Plant hormones play important roles in regulating developmental processes and signaling networks involved in plant responses to a wide range of biotic and abiotic stresses. Significant progress has ...been made in identifying the key components and understanding the role of salicylic acid (SA), jasmonates (JA) and ethylene (ET) in plant responses to biotic stresses. Recent studies indicate that other hormones such as abscisic acid (ABA), auxin, gibberellic acid (GA), cytokinin (CK), brassinosteroids (BR) and peptide hormones are also implicated in plant defence signaling pathways but their role in plant defence is less well studied. Here, we review recent advances made in understanding the role of these hormones in modulating plant defence responses against various diseases and pests.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the normal tissue-sparing effects of ultra-high dose rate 'FLASH' irradiation in vivo, with an associated reduction in damage burden being reported in vitro. ...Towards this, two key radiochemical mechanisms have been proposed: radical-radical recombination (RRR) and transient oxygen depletion (TOD), with both being proposed to lead to reduced levels of induced damage. Previously, we reported that FLASH induces lower levels of DNA strand break damage in whole-blood peripheral blood lymphocytes (WB-PBL) ex vivo, but our study failed to distinguish the mechanism(s) involved. A potential outcome of RRR is the formation of crosslink damage (particularly, if any organic radicals recombine), whilst a possible outcome of TOD is a more anoxic profile of induced damage resulting from FLASH. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to profile FLASH-induced damage via the Comet assay, assessing any DNA crosslink formation as a putative marker of RRR and/or anoxic DNA damage formation as an indicative marker of TOD, to determine the extent to which either mechanism contributes to the "FLASH effect". Following FLASH irradiation, we see no evidence of any crosslink formation; however, FLASH irradiation induces a more anoxic profile of induced damage, supporting the TOD mechanism. Furthermore, treatment of WB-PBLs pre-irradiation with BSO abrogates the reduced strand break damage burden mediated by FLASH exposures. In summary, we do not see any experimental evidence to support the RRR mechanism contributing to the reduced damage burden induced by FLASH. However, the observation of a greater anoxic profile of damage following FLASH irradiation, together with the BSO abrogation of the reduced strand break damage burden mediated by FLASH, lends further support to TOD being a driver of the reduced damage burden plus a change in the damage profile mediated by FLASH.
Assessment of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after liver transplantation (LT) has been limited by the lack of a multicenter study with detailed clinical information. An integrated ...database linking information from the University HealthSystem Consortium and the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network was analyzed using multivariate Poisson regression to assess factors associated with 30‐ and 90‐day MACE after LT (February 2002 to December 2012). MACE was defined as myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF), atrial fibrillation (AF), cardiac arrest, pulmonary embolism, and/or stroke. Of 32 810 recipients, MACE hospitalizations occurred in 8% and 11% of patients at 30 and 90 days, respectively. Recipients with MACE were older and more likely to have a history of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), alcoholic cirrhosis, MI, HF, stroke, AF and pulmonary and chronic renal disease than those without MACE. In multivariable analysis, age >65 years (incidence rate ratio IRR 2.8, 95% confidence interval 95% CI 1.8–4.4), alcoholic cirrhosis (IRR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.2), NASH (IRR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.4), pre‐LT creatinine (IRR 1.1, 95% CI 1.04–1.2), baseline AF (IRR 6.9, 95% CI 5.0–9.6) and stroke (IRR 6.3, 95% CI 1.6–25.4) were independently associated with MACE. MACE was associated with lower 1‐year survival after LT (79% vs. 88%, p < 0.0001). In a national database, MACE occurred in 11% of LT recipients and had a negative impact on survival. Pre‐LT AF and stroke substantially increase the risk of MACE, highlighting potentially high‐risk LT candidates.
Using an integrated database that links information from the University HealthSystem Consortium and the OPTN, the authors assess factors associated with 30‐ and 90‐day major adverse cardiac events after liver transplantation and discover that cardiac events occur in 11% of liver transplant recipients, and that a history of atrial fibrillation and stroke are significant predictors of these events.
New sequencing methods generate data that can allow the assembly of microbial genome sequences in days. With such revolutionary advances in technology come new challenges in methodologies and ...informatics. In this article, we review the capabilities of high-throughput sequencing technologies and discuss the many options for getting useful information from the data.
The photochemical activation of dimagnesium(I) compounds, and subsequent high yielding, regioselective reactions with inert arenes are reported. Irradiating benzene solutions of {(ArNacnac)Mg}2 ...(ArNacnac=HC(MeCNAr)2−; Ar=2,6‐diisopropylphenyl (Dip) or 2,4,6‐tricyclohexylphenyl (TCHP)) with blue or UV light, leads to double reduction of benzene and formation of the “Birch‐like” cyclohexadienediyl bridged compounds, {(ArNacnac)Mg}2(μ‐C6H6). Irradiation of {(DipNacnac)Mg}2 in toluene, and each of the three isomers of xylene, promoted completely regio‐ and chemo‐selective C−H bond activations, and formation of (DipNacnac)Mg(Ar′) (Ar′=meta‐tolyl; 2,3‐, 3,5‐ or 2,5‐dimethylphenyl), and {(DipNacnac)Mg(μ‐H)}2. Fluorobenzene was cleanly defluorinated by photoactivated {(DipNacnac)Mg}2, leading to biphenyl and {(DipNacnac)Mg(μ‐F)}2. Computational studies suggest all reactions proceed via photochemically generated magnesium(I) radicals, which reduce the arene substrate, before C−H or C−F bond activation processes occur.
The photochemical activation of dimagnesium(I) compounds, and subsequent high yielding double reductions, and regioselective C−H bond activations, of a range of normally inert arene substrates are reported (see picture, Dip=2,6‐diisopropylphenyl). Such transition‐metal‐free selective C−H bond activations hold considerable potential for organic synthesis.
There have been many advances in insulin with a realistic possibility of mimicking nature to improve insulin replacement, with a view to achieving improved metabolic control. Lessons can be learnt ...from the evolution of insulin, insulin development, and new advances in technology. This may lead to fewer side effects of therapy resulting in a lower risk of hypoglycaemia and less weight gain, which could in turn could reduce long‐term complications for people with diabetes.
What's new?
Numerous strategies involving amino acid substitutions and chemical modifications have been adopted for therapeutic benefit to make more rapidly acting and longer‐acting insulins.
This review explores lessons from evolution and from pharmaceutical manipulation of the insulin molecule to reduce predictable side effects of subcutaneous insulin treatment.
This could result in a lower risk of hypoglycaemia and weight gain and could reduce long‐term complications for people with diabetes.
This study is an extensive revision of the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) land station temperature database that has been used to produce a grid‐box data set of 5° latitude × 5° longitude temperature ...anomalies. The new database (CRUTEM4) comprises 5583 station records of which 4842 have enough data for the 1961–1990 period to calculate or estimate the average temperatures for this period. Many station records have had their data replaced by newly homogenized series that have been produced by a number of studies, particularly from National Meteorological Services (NMSs). Hemispheric temperature averages for land areas developed with the new CRUTEM4 data set differ slightly from their CRUTEM3 equivalent. The inclusion of much additional data from the Arctic (particularly the Russian Arctic) has led to estimates for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) being warmer by about 0.1°C for the years since 2001. The NH/Southern Hemisphere (SH) warms by 1.12°C/0.84°C over the period 1901–2010. The robustness of the hemispheric averages is assessed by producing five different analyses, each including a different subset of 20% of the station time series and by omitting some large countries. CRUTEM4 is also compared with hemispheric averages produced by reanalyses undertaken by the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF): ERA‐40 (1958–2001) and ERA‐Interim (1979–2010) data sets. For the NH, agreement is good back to 1958 and excellent from 1979 at monthly, annual, and decadal time scales. For the SH, agreement is poorer, but if the area is restricted to the SH north of 60°S, the agreement is dramatically improved from the mid‐1970s.
Key Points
Revised and updated version of a data set
Series robust to numerous choices
Series agrees with reanalysis output since 1970s
ABSTRACT
The spin distribution of accreting neutron stars in low-mass X-ray binary systems shows a concentration of pulsars well below the Keplerian break-up limit. It has been suggested that their ...spin frequencies may be limited by the emission of gravitational waves, due to the presence of large-scale asymmetries in the internal temperature profile of the star. These temperature asymmetries have been demonstrated to lead to a non-axisymmetric mass distribution, or ‘mountain’, that generates gravitational waves at twice the spin frequency. The presence of a toroidal magnetic field in the interior of accreting neutron stars has been shown to introduce such anisotropies in the star’s thermal conductivity, by restricting the flow of heat orthogonal to the magnetic field and establishing a non-axisymmetric temperature distribution within the star. We revisit this mechanism, extending the computational domain from (only) the crust to the entire star, incorporating more realistic microphysics, and exploring different choices of outer boundary condition. By allowing a magnetic field to permeate the core of the neutron star, we find that the likely level of temperature asymmetry in the inner crust (ρ ∼ 1013 g cm−3) can be up to 3 orders of magnitude greater than the previous estimate, improving prospects for one day detecting continuous gravitational radiation. We also show that temperature asymmetries sufficiently large to be interesting for gravitational wave emission can be generated in strongly accreting neutron stars if crustal magnetic fields can reach ∼1012 G.
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