The Genetic Basis of Tomato Aroma

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) aroma is determined by the interaction of volatile compounds (VOCs) released by the tomato fruits with receptors in the nose, leading to a sensorial impression, such as “sweet”, “smoky”, or “fruity” aroma. Of the more than 400 VOCs released by tomato fruits, 21 have been reported as main contributors to the perceived tomato aroma. These VOCs can be grouped in five clusters, according to their biosynthetic origins. In the last decades, a vast array of scientific studies has investigated the genetic component of tomato aroma in modern tomato cultivars and their relatives. In this paper we aim to collect, compare, integrate and summarize the available literature on flavour-related QTLs in tomato. Three hundred and 5ifty nine (359) QTLs associated with tomato fruit VOCs were physically mapped on the genome and investigated for the presence of potential candidate genes. This review makes it possible to (i) pinpoint potential donors described in literature for specific traits, (ii) highlight important QTL regions by combining information from different populations, and (iii) pinpoint potential candidate genes. This overview aims to be a valuable resource for researchers aiming to elucidate the genetics underlying tomato flavour and for breeders who aim to improve tomato aroma.</p

The current state and the main trends in the development of geographical information systems in the U.S.S.R

The paper falls into two parts. The approach to geographical information systems (GIS) in the U.S.S.R. and differences in terminology are first discussed. The main part of the paper comprises case studies on the design, construction and use of GIS and of computer-assisted cartography in the U.S.S.R. to illustrate the transition to the introduction of automated technologies to processing of geographical data for science, practice and education, the diversity of contexts, the problems tackled and their departmental attribution, and the territorial span, functional capabilities and technological equipment. The following trends of these developments are identified: the design of integrated GIS, an increase in their capabilities for modelling, the introduction of elements of expert systems, an orientation towards microcomputer technology, an awareness of the need to use standardized hardware and software (including linguistic terms) and a greater interest in the commercial and legal problems of GIS, international collaboration and education. © 1989 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

EPR dosimetry in a mixed neutron and gamma radiation field

Suitability of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy for criticality dosimetry was evaluated for tooth enamel, mannose and alanine pellets during the ‘international intercomparison of criticality dosimetry techniques’ at the SILENE reactor held in Valduc in June 2002, France. These three materials were irradiated in neutron and gamma-ray fields of various relative intensities and spectral distributions in order to evaluate their neutron sensitivity. The neutron response was found to be around 10% for tooth enamel, 45% for mannose and between 40 and 90% for alanine pellets according their type. According to the IAEA recommendations on the early estimate of criticality accident absorbed dose, analyzed results show the EPR potentiality and complementarity with regular criticality techniques

p53 coordinates DNA repair with nucleotide synthesis by suppressing PFKFB3 expression and promoting the pentose phosphate pathway

Activation of p53 in response to DNA damage is essential for tumor suppression. Although previous studies have emphasized the importance of p53-dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis for tumor suppression, recent studies have suggested that other areas of p53 regulation, such as metabolism and DNA damage repair (DDR), are also essential for p53-dependent tumor suppression. However, the intrinsic connections between p53-mediated DDR and metabolic regulation remain incompletely understood. Here, we present data suggesting that p53 promotes nucleotide biosynthesis in response to DNA damage by repressing the expression of the phosphofructokinase-2 (PFK2) isoform 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), a rate-limiting enzyme that promotes glycolysis. PFKFB3 suppression increases the flux of glucose through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) to increase nucleotide production, which results in more efficient DNA damage repair and increased cell survival. Interestingly, although p53-mediated suppression of PFKFB3 could increase the two major PPP products, NADPH and nucleotides, only nucleotide production was essential to promote DDR. By identifying the novel p53 target PFKFB3, we report an important mechanistic connection between p53-regulated metabolism and DDR, both of which play crucial roles in tumor suppression

The rin, nor and Cnr spontaneous mutations inhibit tomato fruit ripening in additive and epistatic manners

Tomato fruit ripening is regulated by transcription factors (TFs), their downstream effector genes, and the ethylene biosynthesis and signalling pathway. Spontaneous non-ripening mutants ripening inhibitor (rin), non-ripening (nor) and Colorless non-ripening (Cnr) correspond with mutations in or near the TF-encoding genes MADS-RIN, NAC-NOR and SPL-CNR, respectively. Here, we produced heterozygous single and double mutants of rin, nor and Cnr and evaluated their functions and genetic interactions in the same genetic background. We showed how these mutations interact at the level of phenotype, individual effector gene expression, and sensory and quality aspects, in a dose-dependent manner. Rin and nor have broadly similar quantitative effects on all aspects, demonstrating their additivity in fruit ripening regulation. We also found that the Cnr allele is epistatic to rin and nor and that its pleiotropic effects on fruit size and volatile production, in contrast to the well-known dominant effect on ripening, are incompletely dominant, or recessive.</p

Typology of Regions and Cities of Russia by Causes of Death

U Rusiji je evidentan problem visoke stope smrtnosti u usporedbi sa zemljama sa sličnim životnim standardom. To se posebno uočava na regionalnoj razini gdje su razlike u smrtnosti i strukturi smrtnosti ogromne. Regije Rusije nalaze se u različitim fazama epidemiološke tranzicije. To se izražava u razlikama u njihovoj stopi smrtnosti i razlikama u strukturi uzroka smrti. Regije i najveći gradovi zemlje ponekad se radikalno razilaze, što uvelike komplicira istraživanje. Ovaj rad predstavlja tipologiju regija i velikih gradova Ruske Federacije prema glavnim klasama uzroka smrti u 2015. godini i njihove kartografske prikaze. Prostorne se značajke smrtnosti prema glavnim uzrocima smrti određuju odvojeno za muškarce i žene. Procjena je izvršena klasifikacijom prema demografskim pokazateljima (uzroci smrtnosti: neke zarazne i parazitske bolesti; tumori; bolesti krvožilnog sustava; bolesti dišnog sustava; bolesti probavnog sustava; vanjski uzroci smrti). Skup podataka obuhvaćao je 250 teritorijalnih jedinica: 85 regija (uključujući gradove od saveznog značaja) i 165 velikih gradova s populacijom većom o 100 000. Na temelju primarne statistike izračunane su standardizirane stope smrtnosti. Klasifikacija je provedena prema algoritmu koji je razvio jedan od autora. Prikazana nam klasifikacija omogućuje isticanje specifičnih karakteristika pojedinih skupina regija i analizu s većim stupnjem točnosti.The problem of the high mortality rate, in comparison with countries with similar living standards, is extremely urgent in Russia. It is especially noticeable at the regional level, where differences in mortality and its structure are enormous. The regions of Russia are at different stages of epidemiological transition. This is expressed in differences in their mortality rates and differences in the structure of causes of death. The regions and largest cities of the country are sometimes diverge radically, which greatly complicates research. This paper presents a typology of regions and large cities of the Russian Federation according to the main classes of causes of death in 2015 and its cartography. The spatial features of mortality according to the main causes of death are determined separately for men and women. The assessment was carried out using classification by demographic indicators (causes of mortality: some infectious and parasitic diseases; tumours; diseases of the circulatory system; respiratory diseases; diseases of the digestive system; external causes of death). The dataset included 250 territorial units: 85 regions (including cities of federal significance) and 165 large cities with populations of over 100,000. Based on the primary statistics, standardised mortality rates were calculated. The classification was carried out according to an algorithm developed by one of the authors. The classification presented allows us to highlight the specific characteristics of individual groups of regions and analyse them with a greater degree of accuracy

Buffered Versus Non-Buffered Lidocaine With Epinephrine for Mandibular Nerve Block: Clinical Outcomes

Outcomes for peak blood levels were assessed for buffered 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine compared with non-buffered 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine. In this institutional review board-approved prospective, randomized, double-blinded, crossover trial, the clinical impact of buffered 2% lidocaine with 1:100,000 epinephrine (Anutra Medical, Research Triangle Park, Cary, NC) was compared with the non-buffered drug. Venous blood samples for lidocaine were obtained 30 minutes after a mandibular nerve block with 80 mg of the buffered or unbuffered drug. Two weeks later, the same subjects were tested with the alternate drug combinations. Subjects also reported on pain on injection with a 10-point Likert-type scale and time to lower lip numbness. The explanatory variable was the drug formulation. Outcome variables were subjects' peak blood lidocaine levels, subjective responses to pain on injection, and time to lower lip numbness. Serum lidocaine levels were analyzed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Statistical analyses were performed using Proc TTEST (SAS 9.3; SAS Institute, Cary, NC), with the crossover option for a 2-period crossover design, to analyze the normally distributed outcome for pain. For non-normally distributed outcomes of blood lidocaine levels and time to lower lip numbness, an assessment of treatment difference was performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum tests with Proc NPAR1WAY (SAS 9.3). Statistical significance was set at a P value less than .05 for all outcomes. Forty-eight percent of subjects were women, half were Caucasian, 22% were African American, and 13% were Asian. Median age was 21 years (interquartile range [IQR], 20-22 yr), and median body weight was 147 lb (IQR, 130-170 lb). Median blood levels (44 blood samples) at 30 minutes were 1.19 μg/L per kilogram of body weight. Mean blood level differences of lidocaine for each patient were significantly lower after nerve block with the buffered drug compared with the non-buffered agent (P < .01). Mean score for pain on injection for nerve block (n = 46 scores) was 3.3 (standard deviation, 0.9). Seventy-eight percent of subjects reported lower or the same pain scores with the buffered drug; 61% of subjects reported a shorter time to lower lip numbness with the buffered drug. Buffering 2% lidocaine with epinephrine can produce clinical outcomes favorable for subjects and clinicians without clinically detrimental peak blood lidocaine levels

Spatial analysis of the spread of Covid-19 and its demographic consequences in the regions of the South of European Russia

The article presents results of the multi-scale analysis of the processes of coronavirus infection spread and its impact on the demographic situation in the world, Russia and regions of the South of the European part of Russia. The methodological basis of the study was the principles of geoinformation monitoring, making it possible to process and visualize large volumes of diverse materials. The information base was statistical data from the Russian and foreign sources reflecting the spread of coronavirus infection at various spatial levels from global to regional-local. The characteristic features of changes in the parameters of the disease during its active expansion are described. The article also deals with dynamics in demographic indicators and identifies trends in their widespread deterioration. The contribution of the South of European Russia macro-region to the all-Russian Covid-19 situation is determined. Development of the coronavirus pandemic at the level of municipal districts is analyzed using individual regions as an example. The study identifies main factors of the Covid-19 pandemic development and demonstrates some of its features and consequences in the largest urban agglomerations

Amino Acids Are an Ineffective Fertilizer for Dunaliella spp. Growth

Autotrophic microalgae are a promising bioproducts platform. However, the fundamental requirements these organisms have for nitrogen fertilizer severely limit the impact and scale of their cultivation. As an alternative to inorganic fertilizers, we investigated the possibility of using amino acids from deconstructed biomass as a nitrogen source in the genus Dunaliella. We found that only four amino acids (glutamine, histidine, cysteine, and tryptophan) rescue Dunaliella spp. growth in nitrogen depleted media, and that supplementation of these amino acids altered the metabolic profile of Dunaliella cells. Our investigations revealed that histidine is transported across the cell membrane, and that glutamine and cysteine are not transported. Rather, glutamine, cysteine, and tryptophan are degraded in solution by a set of oxidative chemical reactions, releasing ammonium that in turn supports growth. Utilization of biomass-derived amino acids is therefore not a suitable option unless additional amino acid nitrogen uptake is enabled through genetic modifications of these algae

Constraint-based probabilistic learning of metabolic pathways from tomato volatiles

Clustering and correlation analysis techniques have become popular tools for the analysis of data produced by metabolomics experiments. The results obtained from these approaches provide an overview of the interactions between objects of interest. Often in these experiments, one is more interested in information about the nature of these relationships, e.g., cause-effect relationships, than in the actual strength of the interactions. Finding such relationships is of crucial importance as most biological processes can only be understood in this way. Bayesian networks allow representation of these cause-effect relationships among variables of interest in terms of whether and how they influence each other given that a third, possibly empty, group of variables is known. This technique also allows the incorporation of prior knowledge as established from the literature or from biologists. The representation as a directed graph of these relationship is highly intuitive and helps to understand these processes. This paper describes how constraint-based Bayesian networks can be applied to metabolomics data and can be used to uncover the important pathways which play a significant role in the ripening of fresh tomatoes. We also show here how this methods of reconstructing pathways is intuitive and performs better than classical techniques. Methods for learning Bayesian network models are powerful tools for the analysis of data of the magnitude as generated by metabolomics experiments. It allows one to model cause-effect relationships and helps in understanding the underlying processes