need to last for several years, in which data are obtained from the same individuals over time (longitudinal data). This hinders the analysis because these data lack independence. In contrast with a more traditional approach with data aggregation and repeated-measures ANOVA analysis, in this study, we used linear mixed-effects models to control the variance associated with random factors without data aggregation. The growth of the fruit trees did not appreciably differ between the rootstock propagation methods, neither in the flowering period nor in the yield. The models constructed for different parameters of the field performance (trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA), cumulative yield, cumulative yield efficiency, and cumulative crop load) showed a very good fit (R2 > 0.97), allowing the conclusion that the rootstock propagation method did not affect the field performance of fruit trees in this study.

Identification of Early Salt-Stress-Responsive Proteins in In Vitro Prunus Cultured Excised Roots.

Fruit-tree rootstock selection is a challenge under a scenario of growing environmental stresses in which the soil and climate are greatly affected. Salinization is an increasing global process that severely affects soil fertility. The selection of rootstocks with the ability to tolerate salt stress is essential. Excised root cultures may be an excellent experimental approach to study stress physiology and a predictive tool to assess possible tolerance. In this study, we show how protein changes in response to salt stress evaluated in excised root cultures of Prunus cerasus (moderate salt-sensitive cultivar) could be representative of these changes in the roots of whole plants. The 2D electrophoresis of root extracts and subsequent spot identification by MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS show 16 relevant proteins differentially expressed in roots as a response to 60 mM NaCl. Cytoplasmic isozyme fructose 1,6-bisphosphate aldolase shows relevant changes in its relative presence of isoforms as a response to saline stress, while the total level of enzymes remains similar. Ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase increases as a response to salinity, even though the measured activity is not significantly different. The observed changes are congruent with previous proteomic studies on the roots of whole plants that are involved in protection mechanisms against salt stress.

Implementation of the Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 and the pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment in an intensive care unit in Mexico. / Aplicación del índice de mortalidad pediátrica 3 y evaluación de falla orgánica secuencial pediátrica en una unidad de cuidados intensivos en México.

INTRODUCTION: The study objective was to analyze the Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 (PIM 3) and the pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) for the prediction of mortality. OBJECTIVE: Observational, prospective study; patients aged 1 month to 17.9 years were included. Assessment of area under the curve (AUC) accuracy and estimation of standardized mortality rate. RESULTS: A total of 244 admissions were studied: median age was 60 months. The main diagnoses were solid or hematologic neoplasms (26.5%). The mortality by admission was 18% (44/244). The AUC was 0.77 for PIM 3 and 0.81 for pSOFA; both scales showed an adequate calibration (p > 0.05). The standardized mortality rate was 1.91. CONCLUSIONS: We identified that the PIM 3 and pSOFA have an acceptable discrimination power. The calibration of the PIM 3 was not adequate in patients with solid or hematologic neoplasms.

Introducción. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar el índice de mortalidad pediátrica 3 (PIM 3) y la evaluación de falla orgánica secuencial pediátrica (pSOFA) para predicción de muerte. Métodos. Estudio observacional prospectivo; se incluyeron pacientes de 1 mes a 17,9 años. La precisión se evaluó con el área bajo la curva (AUC) y se estimó la tasa de mortalidad estandarizada. Resultados. Se estudiaron 244 ingresos; la mediana de edad fue 60 meses. Los diagnósticos principales fueron neoplasias sólidas o hematológicas (26,5 %). La mortalidad por ingresos fue del 18 % (44/244). Para PIM 3 el AUC fue de 0,77 y para pSOFA, de 0,81; ambas escalas mostraron adecuada calibración (p > 0,05). La tasa de mortalidad estandarizada fue de 1,91. Conclusiones. Identificamos que las escalas de evaluación de mortalidad PIM 3 y pSOFA muestran capacidad de discriminación aceptable. En pacientes con neoplasias sólidas o hematológicas, PIM 3 no mostró adecuada calibración.

Aplicación del índice de mortalidad pediátrica 3 y evaluación de falla orgánica secuencial pediátrica en una unidad de cuidados intensivos en México / Implementation of the Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 and the pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment in an intensive care unit in Mexico

Introducción. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar el índice de mortalidad pediátrica 3 (PIM 3) y la evaluación de falla orgánica secuencial pediátrica (pSOFA) para predicción de muerte. Métodos. Estudio observacional prospectivo; se incluyeron pacientes de 1 mes a 17,9 años. La precisión se evaluó con el área bajo la curva (AUC) y se estimó la tasa de mortalidad estandarizada. Resultados. Se estudiaron 244 ingresos; la mediana de edad fue 60 meses. Los diagnósticos principales fueron neoplasias sólidas o hematológicas (26,5 %). La mortalidad por ingresos fue del 18 % (44/244). Para PIM 3 el AUC fue de 0,77 y para pSOFA, de 0,81; ambas escalas mostraron adecuada calibración (p > 0,05). La tasa de mortalidad estandarizada fue de 1,91. Conclusiones. Identificamos que las escalas de evaluación de mortalidad PIM 3 y pSOFA muestran capacidad de discriminación aceptable. En pacientes con neoplasias sólidas o hematológicas, PIM 3 no mostró adecuada calibración.

Introduction. The study objective was to analyze the Pediatric Index of Mortality 3 (PIM 3) and the pediatric Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (pSOFA) for the prediction of mortality. Methods. Observational, prospective study; patients aged 1 month to 17.9 years were included. Assessment of area under the curve (AUC) accuracy and estimation of standardized mortality rate. Results. A total of 244 admissions were studied: median age was 60 months. The main diagnoses were solid or hematologic neoplasms (26.5%). The mortality by admission was 18% (44/244). The AUC was 0.77 for PIM 3 and 0.81 for pSOFA; both scales showed an adequate calibration (p > 0.05). The standardized mortality rate was 1.91. Conclusions. We identified that the PIM 3 and pSOFA have an acceptable discrimination power. The calibration of the PIM 3 was not adequate in patients with solid or hematologic neoplasms.

From the Battlefield to the Bedside: Supporting Warfighter and Civilian Health With the "ART" of Whole Genome Sequencing for Antibiotic Resistance and Outbreak Investigations.

Awareness, responsiveness, and throughput characterize an approach for enhancing the clinical impact of whole genome sequencing for austere environments and for large geographically dispersed health systems. This Department of Defense approach is informing interagency efforts linking antibiograms of multidrug-resistant organisms to their genome sequences in a public database.