‘… we really don’t know [buds] at all Jones, Cynthia S.
The New phytologist,
October 2021, 2021-10-00, 20211001, Letnik:
232, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
This article is a Commentary on Schoonderwoerd & Friedman (2021), 232: 523–536.
Spinal muscular atrophy linked to chromosome 5q (SMA) is a recessive, progressive, neuromuscular disorder caused by bi-allelic mutations in the SMN1 gene, resulting in motor neuron degeneration and ...variable presentation in relation to onset and severity. A prevalence of approximately 1-2 per 100,000 persons and incidence around 1 in 10,000 live births have been estimated with SMA type I accounting for around 60% of all cases. Since SMA is a relatively rare condition, studies of its prevalence and incidence are challenging. Most published studies are outdated and therefore rely on clinical rather than genetic diagnosis. Furthermore they are performed in small cohorts in small geographical regions and only study European populations. In addition, the heterogeneity of the condition can lead to delays and difficulties in diagnosing the condition, especially outside of specialist clinics, and contributes to the challenges in understanding the epidemiology of the disease. The frequency of unaffected, heterozygous carriers of the SMN1 mutations appears to be higher among Caucasian and Asian populations compared to the Black (Sub-Saharan African ancestry) population. However, carrier frequencies cannot directly be translated into incidence and prevalence, as very severe (death in utero) and very mild (symptom free in adults) phenotypes carrying bi-allelic SMN1 mutations exist, and their frequency is unknown. More robust epidemiological data on SMA covering larger populations based on accurate genetic diagnosis or newborn screening would be helpful to support planning of clinical studies, provision of care and therapies and evaluation of outcomes.
Premise
In semiarid regions, decreasing rainfall presents a challenge to perennial seedlings that must reach sufficient size to survive the first year’s seasonal drought. Attaining a large storage ...organ size has been hypothesized to enhance drought resilience in geophytes, but building larger storage organs requires faster growth, but paradoxically, some traits that confer faster growth are highly sensitive to drought. We examined whether tuber size confers greater drought resilience in seedlings of four closely related geophytic species of Pelargonium.
Methods
We imposed two drought treatments when seedlings were 2 months old: chronic low water and acute water restriction for 10 days. Plants in the acute dry‐down treatment were then rewatered at control levels. We compared morphological and ecophysiological traits at 2, 3, and 6 months of age and used mixed‐effects models to identify traits determining tuber biomass at dormancy.
Results
Despite a 10‐fold variation in size, species had similar physiological trait values under well‐watered conditions. Chronic and acute droughts negatively affected tuber size at the end of the season, but only in the two species with large tubers. Chronic drought did not affect physiological traits of any species, but in response to acute drought, larger species showed reduced photosynthetic performance. Canopy area was the best predictor of final tuber biomass.
Conclusions
Contradictory to the hypothesis that large tubers provide greater drought resiliency, small Pelargonium seedlings actually had higher drought tolerance, although at the expense of more vigorous growth compared to species with larger tubers under well‐watered conditions.
In spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), degeneration of motor neurons causes progressive muscular weakness, which is caused by homozygous deletion of the
SMN1
gene. Available epidemiological data on SMA ...are scarce, often outdated, and limited to relatively small regions or populations. Combining data from different sources including genetic laboratories and patient registries may provide better insight of the disease epidemiology. To investigate the incidence of genetically confirmed SMA, and the number of patients who are able and approachable to participate in new clinical trials and observational research, we used both genetic laboratories, the TREAT-NMD Global SMA Patient Registry and the Care and Trial Sites Registry (CTSR). In Europe, 4653 patients were genetically diagnosed by the genetic laboratories in the 5-year period 2011 to 2015, with 992 diagnosed in 2015 alone. The data provide an estimated incidence of SMA in Europe of 1 in 3900–16,000 live births. Patient numbers in the national patient registries and CTSR were considerably lower. By far, most patients registered in the national patient registries and the CTSR live in Europe and are reported to have SMA type II. Considerable differences between countries in patient participation in the registries were observed. Our findings indicate that not all patients with SMA are accessed by specialist healthcare services and these patients may not have access to research opportunities and optimal care.
Premise of the Study
While tradeoffs among mechanical and conductive functions have been well investigated in woody stems, these tradeoffs are relatively unexplored in petioles, the structural link ...between stems and laminas. We investigated size‐independent scaling relationships between cross‐sectional areas of structural and vascular tissues, relationships between tissue areas of xylem and phloem, vessel packing within xylem, and scaling of vascular and structural tissues with lamina traits.
Methods
We examined allometric relationships among petiole tissues and as a function of lamina and petiole size variation on eleven species of Pelargonium. From transverse sections of methacrylate‐embedded tissue, we measured the cross‐sectional areas of all tissues within the petiole and vessel lumen, and cell wall areas of each vessel. Allometric scaling relationships were analyzed using standardized major axis regressions.
Key Results
Pelargonium petiole vessels were packed as predicted by Sperry's packing rule for woody stems. In contrast to woody stems, there was no evidence of a tradeoff between vessel area and fiber area. Within cross‐sections, more xylem was produced than phloem. Among bundles, xylem and phloem scaling relationships varied with bundle position. Except for lamina dry mass and petiole fiber cross‐sectional area, petiole and lamina traits were independent.
Conclusions
Petioles share vascular tissue traits with stems despite derivation from leaf primordia. We did not find evidence for a tradeoff between structural and vascular tissues, in part because fibers occur outside the xylem. We propose this separation of conduction and support underlies observed developmental and evolutionary plasticity in petioles.
Natal Homing in a Marine Fish Metapopulation Thorrold, Simon R.; Latkoczy, Christopher; Swart, Peter K. ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
01/2001, Letnik:
291, Številka:
5502
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Identifying natal origins of marine fishes is challenging because of difficulties in conducting mark-recapture studies in marine systems. We used natural geochemical signatures in otoliths (ear ...bones) to determine natal sources in weakfish (Cynoscion regalis), an estuarine-spawning marine fish, in eastern North America. Spawning site fidelity ranged from 60 to 81%, comparable to estimates of natal homing in birds and anadromous fishes. These data were in contrast to genetic analyses of population structure in weakfish. Our findings highlight the need for consideration of spatial processes in fisheries models and have implications for the design of marine reserves in coastal regions.
The field of nanotechnology is rapidly growing. The promise of pharmacotherapeutics emerging from this vast field has drawn the attention of many researchers. However, with the increase in the ...prevalence of antibiotic resistant microorganisms, the manifestations of these promises are needed now more than ever. Many have postulated the antimicrobial potential of nanoparticle constructs derived from precious metals/noble metals nanoparticles (NMNPs), such as silver nanoparticles that show activity against multidrug resistant bacteria. In this review we will evaluate the current studies and explore the data to obtain a clear picture of the potential of these particles and the validity of the claims of drug resistant treatments with NMNPs.
Ghosts and Ghosting in Digital Communications Brazeau, Gayle A.; Robinson, Evan T.; Wolcott, Janet ...
American journal of pharmaceutical education,
20/May , Letnik:
88, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Ghosting, professionally and personally, occurs when there is an abrupt end to communication between 2 individuals without any explanation or when an individual does not follow through on commitments ...to others associated with their communication. The increase in the available communication channels and speed at which messages can now be transmitted between individuals is resulting in a greater incidence of ghosting or perceived ghosting in our colleges/schools of pharmacy. The impact of ghosting is the disruption of effective communication and communication strategies that are essential to the development of positive and thriving cultures and subcultures in our institutions. The causes of ghosting (real or perceived) in our pharmacy academy could be attributed to increased workload and speed of communication, increased workload and productivity expectations, and increased workload and information volume. The consequences of ghosting in our colleges/schools can result in decreased psychological safety in our cultures, adversely impacting individual well-being, resiliency, grit, and satisfaction and adversely impacting student academic performance and success. There are simple steps that individuals and institutions can implement to minimize ghosting or the perception of ghosting that may occur with online communication channels used by our faculty, staff, students, and outside individuals.
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