Long‐term photometry is commonly used to monitor chromospheric activity of late–type stars. We study standard Johnson differential V photometry of the RS CVn binary BM Canum Venaticorum (BM CVn) ...spanning over a quarter of a century. Our main aims are to determine the activity cycles, the rate of surface differential rotation, and the rotation period of the active longitudes of BM CVn. The continuous period search (CPS) algorithm is applied to the photometry. The changes of the mean and amplitude of the light curves are used to search for activity cycles. The rotation period changes give an estimate of the rate of surface differential rotation. The Kuiper method is applied to the epochs of the primary and secondary minima to search for active longitudes. The photometry reveals the presence of a stable mean light curve (MLC) connected to the orbital period Porb=20.d6252 of this binary. We remove this MLC from the original V magnitudes, which gives us the corrected V′
magnitudes. These two samples of V
and V′
data are analyzed separately with CPS. The fraction of unreliable CPS models decreases when the MLC is removed. The same significant activity cycle of approximately 12.5 years is detected in both V and V′
samples. The estimate for the surface differential rotation coefficient, k⩾0.10, is the same for both samples, but the number of unrealistic period estimates decreases after removing the MLC. The same active longitude period of Pal=20.d511 ± 0.d005 is detected in the V and V′ magnitudes. This long‐term regularity in the epochs of primary and secondary minima of the light curves is not caused by the MLC. On the contrary, the MLC hampers the detection of active longitudes.
Studying RS CVn binaries is challenging, because in addition to spot activity, other effects such as mass transfer between the components and gravitational distortion of their spherical forms may ...distort their light curves. Such effects can, however, be removed from the data by subtracting a mean light curve phased with the orbital period. We study a quarter of a century of standard Johnson differential V photometry of the RS CVn binary BM CVn. Our main aims are to determine the activity cycles, the rate of surface differential rotation and the rotation period of the active longitudes of BM CVn. The Continuous Period Search (CPS) is applied to the photometry. The changes of the mean and amplitude of the light curves are used to search for activity cycles. The rotation period changes give an estimate of the rate of surface differential rotation. The Kuiper method is applied to the epochs of the primary and secondary minima to search for active longitudes. The photometry reveals the presence of a stable mean light curve (MLC) connected to the orbital period P_orb = 20d.6252 of this binary. We remove this MLC from the original V magnitudes which gives us the corrected V' magnitudes. These two samples of V and V' data are analysed separately with CPS. The fraction of unreliable CPS models decreases when the MLC is removed. The same significant activity cycle of approximately 12.5 years is detected in both V and V' samples. The estimate for the surface differential rotation coefficient, k >= 0.10, is the same for both samples, but the number of unrealistic period estimates decreases after removing the MLC. The same active longitude period of P_al = 20d.511 +- 0d.005 is detected in the V and V' magnitudes. This long-term regularity in the epochs of primary and secondary minima of the light curves is not caused by the MLC. On the contrary, the MLC hampers the detection of active longitudes.
Wide-scale profiling technologies including metabolomics broaden the possibility of novel discoveries related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D). By applying non-targeted metabolomics ...approach, we investigated here whether serum metabolite profile predicts T2D in a well-characterized study population with impaired glucose tolerance by examining two groups of individuals who took part in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS); those who either early developed T2D (n = 96) or did not convert to T2D within the 15-year follow-up (n = 104). Several novel metabolites were associated with lower likelihood of developing T2D, including indole and lipid related metabolites. Higher indolepropionic acid was associated with reduced likelihood of T2D in the DPS. Interestingly, in those who remained free of T2D, indolepropionic acid and various lipid species were associated with better insulin secretion and sensitivity, respectively. Furthermore, these metabolites were negatively correlated with low-grade inflammation. We replicated the association between indolepropionic acid and T2D risk in one Finnish and one Swedish population. We suggest that indolepropionic acid, a gut microbiota-produced metabolite, is a potential biomarker for the development of T2D that may mediate its protective effect by preservation of β-cell function. Novel lipid metabolites associated with T2D may exert their effects partly through enhancing insulin sensitivity.
To assess the efficacy of a 7-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide-meningococcal outer membrane protein complex conjugate vaccine (PncOMPC) against acute otitis media (AOM), 1666 infants were randomly ...assigned to receive either PncOMPC or control vaccine (hepatitis B vaccine) at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age. Of the 835 children assigned to receive PncOMPC, 187 received a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PncPS) at 12 months of age instead. Whenever AOM was diagnosed, middle ear fluid was aspirated for bacterial culture. In the PncOMPC and control groups, there were 110 and 250 AOM episodes, respectively, in children between 6.5 and 24 months of age that could be attributed to vaccine serotypes, which indicates a vaccine efficacy of 56% (95% confidence interval, 44%-66%). The serotype-specific efficacy ranged from 37% for 19F to 82% for 9V. The 2 boosters seemed to provide equal protection against AOM, but PncPS induced markedly higher antibody concentrations. The efficacy of PncOMPC was comparable to that of the recently licensed pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
According to recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies, spectators of a movie may share similar spatiotemporal patterns of brain activity. We aimed to extend these findings of ...intersubject correlation to temporally accurate single-trial magnetoencephalography (MEG). A silent 15-min black-and-white movie was shown to eight subjects twice. We adopted a spatial filtering model and estimated its parameter values by using multi-set canonical correlation analysis (M-CCA) so that the intersubject correlation was maximized. The procedure resulted in multiple (mutually uncorrelated) time-courses with statistically significant intersubject correlations at frequencies below 10Hz; the maximum correlation was 0.28±0.075 in the ≤1Hz band. Moreover, the 24-Hz frame rate elicited steady-state responses with statistically significant intersubject correlations up to 0.29±0.12. To assess the brain origin of the across-subjects correlated signals, the time-courses were correlated with minimum-norm source current estimates (MNEs) projected to the cortex. The time series implied across-subjects synchronous activity in the early visual, posterior and inferior parietal, lateral temporo-occipital, and motor cortices, and in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) bilaterally. These findings demonstrate the capability of the proposed methodology to uncover cortical MEG signatures from single-trial signals that are consistent across spectators of a movie.
•Intersubject synchronization during movie viewing was studied with MEG.•Correlations were computed by multi-set canonical correlation analysis (M-CCA).•Time courses correlated between subjects at <10Hz and at the frame rate.
The health benefits of substituting dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for saturated fatty acids are well known. However, limited information exists on how the response to dietary intake of ...linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n–6) is modified by polymorphisms in the fatty acid desaturase (FADS) gene cluster.
The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that the FADS1 rs174550 genotype modifies the effect of dietary LA intake on the fatty acid composition of plasma lipids, fasting glucose, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).
Associations were investigated between genotype, plasma PUFAs, fasting glucose, and hsCRP concentrations in the cross-sectional, population-based Metabolic Syndrome in Men cohort (n = 1337). In addition, 62 healthy men from the cohort who were homozygotes for the TT or CC genotype of the FADS1 rs174550 were recruited to a 4-wk intervention (FADSDIET) with an LA-enriched diet. The fatty acid composition of plasma PUFAs and concentrations of plasma fasting glucose, serum hsCRP, and plasma lipid mediators (eicosanoids and related analogs) were measured at the beginning and end of the 4-wk intervention period.
In the FADSDIET trial, the plasma LA proportion increased in both genotype groups in response to an LA-enriched diet. Responses in concentrations of serum hsCRP and plasma fasting glucose and the proportion of arachidonic acid (20:4n–6) in plasma phospholipids and cholesteryl esters differed between genotype groups (interaction of diet × genotype, P < 0.05). In TT homozygous subjects, plasma eicosanoid concentrations correlated with the arachidonic acid proportion in plasma and with hsCRP (r = 0.4–0.7, P < 0.05), whereas in the CC genotype there were no correlations.
Our findings show that the FADS1 genotype modifies metabolic responses to dietary LA. The emerging concept that personalized dietary counseling should be modified by the FADS1 genotype needs to be tested in larger randomized trials. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02543216.
Early blight, caused by
Alternaria solani
, is a common potato disease worldwide. Reduced field efficacy of the fungicide boscalid against this disease has been reported in several countries. ...Boscalid resistance has been mostly studied with
in-vitro
and/or greenhouse experiments. Field studies validating this phenomenon are largely missing. Here, for the first time in Scandinavia, we validated boscalid resistance in a Swedish population of
A. solani
both in the field and in the laboratory. Field trials between 2014 and 2017 in Nymö showed significant efficacy reduction by year. The target regions of the
A. solani
genes encoding the succinate dehydrogenase subunits (Sdh) B, C and D of samples collected from Nymö, and additional fields in south-eastern and central Sweden, were analysed for substitutions associated with loss of boscalid sensitivity. In 2014, the SdhC-H134R mutation was found at several sites at a low frequency, while, in 2017, the majority of the samples had either the SdhB-H278Y or the SdhC-H134R substitution. No mutations were detected in the gene encoding the SdhD subunit. Spore germination tests showed a high sensitivity (EC
50
< 1 μg mL
−1
) of isolates lacking the substitutions. This was supported by a significant decrease in their radial growth rate, from 0.1 to 10 μg mL
−1
boscalid. However, the mutated isolates had EC
50
> 100 μg mL
−1
and their growth rates hardly decreased at concentrations above 1–10 μg mL
−1
. These results add to the current knowledge of fungicide resistance development in field and indicate that early blight management in southeast Sweden should no longer rely on boscalid.
Late blight (caused by Phytophthora infestans) is a devastating potato disease that has been found to occur earlier in the season over the last decades in Fennoscandia. Up until now the reasons for ...this change have not been investigated. Possible explanations for this change are climate alterations, changes in potato production or changes in pathogen biology, such as increased fitness or changes in gene flow within P. infestans populations. The first incidence of late blight is of high economic importance since fungicidal applications should be typically applied two weeks before the first signs of late blight and are repeated on average once a week.
We use field observations of first incidence of late blight in experimental potato fields from five sites in Sweden and Finland covering a total of 30 years and investigate whether the earlier incidence of late blight can be related to the climate.
We linked the field data to meteorological data and found that the previous assumption, used in common late blight models, that the disease only develops at relative humidity levels above 90% had to be rejected. Rather than the typically assumed threshold relationship between late blight disease development and relative humidity we found a linear relationship. Our model furthermore showed two distinct responses of late blight to climate. At the beginning of the observation time (in Sweden until the early 90s and in Finland until the 2000s) the link between climate and first incidence was very weak. However, for the remainder of the time period the link was highly significant, indicating a change in the biological properties of the pathogen which could for example be a change in the dominating reproduction mode or a physiological change in the response of the pathogen to climate.
The study shows that models used in decision support systems need to be checked and re-parametrized regularly to be able to capture changes in pathogen biology. While this study was performed with data from Fennoscandia this new pathogen biology and late blight might spread to (or already be present at) other parts of the world as well. The strong link between climate and first incidence together with the presented model offers a tool to assess late blight incidence in future climates.
Fungal mycelia are versatile, highly productive and sustainable sources for biocomposites to replace conventional plastics. However, with only very few fungal strains that have been characterized, ...numerous strains still remain unexplored as potential competitors against traditional non-biodegradable materials. Moreover, the functionality of mycelium composites at commonly occurring, challenging ambient conditions such as changing humidity and temperature is not well characterized. Here we evaluated the properties of the fungal composite material produced by novel fungal strains, including Trichoderma asperellum and Agaricus bisporus, grown on oat husk and rapeseed cake after oil pressing. The results showed that the mycelium composites were hydrophobic and strong, particularly when grown on rapeseed cake. A. bisporus grown on rapeseed cake exhibited increased stiffness after humidity was successively increased and decreased. The moisture-resistance of these novel mycelium composites is encouraging for novel sustainable material solutions.
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•The dynamic mechanical properties of mycelium composites were studied for the first time at a broad moisture gradient.•Novel mycelium composites from Agaricus bisporus gave high moisture-resistance.•The dense structure and rich chemical composition of rapeseed cake made it a potent feeding substrate for mycelia.
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