Horse gram (Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc., Fabaceae) is an important legume crop cultivated widely in the arid and semiarid regions. During a survey carried out in the Mysore district ...(Karnataka, India, October 2021), horse gram plants showed the symptoms of southern blight disease. Disease incidence ranged from 20-27% in the approximate 52 hectares of horse gram fields evaluated. The symptoms initiated as tan lesions and the developing mycelial threads colonized the infected root-stem interface, causing girdling; lesions on leaves enlarged and developed into distinct spots. Infected parts (leaves & stem) (n=30) were collected in poly bags and incubated in a moist chamber overnight, followed by surface sterilization of small segments of stem, leaf with 2% NaOCl, rinsed with sterile water (SW), and placed onto the potato dextrose agar (PDA, HiMedia Lab, Mumbai) supplemented with chloramphenicol (40 mg/L). The plates were incubated at room temperature (28 ± 2°C) for 5-7 days. The fungal colonies developed from the diseased segments were sub-cultured through hyphal tipping to fresh PDA plates and pure cultures were obtained. Fungal colonies with dense, aerial whitish-cottony mycelia with uniformly globoid sclerotia (0.52.9 mm) were observed after 1012 days of incubation. Sclerotia were white in the beginning and turned to brown later. The average number of sclerotia produced per plate ranged from 112 to 320 (n = 20). To determine the identity of the isolated fungal pathogen, ITS-rDNA was amplified and sequenced using ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) primers. The amplified PCR product was purified and sequenced directly. The ITS sequences (OM037658 & OM037659) shared 100% (630/643bp) sequence similarity to Athelia rolfsii (KY640622.1, AB075298). The phylogenetic tree (Neighbour-Joining method) constructed based on ITS-rDNA region confirmed that the sequences shared a common clade with reference sequence of A. rolfsii. Thus the identity was confirmed based on micromorphology and phylogenetic analysis. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on a total of 20 plants (5-6 weeks old) in greenhouse conditions (at 28 ± 2°C and 70% relative humidity) by inoculating with sclerotia from 15 days old cultures on stem and leaves and 14 plants were found infected after 5 days of post-inoculation, while uninoculated control plants remained healthy. Similarly, detached leaf assay (Mahadevakumar et al., 2018) was performed under in vitro conditions at 28 ± 2°C in a moist chamber and 28 out of 30 leaves showed the leaf spot symptoms after 3-5 days of inoculation. Uninoculated control leaves remained healthy. The identity of the fungus was confirmed by morphology and molecular analysis after re-isolation. The occurrence as a pathogen on horse gram has not been previously reported elsewhere. This is the first report of southern blight disease caused by A. rolfsii on horse gram from India. Early diagnosis of this leaf spot disease will help the farmers to adopt suitable management practices to avoid loss in production.
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) cases continue to be reported, predominantly in Saudi Arabia and occasionally other countries. Although dromedaries are the main reservoir, other animal ...species might be susceptible to MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection and potentially serve as reservoirs. To determine whether other animals are potential reservoirs, we inoculated MERS-CoV into llamas, pigs, sheep, and horses and collected nasal and rectal swab samples at various times. The presence of MERS-CoV in the nose of pigs and llamas was confirmed by PCR, titration of infectious virus, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization; seroconversion was detected in animals of both species. Conversely, in sheep and horses, virus-specific antibodies did not develop and no evidence of viral replication in the upper respiratory tract was found. These results prove the susceptibility of llamas and pigs to MERS-CoV infection. Thus, the possibility of MERS-CoV circulation in animals other than dromedaries, such as llamas and pigs, is not negligible.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Alternative splicing (AS) generates vast transcriptomic and proteomic complexity. However, which of the myriad of detected AS events provide important biological functions is not well understood. ...Here, we define the largest program of functionally coordinated, neural-regulated AS described to date in mammals. Relative to all other types of AS within this program, 3-15 nucleotide “microexons” display the most striking evolutionary conservation and switch-like regulation. These microexons modulate the function of interaction domains of proteins involved in neurogenesis. Most neural microexons are regulated by the neuronal-specific splicing factor nSR100/SRRM4, through its binding to adjacent intronic enhancer motifs. Neural microexons are frequently misregulated in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder, and this misregulation is associated with reduced levels of nSR100. The results thus reveal a highly conserved program of dynamic microexon regulation associated with the remodeling of protein-interaction networks during neurogenesis, the misregulation of which is linked to autism.
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•3–27 nt microexons are highly evolutionarily conserved and neuronal specific•Microexons modulate surfaces of interaction domains of neuronal proteins•Most microexons are regulated by the neuronal-specific splicing factor nSR100/SRRM4•Microexons are frequently misregulated in the brains of autistic individuals
Hundreds of 3–27 nt neuronal-specific “microexons” in mammals are identified and characterized. They are frequently misregulated in autistic brains.
Molecular replacement procedures, which search for placements of a starting model within the crystallographic unit cell that best account for the measured diffraction amplitudes, followed by ...automatic chain tracing methods, have allowed the rapid solution of large numbers of protein crystal structures. Despite extensive work, molecular replacement or the subsequent rebuilding usually fail with more divergent starting models based on remote homologues with less than 30% sequence identity. Here we show that this limitation can be substantially reduced by combining algorithms for protein structure modelling with those developed for crystallographic structure determination. An approach integrating Rosetta structure modelling with Autobuild chain tracing yielded high-resolution structures for 8 of 13 X-ray diffraction data sets that could not be solved in the laboratories of expert crystallographers and that remained unsolved after application of an extensive array of alternative approaches. We estimate that the new method should allow rapid structure determination without experimental phase information for over half the cases where current methods fail, given diffraction data sets of better than 3.2 Å resolution, four or fewer copies in the asymmetric unit, and the availability of structures of homologous proteins with >20% sequence identity.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes substantial global morbidity and increases cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Unlike other chronic diseases with established strategies for screening, there ...has been no consensus on whether health systems and governments should prioritize early identification and intervention for CKD. Guidelines on evaluating and managing early CKD are available but have not been universally adopted in the absence of incentives or quality measures for prioritizing CKD care. The burden of CKD falls disproportionately upon persons with lower socioeconomic status, who have a higher prevalence of CKD, limited access to treatment, and poorer outcomes. Therefore, identifying and treating CKD at the earliest stages is an equity imperative. In 2019, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) held a controversies conference entitled “Early Identification and Intervention in CKD.” Participants identified strategies for screening, risk stratification, and treatment for early CKD and the key health system and economic factors for implementing these processes. A consensus emerged that CKD screening coupled with risk stratification and treatment should be implemented immediately for high-risk persons and that this should ideally occur in primary or community care settings with tailoring to the local context.
The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has been increasing worldwide, and melanoma disproportionately contributes to skin cancer mortality. The pathogenesis of melanoma involves genetic and ...environmental factors, and while the effects of ultraviolet B radiation on melanoma development are well researched, fewer studies have investigated the role of ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. We comprehensively reviewed cell, animal and epidemiology studies on the association between UVA exposure and melanomagenesis. UVA radiation has been found to have negative effects on melanocytes due to the induction of oxidative stress, dysregulation of gene transcription and creation of mutagenic photoproducts in DNA. Animal studies demonstrate adverse effects of UVA on melanocytes, including the development of melanoma. Epidemiology studies, of varying quality, that examined participants’ exposure to tanning devices which use UVA radiation primarily found that UVA exposure increased the risk for melanoma. Some studies reported larger associations with increased frequency of device use, suggestive of a dose-response relationship. Overall, we found that many studies supported a positive association between UVA exposure and melanoma on both molecular and population levels. Understanding the role of UVA in the development of melanoma will inform the implementation of preventive health interventions, such as those related to sunscreen development and use and increasing restrictions on indoor tanning.
Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often have vitamin D deficiency, which is associated with increased susceptibility to upper respiratory infection-a major precipitant of ...exacerbation. Multicentre trials of vitamin D supplementation for prevention of exacerbation and upper respiratory infection in patients with COPD are lacking. We therefore investigated whether vitamin D3 (colecalciferol) supplementation would reduce the incidence of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations and upper respiratory infections.
We did a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of vitamin D3 supplementation in adults with COPD in 60 general practices and four Acute National Health Service Trust clinics in London, UK. Patients were allocated to receive six 2-monthly oral doses of 3 mg vitamin D3 or placebo over 1 year in a 1:1 ratio using computer-generated permuted block randomisation. Participants and study staff were masked to treatment assignment. Coprimary outcomes were time to first moderate or severe exacerbation and first upper respiratory infection. Analysis was by intention to treat. A prespecified subgroup analysis was done to assess whether effects of the intervention on the coprimary outcomes were modified by baseline vitamin D status. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00977873.
240 patients were randomly allocated to the vitamin D3 group (n=122) and placebo group (n=118). Vitamin D3 compared with placebo did not affect time to first moderate or severe exacerbation (adjusted hazard ratio 0·86, 95% CI 0·60-1·24, p=0·42) or time to first upper respiratory infection (0·95, 0·69-1·31, p=0·75). Prespecified subgroup analysis showed that vitamin D3 was protective against moderate or severe exacerbation in participants with baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of less than 50 nmol/L (0·57, 0·35-0·92, p=0·021), but not in those with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of at least 50 nmol/L (1·45, 0·81-2·62, p=0·21; p=0·021 for interaction between allocation and baseline serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status). Baseline vitamin D status did not modify the effect of the intervention on risk of upper respiratory infection (pinteraction=0·41).
Vitamin D3 supplementation protected against moderate or severe exacerbation, but not upper respiratory infection, in patients with COPD with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels of less than 50 nmol/L. Our findings suggest that correction of vitamin D deficiency in patients with COPD reduces the risk of moderate or severe exacerbation.
UK National Institute for Health Research.
This paper investigates the impact of time‐varying voltage‐dependent load models on hybrid distributed generation planning studies. Firstly, a multi‐objective index is constructed with indices namely ...real and reactive power loss index, voltage deviation index, and mega‐volt‐ampere capacity index with an objective of reduction of real and reactive power loss, voltage profile improvement, and decreased line loading. The multi‐objective index derived is minimised to locate the distributed generation. Secondly, the analytical expression is obtained to size the distributed generation units with the time‐varying voltage‐dependent load models and probabilistic nature of solar and wind generation. Finally, the impact of load models with the generation effects is separately analysed for PV/wind (hybrid) distributed generation planning. The proposed perspective was validated on the IEEE 33‐bus, IEEE 69‐bus radial distribution network, and a real 16‐bus distribution substation for its effectiveness because the distributed generators are placed in the distribution side of an electrical network. The outcomes reveal that the distributed generation allocation for time‐varying voltage‐dependent load model and probabilistic nature of solar and wind has significant impacts on the distribution system by reducing real and reactive power loss, improving voltage deviation and reduced mega‐volt‐ampere intake.
OBJECTIVETo examine associations of average and change in late-life blood pressure (BP) with cerebrovascular and Alzheimer disease (AD) neuropathology in a large group of decedents followed ...longitudinally in vivo.
METHODSThis clinical-pathologic study was derived from prospective, community-based cohort studies of aging with similar design and data collection. Measurements of systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were obtained annually (mean follow-up 8 years, SD = 4.8). Postmortem neuropathologic evaluations documented diseases of aging. Using regression analyses, we examined associations of average and decline in late-life SBP, and separately in DBP, with neuropathology.
RESULTSIn 1,288 persons (mean age at death = 88.6 years; 65% women), the mean standardized person-specific SBP across the study was 134 (SD = 13) and DBP was 71 (SD = 8) mm Hg. The odds of brain infarcts were increased for participants with a higher mean SBP. Specifically, a person with a 1 SD SBP above the mean (147 vs 134 mm Hg) would have a 46% increased odds of having one or more infarcts, and an increased odds of gross infarct (46%) and microinfarct (36%). Furthermore, a more rapidly declining SBP slope over time increased the odds of one or more infarcts. Mean DBP, not slope, was related to brain infarcts. AD pathology analyses showed an association of a higher mean SBP with higher number of tangles (p = 0.038) but not plaques or other pathology (all p > 0.06). Changes in BP were not significantly related to AD pathology.
CONCLUSIONSHigher average late-life SBP and DBP, and independently a faster decline in SBP, are associated with increasing number of brain infarcts, including gross and microinfarcts. We found some evidence for a relation of SBP with AD, specifically tangles. Both average and decline in BP are related to brain disease.
The present work investigates the effect of precursor concentration (mc) on the structural, optical, morphological and electrical conductivity properties of In2S3 thin films grown on amorphous glass ...substrates by nebulized spray pyrolysis (NSP) technique. The mixed phase of cubic and tetragonal structure of In2S3 thin films at higher concentration has been observed by X-ray diffraction pattern. The reduced strain by increasing the precursor concentration increased the average crystallite from 17.8 to 28.9nm. The energy dispersive analysis by X-ray (EDAX) studies confirmed the presence of In and S. The transmittance, optical direct band gap energy, Urbach energy and skin depth of In2S3 films have been analyzed by optical absorption spectra. The better conductivity and mobility noticed at mc=0.15M are explained by carrier concentration and crystallite. Better optical and electrical conductivity behaviour of In2S3 thin film sample proposes for effective solar cell fabrication.
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