COBRA: a new European research project for organic plant breeding

Development of organic plant breeding and seed production will have a valuable impact on organic plant production. Breeding of plant material adapted for organic agriculture is crucial in order to cope with stresses such as climate change, weeds and seed borne diseases. Conventional varieties may not meet the specific needs of organic agriculture. The use of plant material adapted to conditions of organic agriculture will have a positive effect on the productivity and sustainability of organic crop production

The long-term impact of early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis on radiographic progression: a population-based cohort study

Objective. To measure the long-term rate of radiographic progression in a cohort of patients treated early vs late with conventional DMARDs. Methods. The long-term rate of radiographic progression in patients included in the Swiss clinical quality management in rheumatoid arthritis (SCQM-RA) registry who initiated treatment with conventional DMARDs within the first year of symptom onset (early DMARD) vs patients who initiated treatment 1-5 years after symptom onset (late DMARD). Radiographic progression was assessed in 38 joints using a validated score (Ratingen Score). The rate of progression was calculated using a multivariate regression model for longitudinal data, adjusting for potential confounders. Results. A total of 970 RA patients were included. The 368 patients in the early DMARD group started therapy after a median symptom duration of 6 months, whereas the 602 patients in the late DMARD group initiated therapy after median 2.5 years. RF, MTX use and other risk factors for erosive disease progression were similar between the two groups. However, the estimated rate of radiographic progression at baseline was higher in the early DMARD vs the late DMARD group (1.8 vs 0.6, P < 0.01). In spite of this, the long-term rate of radiographic progression was significantly lower in the early DMARD group after adjustment for confounding factors (−0.35 at 5 years, P = 0.012). Conclusion. This result supports the concept of a therapeutic window of opportunity early in the disease course and suggests that early initiation of DMARD therapy results in a long-lasting reduction of radiographic damag

Resistenzeigenschaften von Freilandtomaten gegen Phytophthora infestans

Results of first laboratory tests indicated large differences in partial and race-specific resistance among ten tomato varieties. Field tests confirm the general pattern observed in the laboratory. This should allow for the selection of good parents for the combination of complementary resistance traits

Ertragsstabilität und Qualität von Weizensortenmischungen im Ökologischen Anbau

Disease development, yield and baking quality were assessed on the winter wheat cultivars Arina and Capo and their 1:1 mixture in a total of 12 sites on-farm in 2002/2003. Due to a severe drought disease severities were very low and probably had little effect on the plants. The more drought tolerant variety Capo over-yielded in mixtures on average by 21% while Arina yielded in mixtures as expected. Protein and gluten contents and baking volume in pure stands of Arina were usually higher than for Capo. Both varieties changed their quality parameters in mixtures. However, the parameters of the mixtures were not equal to the mean of the pure stands indicating some unknown interactions. The quality parameters of each variety or mixture were compared to the mean of all treatments in a given site allowing for regression analysis across sites. Capo was least able to improve its quality in reaction to improved site potential (expressed as mean baking volume) (slope: 0.64) while the mixtures reacted strongest (slope: 1.47). This indicates that mixtures might be better able to profit from good growing conditions than pure stands

Lower odds of remission among women with rheumatoid arthritis: A cohort study in the Swiss Clinical Quality Management cohort.

To compare the likelihood of achieving remission between men and women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after starting their first biologic or targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (b/tsDMARD). This cohort study in the Swiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatic Diseases (SCQM) registry included RA patients starting their first b/tsDMARD (1997-31/04/2018). The odds of achieving remission at ≤12-months, defined by disease activity score 28-joints (DAS28) &lt;2.6, were compared between men and women. Secondary analyses were adjusted for age and seropositivity, and we investigated potential mediators or factors that could explain the main findings. The study included 2839 (76.3%) women and 883 (23.7%) men with RA. Compared to women, men were older at diagnosis and b/tsDMARD start, but had shorter time from diagnosis to b/tsDMARD (3.4 versus 5.0 years, p&lt;0.001), and they had lower DAS28 at b/tsDMARD start. Compared to women, men had 21% increased odds of achieving DAS28-remission, with odds ratio (OR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.42. Adjusting for age and seropositivity yielded similar findings (adjusted OR 1.24, 95%CI 1.05-1.46). Analyses of potential mediators suggested that the observed effect may be explained by the shorter disease duration and lower DAS28 at treatment initiation in men versus women. Men started b/tsDMARD earlier than women, particularly regarding disease duration and disease activity (DAS28), and had higher odds of reaching remission. This highlights the importance of early initiation of second line treatments, and suggests to target an earlier stage of disease in women to match the benefits observed in men

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on decisions for the management of people with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: a survey among EULAR countries

Objectives: To investigate how the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic influenced decisions of rheumatologists and health professionals in rheumatology regarding the management of patients with inflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs). Methods: An English-language questionnaire was developed by a EULAR working group and distributed via national rheumatology societies of EULAR countries, EMEUNET and individual working group members. Responses were collected using an online survey tool. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Results: We analysed 1286 responses from 35/45 EULAR countries. Due to containment measures, 82% of respondents indicated cancellation/postponement of face-to-face visits of new patients (84% of them offering remote consultation) and 91% of follow-up visits (96% with remote consultation). The majority of respondents (58%) perceived that the interval between symptom onset and first rheumatological consultations was longer during containment restrictions than before. Treatment decisions were frequently postponed (34%), and the majority (74%) of respondents stated that it was less likely to start a biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD)/targeted synthetic DMARD during the pandemic, mainly because of patients’ fear, limited availability of screening procedures and decreased availability of rheumatological services. Use of (hydroxy)chloroquine (HCQ) and tocilizumab (TCZ) for the COVID-19 indication was reported by 47% and 42% of respondents, respectively, leading to a shortage of these drugs for RMDs indications according to 49% and 14% of respondents, respectively. Conclusion: Measures related to containment of COVID-19 pandemic led to a perceived delay between symptom onset and a first rheumatological visit, postponement of treatment decisions, and shortage of HCQ and TCZ, thereby negatively impacting early treatment and treat-to-target strategies

Improved limits on nuebar emission from mu+ decay

We investigated mu+ decays at rest produced at the ISIS beam stop target. Lepton flavor (LF) conservation has been tested by searching for \nueb via the detection reaction p(\nueb,e+)n. No \nueb signal from LF violating mu+ decays was identified. We extract upper limits of the branching ratio for the LF violating decay mu+ -> e+ \nueb \nu compared to the Standard Model (SM) mu+ -> e+ nue numub decay: BR < 0.9(1.7)x10^{-3} (90%CL) depending on the spectral distribution of \nueb characterized by the Michel parameter rho=0.75 (0.0). These results improve earlier limits by one order of magnitude and restrict extensions of the SM in which \nueb emission from mu+ decay is allowed with considerable strength. The decay \mupdeb as source for the \nueb signal observed in the LSND experiment can be excluded.Comment: 10 pages, including 1 figure, 1 tabl

Symptom complexes in patients with seropositive arthralgia and in patients newly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative exploration of symptom development

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore symptoms and symptom development during the earliest phases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with seropositive arthralgia and patients newly diagnosed with RA