Autologous stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) is an effective treatment strategy for hematological malignancies. The standard mode of handling hematopoietic progenitors for the autologous ...procedure (CRYO) consists on its collection and freezing with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and its subsequent thawing and re-infusion. This process is toxic and expensive. Non-cryopreserved (non-CRYO) is a less expensive mode of auto-HSCT. We designed a comparative study between both strategies performed in two different centers to analyze the short-term complications. In total 111 auto-HSCT were performed from January/2015 to October/2016 (42 non-CRYO and 74 CRYO). There were 74 males and 69 (62%) patients had the underlying diagnosis of multiple myeloma. No differences were seen on the characteristics of the apheresis products and their viability. Engraftment was significantly faster in the non-CRYO group (p = 0.001). Febrile neutropenia and severe mucositis were lower in the non-CRYO group (40% vs 92% p = 0.0001 and 11% vs 64%, p = 0.001, respectively). In addition, length of hospitalization was 5 days shorter in the non-CRYO group (p = 0.0001). Overall responses and transplantation outcomes were similar. Our data demonstrate a clear advantage of the non-CRYO over CRYO auto-HSCT with faster engraftment, lower incidence of febrile neutropenia and shorter hospital stay after the transplantation procedure. These data are especially relevant for centers with high transplant activity or with limited resources.
Plant architecture, phenology and yield components of cultivated plants have repeatedly been shaped by selection to meet human needs and adaptation to different environments. Here we assessed the ...genetic architecture of 24 correlated maize traits that interact during plant cycle. Overall, 336 lines were phenotyped in a network of 9 trials and genotyped with 50K single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Phenology was the main factor of differentiation between genetic groups. Then yield components distinguished dents from lower yielding genetic groups. However, most of trait variation occurred within group and we observed similar overall and within group correlations, suggesting a major effect of pleiotropy and/or linkage. We found 34 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for individual traits and six for trait combinations corresponding to PCA coordinates. Among them, only five were pleiotropic. We found a cluster of QTLs in a 5 Mb region around Tb1 associated with tiller number, ear row number and the first PCA axis, the latter being positively correlated to flowering time and negatively correlated to yield. Kn1 and ZmNIP1 were candidate genes for tillering, ZCN8 for leaf number and Rubisco Activase 1 for kernel weight. Experimental repeatabilities, numbers of QTLs and proportion of explained variation were higher for traits related to plant development such as tillering, leaf number and flowering time, than for traits affected by growth such as yield components. This suggests a simpler genetic determinism with larger individual QTL effects for the first category.
Microscopic eukaryotes play a key role in ecosystem functioning, but their diversity remains largely unexplored in most environments. To advance our knowledge of eukaryotic microorganisms and the ...factors that structure their communities, high-throughput sequencing was used to characterize their diversity and spatial distribution along the pollution gradient of the acid mine drainage at Carnoulès (France). A total of 16,510 reads were retrieved leading to the identification of 323 OTUs after normalization. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a quite diverse eukaryotic community characterized by a total of eight high-level lineages including 37 classes. The majority of sequences were clustered in four main groups: Fungi, Stramenopiles, Alveolata and Viridiplantae. The Reigous sediments formed a succession of distinct ecosystems hosting contrasted eukaryotic communities whose structure appeared to be at least partially correlated with sediment mineralogy. The concentration of arsenic in the sediment was shown to be a significant factor driving the eukaryotic community structure along this continuum.
Abstract Acne vulgaris, a prevalent disorder of the skin, is found to increase the incidence of suicidal ideation in acne patients (∼7.1%). This creates a dilemma in the mind whether acne is a life ...threatening disease among humans. The main inducer for this multifactorial disease is microbial fluctuation of common resident microbes on the skin with each microbe possessing their own purpose and style in protecting the human body. For acne progression, the microbial population has to get around the defense barriers of the host skin and be able to also resist them in order to survive. These matters have been resolved by their pathogenic lifecycle and associated virulence factors coded within their pathogenic islands in the single circular chromosome. This review addresses the different microbial populations residing in acne lesions and promoting acne by emphasizing their pathogenic mechanisms and the genes associated with virulence factors involved in the development of acne. Model systems such as animal models and cell culture models in studying the pathogenic lifestyle of the microbes are also addressed.
We present deeply virtual π^{0} electroproduction cross-section measurements at x_{B}=0.36 and three different Q^{2} values ranging from 1.5 to 2 GeV^{2}, obtained from Jefferson Lab Hall A ...experiment E07-007. The Rosenbluth technique is used to separate the longitudinal and transverse responses. Results demonstrate that the cross section is dominated by its transverse component and, thus, is far from the asymptotic limit predicted by perturbative quantum chromodynamics. Nonetheless, an indication of a nonzero longitudinal contribution is provided by the measured interference term σ_{LT}. Results are compared with several models based on the leading-twist approach of generalized parton distributions (GPDs). In particular, a fair agreement is obtained with models in which the scattering amplitude includes convolution terms of chiral-odd (transversity) GPDs of the nucleon with the twist-3 pion distribution amplitude. This experiment, together with previous extensive unseparated measurements, provides strong support to the exciting idea that transversity GPDs can be accessed via neutral pion electroproduction in the high-Q^{2} regime.
► Flowering phenology, sex expression and yields were determined in monoecious hemp. ► Sex expression varied significantly among cultivars. ► Stem yield varied with earliness and seed yield with sex ...expression and earliness. ► Both yields correlated best with duration sowing-full female or sowing-end of male flowering. ► Producing both stem and seed required early sowing and feminized (mid-) early cultivars.
Flowering phenology and sexual dimorphism are two major features that affect stem and seed production in hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), a short-day naturally dioecious plant. The sowing time is of primary importance because it affects flowering time and thereby influences stem yield. In spite of their unstable sexual phenotype, monoecious cultivars facilitate the harvest of both stems and seeds by reducing crop heterogeneity. The main objective of this paper was to determine the stem and seed yields for five monoecious hemp cultivars in relation to their flowering phenology and sex expression. Sowing was carried out on five distinct dates during 2007 and 2008 at two sites in Belgium. The duration from sowing to flowering in days, both stem and seed yields and the seed harvest index decreased when sowing was postponed from mid-April to the end of June. The stem and seed yields from the mid-April sowing (approximately 12.5 and 1.9tha−1, respectively) were within the ranges that were reported for fibre and both fibre and seeds production, respectively, in monoecious hemp. No interaction was observed between the sowing date and cultivar for both yields. Sex expression varied among cultivars, indicating that it might be selected, and was partly linked to earliness. Stem yields were lowest in the earliest cultivar (Uso 31) and highest in the latest one (Epsilon 68) while seed yields were lowest in the most masculinized and earliest cultivar (Uso 31) and highest in the most feminized and early (Fedora 17) or mid-early (Felina 32) ones. Both stem and seed yields correlated best with the duration from sowing to full female flowering or from sowing to the end of male flowering.
According to our results, harvesting the seeds in addition to the stems in monoecious hemp requires early sowing and the selection of feminized early or mid-early cultivars, earliness depending on the climatic conditions in the cultivation area. Therefore, it might be agriculturally valuable to take sex expression into account in addition to earliness during the selection of cultivars that are adapted to a dual purpose.
The Carnoulès mine is an extreme environment located in the South of France. It is an unusual ecosystem due to its acidic pH (2–3), high concentration of heavy metals, iron, and sulfate, but mainly ...due to its very high concentration of arsenic (up to 10 g L
−1
in the tailing stock pore water, and 100–350 mg L
−1
in Reigous Creek, which collects the acid mine drainage). Here, we present a survey of the archaeal community in the sediment and its temporal variation using a culture-independent approach by cloning of 16S rRNA encoding genes. The taxonomic affiliation of Archaea showed a low degree of biodiversity with two different phyla: Euryarchaeota and Thaumarchaeota. The archaeal community varied in composition and richness throughout the sampling campaigns. Many sequences were phylogenetically related to the order
Thermoplasmatales
represented by aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, thermoacidophilic autotrophic or heterotrophic organisms like the organotrophic genus
Thermogymnomonas
. Some members of
Thermoplasmatales
can also derive energy from sulfur/iron oxidation or reduction. We also found microorganisms affiliated with methanogenic Archaea (
Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis
), which are involved in the carbon cycle. Some sequences affiliated with ammonia oxidizers, involved in the first and rate-limiting step in nitrification, a key process in the nitrogen cycle were also observed, including
Candidatus Nitrososphaera viennensis
and
Candidatus nitrosopumilus
sp. These results suggest that Archaea may be important players in the Reigous sediments through their participation in the biochemical cycles of elements, including those of carbon and nitrogen.
Iron (Fe) toxicity is a constraint commonly encountered in waterlogged conditions. Under anaerobic conditions, reduced Fe is massively absorbed by plants and may induce the generation of reactive ...oxygen species. This oxidative stress is responsible for physiological perturbations, growth reduction and yield losses. Rice is known as a silicon (Si) accumulator. Although Si is not considered as essential, it is known to play a beneficial role in the resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses through diverse and sometimes unknown mechanisms. The aim of this study was to determine the alleviation of Fe toxicity through Si application in different genotypes. Therefore, cultivars of both cultivated rice species (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) and lines from a segregating population issued from a cross between IR64 (O. sativa subsp. indica) and Azucena (O. sativa subsp. japonica) were grown in hydroponics under standard or excessive Fe(II) conditions, with or without the addition of Si. The application of Si on Fe‐treated plants strongly alleviated Fe toxicity symptoms. The reduced Fe uptake by Si‐treated plants suggested that an avoidance mechanism would be involved in this alleviation. Moreover, an additive effect of the Si and Fe treatments on the absorption of other nutrients by plants was revealed. These promising results gave insights into the understanding of rice resistance mechanisms to Fe toxicity, opening new perspectives in its management through Si fertilization. Finally, plant response to Si application was greatly influenced by the genotype. Thus, selection of stronger Si‐accumulating varieties could also be of valuable interest in the improvement of rice resistance to Fe toxicity.
Hemp (
Cannabis sativa
L.) is a diploid species including both dioecious and monoecious cultivars with hetero- and homomorphic sex chromosomes, respectively. It displays a high plasticity of sex ...expression, i.e., the ratio of female and male flowers. In this study, we investigated the role of sex chromosomes in the genetic determinism of sex expression in dioecious and monoecious hemp. The experimental materials were three F
1
segregating populations, two dioecious (C1 and C2: ‘Carmagnola’ ♀ × ‘Carmagnola’ ♂), and one monoecious (UF: ‘Uso 31’ × ‘Fedora 17’). A ‘sex’ phenotypic marker was mapped in C1 and C2. In total, 23, 42, and 26 AFLP markers (71 markers in total) were mapped to three, nine, and three co-segregation groups putatively located on sex chromosomes in C1, C2, and UF, respectively. Recombination rates with sex ranged from 0 to 0.5. Five sex-linked markers were detected in UF, revealing homologies between the X chromosomes of monoecious hemp and the X and Y chromosomes of dioecious hemp. Five QTLs associated with quantitative variations in sex expression were identified in each map. Four markers associated with variations in sex expression in UF segregated with sex or accounted for a putative QTL in C1 or C2. Two QTLs and three of these markers were mapped in UF in a region homologous to the sex-locus region of the dioecious maps. Given these results, conducting further research on the genetic determinism of sex expression in hemp using a quantitative approach appears relevant.
Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans is a Gram-negative bacterium able to detoxify arsenic-contaminated environments by oxidizing arsenite As(III) to arsenate As(V) and by scavenging arsenic ions in an ...extracellular matrix. Its motility and colonization behaviour have been previously suggested to be influenced by arsenite. Using time-course confocal laser scanning microscopy, we investigated its biofilm development in the absence and presence of arsenite. Arsenite was shown to delay biofilm initiation in the wild-type strain; this was partly explained by its toxicity, which caused an increased growth lag time. However, this delayed adhesion step in the presence of arsenite was not observed in either a swimming motility defective fliL mutant or an arsenite oxidase defective aoxB mutant; both strains displayed the wild-type surface properties and growth capacities. We propose that during the biofilm formation process arsenite acts on swimming motility as a result of the arsenite oxidase activity, preventing the switch between planktonic and sessile lifestyles. Our study therefore highlights the existence, under arsenite exposure, of a competition between swimming motility, resulting from arsenite oxidation, and biofilm initiation.
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