PpSCARECROW1 (PpSCR1) regulates leaf blade and mid-vein development in Physcomitrium patens.

In plants, asymmetric cell divisions result in distinct cell fates forming large and small daughter cells, adding to the cellular diversity in an organ. SCARECROW (SCR), a GRAS domain-containing transcription factor controls asymmetric periclinal cell divisions in flowering plants by governing radial patterning of ground tissue in roots and cell proliferation in leaves. Though SCR homologs are present across land plant lineages, the current understanding of their role in cellular patterning and leaf development is mostly limited to flowering plants. Our phylogenetic analysis identified three SCR homologs in moss Physcomitrium patens, amongst which PpSCR1 showed highest expression in gametophores and its promoter activity was prominent at the mid-vein and the flanking leaf blade cells pointing towards its role in leaf development. Notably, out of the three SCR homologs, only the ppscr1 knock-out lines developed slender leaves with four times narrower leaf blade and three times thicker mid-vein. Detailed histology studies revealed that slender leaf phenotype is either due to the loss of anticlinal cell divisions or failure of periclinal division suppression in the leaf blade. RNA-Seq analyses revealed that genes responsible for cell division and differentiation are expressed differentially in the mutant. PpSCR1 overexpression lines exhibited significantly wider leaf lamina, further reconfirming the role in leaf development. Together, our data suggests that PpSCR1 is involved in the leaf blade and mid-vein development of moss and that its role in the regulation of cell division and proliferation is ancient and conserved among flowering plants and mosses.

Using public perceptions to inform urban protected area buffer zone planning.

The buffer zones between urban protected areas (UPAs) and their cities play a significant role in managing and protecting UPAs. However, they are also the frontier of conflicts due to complex functionality and a large number of stakeholders. Besides ensuring the buffer zone's function of protecting the UPA, it is also vital to understand how it can fulfill the diverse needs of multiple interest groups residing in or utilizing this area. To address the significant social science research gap in UPA buffer zone management, we establish a conceptual framework and explore how the public's overall satisfaction with the buffer depends on five essential buffer zone qualities, namely environmental quality, connectivity, infrastructure, cultural, and visual quality. We focus on China's Urban Scenic and Historic Areas (USHA), a major type of UPA with high cultural, social, and esthetic values. Using the buffer of Shugang-Slender West Lake Scenic and Historic Area in Yangzhou City as the case study, we conducted intercept and online surveys (n = 499), investigating the perceptions of three user groups-residents, businesses, and tourists. The results indicate high overall satisfaction for all three groups. Environmental, visual, and cultural qualities were rated higher than connectivity and infrastructure quality. Residents generally showed the highest satisfaction and tourists the lowest. For all three groups, environmental quality, connectivity, and infrastructure quality significantly influenced overall satisfaction, while cultural and visual quality did not. This suggests that the public expects the buffer zone to serve as high-quality multi-functional open spaces that enhance the quality of life while providing recreation, service, and transportation functions. Besides direct planning and management advice to China's UPAs and other countries with similar contexts, our study offers a transferable framework for incorporating social perceptions and highlights their significance in informing the functional planning of UPA buffer zones for public welfare.

Coordination of growth and drought responses by GA-ABA signaling in rice.

The drought caused by global warming seriously affects the crop growth and agricultural production. Plants have evolved distinct strategies to cope with the drought environment. Under drought stress, energy and resources should be diverted from growth toward stress management. However, the molecular mechanism underlying coordination of growth and drought response remains largely elusive. Here, we discovered that most of the gibberellin (GA) metabolic genes were regulated by water scarcity in rice, leading to the lower GA contents and hence inhibited plant growth. Low GA contents resulted in the accumulation of more GA signaling negative regulator SLENDER RICE 1, which inhibited the degradation of abscisic acid (ABA) receptor PYL10 by competitively binding to the co-activator of anaphase-promoting complex TAD1, resulting in the enhanced ABA response and drought tolerance. These results elucidate the synergistic regulation of crop growth inhibition and promotion of drought tolerance and survival, and provide useful genetic resource in breeding improvement of crop drought resistance.

Fructilactobacillus cliffordii sp. nov., Fructilactobacillus hinvesii sp. nov., Fructilactobacillus myrtifloralis sp. nov., Fructilactobacillus carniphilus sp. nov. and Fructobacillus americanaquae sp. nov., five novel lactic acid bacteria isolated from insects or flowers of Kangaroo Island, South Australia.

Six strains, KI11_D11T, KI4_B1, KI11_C11T, KI16_H9T, KI4_A6T and KI3_B9T, were isolated from insects and flowers on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, strains KI11_D11T, KI4_B1, KI11_C11T, KI16_H9T, KI4_A6T were found to be closely related to Fructilactobacillus ixorae Ru20-1T. Due to the lack of a whole genome sequence for this species, whole genome sequencing of Fructilactobacillus ixorae Ru20-1T was undertaken. KI3_B9T was found to be closely related to Fructobacillus tropaeoli F214-1T. Utilizing core gene phylogenetics and whole genome analyses, such as determination of AAI, ANI and dDDH, we propose that these six isolates represent five novel species with the names Fructilactobacillus cliffordii (KI11_D11T= LMG 32130T = NBRC 114988T), Fructilactobacillus hinvesii (KI11_C11T = LMG 32129T = NBRC 114987T), Fructilactobacillus myrtifloralis (KI16_H9T= LMG 32131T = NBRC 114989T) Fructilactobacillus carniphilus (KI4_A6T = LMG 32127T = NBRC 114985T) and Fructobacillus americanaquae (KI3_B9T = LMG 32124T = NBRC 114983T). Chemotaxonomic analyses detected no fructophilic characters for these strains of member of the genus Fructilactobacillus. KI3_B9T was found to be obligately fructophilic, similarly to its phylogenetic neighbours in the genus Fructobacillus. This study represents the first isolation, to our knowledge, of novel species in the family Lactobacillaceae from the Australian wild.

Effect of Thin-Walled Radial Sheath for Large-Bore Access On Reducing Periprocedural Radial Artery Occlusion Following Complex PCI: The REDUCE-RAO Randomized Trial.

Background: Transradial artery (TRA) access for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was associated with lower risks of major bleeding and vascular complications compared to transfemoral artery access. Use of large-bore ( ≥ 7-Fr) guiding catheters through TRA approach increased the likelihood of radial artery occlusion (RAO). This study aimed to investigate whether use of the thin-walled 7-Fr Glidesheath Slender, allowing PCI with large-caliber guiding catheters, is superior to standard 7-Fr Cordis sheath with respect to periprocedural RAO within 24 hours after transradial coronary intervention (TRI) in complex lesions. Methods: A prospective randomized, controlled, single-blinded (patient-blinded) trial was conducted, randomizing 504 patients with TRI for complex lesions to either 7-Fr Glidesheath Slender or conventional 7-Fr Cordis sheath. The primary outcome was defined as the incidence of periprocedural RAO with Doppler ultrasound during the first 24 hours after TRI. Results: The incidence of early RAO was 10.3% for 7-Fr Glidesheath Slender and 13.5% for conventional 7-Fr sheath (p = 0.271). The procedural success rate for Glidesheath Slender was 92.9% and for Cordis sheath was 93.7% (p = 0.722). There was no signficiant difference between treatment arms in terms of local hematoma and radial spasm, whereas use of the Glidesheath Slender was associated with significantly less pain during the procedure (numeric rating scale [NRS], 2.27 ± 0.75 vs. 2.45 ± 0.95, p = 0.017). The assessment of radial artery in ultrasound parameters after complex TRI was improved with Glidesheath Slender. Conclusions: Among patients with complex coronary lesions undergoing TRI, 7-Fr Glidesheath Slender was not superior to conventional 7-Fr in the prevention of periprocedural RAO within 24 hours following complex PCI, without reducing RAO occurrence. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04748068.

Vein of Galen aneurysm, dilated cardiomyopathy, and slender habitus in a patient with a recurrent pathogenic variant in PACS2.

The PACS2 gene encodes a multifunctional sorting protein involved in nuclear gene expression and pathway traffic regulation that has been shown to be highly expressed during human prenatal brain development. Pathogenic variants in PACS2 have been recently shown to be implicated in a phenotype with global developmental delay/intellectual disability, seizures, autistic traits, facial dysmorphic features, and cerebellar dysgenesis. Here, we report a 25-year-old male with intellectual disability, epileptic encephalopathy, cerebellar dysgenesis, facial dysmorphism, and a previously reported pathogenic variant in PACS2. To our knowledge, this is the oldest patient reported who, in addition to the known phenotype described in PACS2 patients, presented with a vein of Galen malformation and dilated cardiomyopathy as previously unreported findings.

Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in tomato to create a gibberellin-responsive dominant dwarf DELLA allele.

The tomato PROCERA gene encodes a DELLA protein, and loss-of-function mutations derepress growth. We used CRISPR/Cas9 and a single guide RNAs (sgRNA) to target mutations to the PROCERA DELLA domain, and recovered several loss-of-function mutations and a dominant dwarf mutation that carries a deletion of one amino acid in the DELLA domain. This is the first report of a dominant dwarf PROCERA allele. This allele retains partial responsiveness to exogenously applied gibberellin. Heterozygotes show an intermediate phenotype at the seedling stage, but adult heterozygotes are as dwarfed as homozygotes.

Concept and practice of transradial 5 French percutaneous treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of transradial 5 French percutaneous treatment of coronary bifurcations using conventional devices. BACKGROUND: Radial artery is smaller than femoral artery, and its size may potentially limit transradial intervention, especially when coronary anatomy is not known. METHODS: Patients with bifurcations lesions undergoing transradial 5 French ad hoc revascularization were treated according to provisional side branch (SB) stenting followed by the POT-SB dilation-final POT sequence. Only conventional devices were used. RESULTS: Overall, 80 patients (58 men, 65 ± 10 years) were enrolled. True bifurcations accounted for 64% of cases, with the left anterior descending artery/diagonal branch being the most frequent bifurcation site (n = 37, 46%) and left main coronary artery bifurcation being treated in 6 (8%) patients. Angiographic success was achieved in 78 (97.5%) patients through a 5 French guiding catheter whereas in two cases, a 5-6 French guiding catheter upgrade was required to optimize SB treatment after the main bifurcation vessel have been secured. Overall, procedural success was achieved in all but one patient who had periprocedural necrosis following multivessel PCI. Another patient underwent target bifurcation revascularization because of a critical restenosis in a significant SB yielding an acute coronary syndrome five months after the index procedure. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the feasibility of transradial 5 French bifurcation intervention with nondedicated devices and preliminary supports its efficacy and safety over a wide range of bifurcation anatomy and complexity.

Melioidosis fatalities in captive slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta): combining epidemiology, pathology and whole-genome sequencing supports variable mechanisms of transmission with one health implications.

BACKGROUND: Melioidosis is a tropical infectious disease which is being increasingly recognised throughout the globe. Infection occurs in humans and animals, typically through direct exposure to soil or water containing the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei. Case clusters of melioidosis have been described in humans following severe weather events and in exotic animals imported into melioidosis endemic zones. Direct transmission of B. pseudomallei between animals and/or humans has been documented but is considered extremely rare. Between March 2015 and October 2016 eight fatal cases of melioidosis were reported in slender-tailed meerkats (Suricata suricatta) on display at a Wildlife Park in Northern Australia. To further investigate the melioidosis case cluster we sampled the meerkat enclosure and adjacent park areas and performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on all culture-positive B. pseudomallei environmental and clinical isolates. RESULTS: WGS confirmed that the fatalities were caused by two different B. pseudomallei sequence types (STs) but that seven of the meerkat isolates were highly similar on the whole-genome level. Used concurrently with detailed pathology data, our results demonstrate that the seven cases originated from a single original source, but routes of infection varied amongst meerkats belonging to the clonal outbreak cluster. Moreover, in some instances direct transmission may have transpired through wounds inflicted while fighting. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, this study supports the use of high-resolution WGS to enhance epidemiological investigations into transmission modalities and pathogenesis of melioidosis, especially in the instance of a possible clonal outbreak scenario in exotic zoological collections. Such findings from an animal outbreak have important One Health implications.

Impact of sheath size and hemostasis time on radial artery patency after transradial coronary angiography and intervention in Japanese and non-Japanese patients: A substudy from RAP and BEAT (Radial Artery Patency and Bleeding, Efficacy, Adverse evenT) randomized multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: During transradial (TR) access, it remains unclear whether differences in baseline patients characteristics and hemostasis care impact the rate of radial artery occlusion (RAO). We sought to compare the rate of RAO after TR access with the 6 French(Fr) Glidesheath Slender (GSS6Fr, Terumo, Japan) or a standard 5 Fr sheath in Japanese and non-Japanese patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Radial Artery Patency and Bleeding, Efficacy, Adverse evenT (RAP and BEAT) trial randomized 1,836 patients undergoing TR coronary angiography and/or interventions to receive the GSS6Fr or the standard 5 Fr Glidesheath (GS5Fr, Terumo, Japan). Out of this study population, 1,087 were Japanese patients and 751 non-Japanese patients. The overall incidence of RAO was significantly higher in Japanese patients (3.6% vs. 1.2%, P = 0.002). Use of GSS6Fr was associated with higher rates of RAO than GS5Fr in Japanese patients (5% vs. 2.2%, P = 0.02) and with similar RAO rates in non-Japanese patients (1.3 vs. 1.1%, P = 1). The mean hemostasis time was significantly longer in Japanese patients (378 ± 253 vs. 159 ± 136 min, P < 0.001) and more Japanese patients had a hemostasis time of more than 6 hr (16.2% vs. 4.9%, P < 0.0001). Longer hemostasis time was an independent predictor of RAO (OR per additional hour 1.070, 95% CI 1.008-1.136, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Use of GSS6Fr was associated with a higher rate of RAO than a standard 5 Fr sheath in Japanese patients but not in non-Japanese patients. Whether improvement in post-procedural care and reduced hemostasis time could impact the incidence of RAO in Japanese patients should be further assessed.

First prospective multicenter experience with the 7 French Glidesheath slender for complex transradial coronary interventions.

PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility and safety of the 7 French (Fr) Glidesheath Slender for complex transradial (TR) percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). BACKGROUND: The TR approach is increasingly used worldwide for coronary and peripheral vascular interventions. However, the small size of the radial artery remains an important limitation for the use of large-bore guiding catheters (>6 Fr), restricting thereby the treatment of highly complex lesions through the TR approach. The 7 Fr Glidesheath slender (Terumo, Tokyo, Japan) is a new dedicated radial sheath with a thinner wall and hydrophilic coating. It combines an inner diameter compatible with any 7 Fr guiding catheter and an outer diameter smaller than current 7 Fr sheaths. METHODS: Prospective multicenter registry of complex TR PCI cases using the 7 Fr Glidesheath Slender to determine the procedural success, rates of vascular complications, radial spasm, and radial artery occlusion (RAO). RESULTS: A total of 60 patients were included. Procedural success was 97% with only one access-site crossover. The use of a 7 Fr guiding catheter was indicated for the treatment of highly complex coronary lesions including distal left main (LM) disease (n = 20), complex non-LM bifurcation lesions (n = 16), chronic total occlusion (n = 15), and severely calcified vessels requiring rotational atherectomy (n = 10). There were three vascular access-site complications (4.7%) including two moderate (type II) local hematoma and one uncomplicated guiding catheter-induced brachial artery dissection. None of the patients experienced major bleeding. The occurrence of radial spasm was reported in seven patients (11%). Doppler ultrasound imaging of the radial artery at 1 month was available in 62 of 64 radial access with three cases of RAO (4.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Use of the 7 Fr Glidesheath slender for complex coronary interventions is feasible and associated with a high rate of procedural success and a low rate of vascular complications. These favorable results need be confirmed in larger multicenter studies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fatal infection in three Grey Slender Lorises (Loris lydekkerianus nordicus) caused by clonally related Trueperella pyogenes.

BACKGROUND: Trueperella pyogenes is a worldwide known bacterium causing mastitis, abortion and various other pyogenic infections in domestic animals like ruminants and pigs. In this study we represent the first case report of three unusual fatal infections of Grey Slender Lorises caused by Trueperella pyogenes. Meanwhile, this study represents the first in-depth description of the multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) on T. pyogenes species. CASE PRESENTATION: Three Trueperella pyogenes were isolated from three different Grey Slender Lorises, which died within a period of two years at Frankfurt Zoo (Frankfurt am Main - Germany). The three Grey Slender Loris cases were suffering from severe sepsis and died from its complication. During the bacteriological investigation of the three cases, the T. pyogenes were isolated from different organisms in each case. The epidemiological relationship between the three isolates could be shown by four genomic DNA fingerprint methods (ERIC-PCR, BOX-PCR, (GTG)5-PCR, and RAPD-PCR) and by multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) investigating four different housekeeping genes (fusA-tuf-metG-gyrA). CONCLUSION: In this study, we clearly showed by means of using three different rep-PCRs, by RAPD-PCR and by MLSA that the genomic fingerprinting of the investigated three T. pyogenes have the same clonal origin and are genetically identical. These results suggest that the same isolate contaminated the animal's facility and subsequently caused cross infection between the three different Grey Slender Lorises. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first epidemiological approach concentrating on T. pyogenes using MLSA.

Chirality-specific lift forces of helix under shear flows: Helix perpendicular to shear plane.

Chiral objects in shear flow experience a chirality-specific lift force. Shear flows past helices in a low Reynolds number regime were studied using slender-body theory. The chirality-specific lift forces in the vorticity direction experienced by helices are dominated by a set of helix geometry parameters: helix radius, pitch length, number of turns, and helix phase angle. Its analytical formula is given. The chirality-specific forces are the physical reasons for the chiral separation of helices in shear flow. Our results are well supported by the latest experimental observations.

Magnetic Propulsion of Microswimmers with DNA-Based Flagellar Bundles.

We show that DNA-based self-assembly can serve as a general and flexible tool to construct artificial flagella of several micrometers in length and only tens of nanometers in diameter. By attaching the DNA flagella to biocompatible magnetic microparticles, we provide a proof of concept demonstration of hybrid structures that, when rotated in an external magnetic field, propel by means of a flagellar bundle, similar to self-propelling peritrichous bacteria. Our theoretical analysis predicts that flagellar bundles that possess a length-dependent bending stiffness should exhibit a superior swimming speed compared to swimmers with a single appendage. The DNA self-assembly method permits the realization of these improved flagellar bundles in good agreement with our quantitative model. DNA flagella with well-controlled shape could fundamentally increase the functionality of fully biocompatible nanorobots and extend the scope and complexity of active materials.

HEALTH SURVEY INCLUDING SELECTED BLOOD PARAMETERS IN THE AFRICAN SLENDER SNOUTED CROCODILE (MECISTOPS CATAPHRACTUS) AT THE ABIDJAN ZOO IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE.

The Zoo National d'Abidjan (Abidjan Zoo) in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, holds the world's largest captive population of African slender-snouted crocodiles (Mecistops cataphractus, formerly Crocodylus cataphractus), at 36 adults, 16 yearlings, and 23 hatchlings. Twelve yearling and 12 adult slender-snouted crocodiles at the Abidjan Zoo were restrained for physical exam, body condition scoring, and venipuncture in September 2015. Blood samples collected from the supravertebral venous sinus were analyzed using a handheld blood analyzer (Abaxis® I-stat, Abaxis, Inc., Union City, California 94587, USA) with Chem8+ cartridges (CLIAwaived, Inc., San Diego, California 92130, USA). The adult crocodiles appeared in good general health and demonstrated blood values similar to those of other reptiles. The yearlings had low, ionized calcium values and low hematocrit and hemoglobin levels compared with the adult crocodiles and to other crocodile reference ranges. These findings may dramatically improve the health of the crocodiles and help to ensure a thriving captive population of this critically endangered species.

A novel percutaneous coronary intervention technique for chronic total occlusion: Contralateral angiography with a single guiding catheter.

We report two successful cases with a new percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) technique to treat chronic total occlusion (CTO) by using contra-lateral coronary angiography with a single guiding catheter (GC) safely. Firstly, a GC was inserted into the coronary artery supplying collaterals and a microcatheter was inserted into the distal side of the coronary artery. Then, the GC was retroflexed and engaged in the targeted coronary artery with CTO. While the contra-lateral coronary artery was visualized by injection through a microcatheter, a guide wire was controlled and passed through the CTO lesion. Two sheaths insertion were necessary to perform contra-lateral angiography in CTO PCI. This new technique makes it possible to perform safe contra-lateral angiography with a single sheath and a single GC. It could reduce vascular access complication rates. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hydraulic resistance of a plant root to water-uptake: A slender-body theory.

A slender-body theory for calculating the hydraulic resistance of a single plant root is developed. The work provides an in-depth discussion on the procedure and the assumptions involved in calculating a root׳s internal hydraulic resistance as well as the physical and the mathematical aspects of the external three-dimensional flow around the tip of a root in a saturated soil and how this flow pattern enhances uptake and reduces hydraulic resistance. Analytical solutions for the flux density distribution on the stele-cortex interface, local water-uptake profile inside the stele core, the overall water-uptake at the base of the stele, and the total hydraulic resistance of a root are obtained in the slender-body limit. It is shown that a key parameter controlling a root's hydraulic resistance is the dimensionless axial conductivity in the stele, which depends on the permeabilities of the stele and the cortex as well as the root's radial and axial dimensions. Three-dimensional tip effect reduces a root's hydraulic resistance by as much as 36% when compared to the radial flow theory of Landsberg and Fowkes. In addition, the total hydraulic resistance cannot be generally decomposed into the direct sum of a radial resistance and an axial resistance.

Analysis of an astounding aggregation of Ranzania laevis (Molidae: Actinopterygii) in the tropical south-western Atlantic.

Unusual catches of more than 4200 kg of the slender sunfish Ranzania laevis are described from the south-western Atlantic, corresponding to the largest aggregation records for the species. These unexpected records were associated with unusually warm currents in the area. Males and females were physiologically able to spawn at the moment of capture, suggesting the occurrence of reproductive aggregation in this species.

Exudativory in the Asian loris, Nycticebus: Evolutionary divergence in the toothcomb and M3.

OBJECTIVES: Slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) are obligate exudativores that gouge tree bark. Dental adaptations for gouging within marmosets, the only other known primate obligate exudativore, are well-known but dental adaptations in Nycticebus are largely unidentified. In an effort to more completely understand potential dental adaptions within Nycticebus and the evolution of this dietary niche within Primates as an order, the present study examined dental morphometrics in the Asian lorises (Nycticebus and Loris). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared dental morphometrics between Nycticebus and the insectivorous slender lorises (Loris). Measurements from the toothcomb and select other teeth were taken from 92 specimens. Each variable was scaled by the geometric mean and resulting mean ratios were statistically compared between groups. A biomechanical shape variable was also calculated to estimate the ability of the toothcomb to resist bending that may be experienced during gouging. RESULTS: Toothcombs in Nycticebus were significantly (P < 0.05) more narrow, shorter, and thicker than those in Loris and had a higher calculated ability to withstand bending forces. Nycticebus also had reduced size in the last lower molar relative to Loris. CONCLUSIONS: The more robust, "squared off" toothcomb in Nycticebus matches behavioral observations that these primates gouge to access exudates. Results of the present study indicate that the toothcomb is the likely candidate for the dental tool used in gouging. The size reduction of the lower last molar in Nycticebus, a trait also found in a previous study in exudativorous galagos, may indicate that there is reduced selective pressure in a diet where little mastication would be needed to mechanically process exudates. These results may indicate that reduction in molar size could be a potential dental signature for exudativory, but further studies on a wider phylogenetic range of exudativorous primates would be necessary.