Fair and healthy food for all: A Victorian independent food system dialogue

This report summarises presentations and a series of facilitated conversations at the "Healthy and Fair Food for All Summit," an independent dialogue process forming part of the global process leading to the first United Nations Food Systems Summit. Held on 27 June 2021, the all-day event was convened by partners of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project, ’Strengthening Food Systems Governance at the Local Level’ (University of Sydney, University of Wollongong, and William Angliss Institute), along with Sustain: The Australian Food Network and the Right to Food Coalition (RTFC). ​The event brought together 120 participants from across the food system, and together attendees explored key challenges and opportunities facing Victoria’s food system (and other food systems) now and in the coming decades, along with concrete actions that needed to advance an agenda of progressive change

OPA1 mutations cause cytochrome c oxidase deficiency due to loss of wild-type mtDNA molecules.

Pathogenic OPA1 mutations cause autosomal dominant optic atrophy (DOA), a condition characterized by the preferential loss of retinal ganglion cells and progressive optic nerve degeneration. Approximately 20% of affected patients will also develop more severe neuromuscular complications, an important disease subgroup known as DOA(+). Cytochrome c oxidase (COX)-negative fibres and multiple mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions have been identified in skeletal muscle biopsies from patients manifesting both the pure and syndromal variants, raising the possibility that the accumulation of somatic mtDNA defects contribute to the disease process. In this study, we investigated the mtDNA changes induced by OPA1 mutations in skeletal muscle biopsies from 15 patients with both pure DOA and DOA(+) phenotypes. We observed a 2- to 4-fold increase in mtDNA copy number at the single-fibre level, and patients with DOA(+) features had significantly greater mtDNA proliferation in their COX-negative skeletal muscle fibres compared with patients with isolated optic neuropathy. Low levels of wild-type mtDNA molecules were present in COX-deficient muscle fibres from both pure DOA and DOA(+) patients, implicating haplo-insufficiency as the mechanism responsible for the biochemical defect. Our findings are consistent with the 'maintenance of wild-type' hypothesis, the secondary mtDNA deletions induced by OPA1 mutations triggering a compensatory mitochondrial proliferative response in order to maintain an optimal level of wild-type mtDNA genomes. However, when deletion levels reach a critical level, further mitochondrial proliferation leads to replication of the mutant species at the expense of wild-type mtDNA, resulting in the loss of respiratory chain COX activity

Comparison of Seven-Day and Repeated 24-Hour Recall of Symptoms in the First 100 Days After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) provide a way to understand the effects of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT)-related stress upon patients' lives. We previously reported that weekly collection of PROs is feasible

No excess of mitochondrial DNA deletions within muscle in progressive multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial dysfunction is an established feature of multiple sclerosis (MS). We recently described high levels of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) deletions within respiratory enzyme-deficient (lacking mitochondrial respiratory chain complex IV with intact complex II) neurons and choroid plexus epithelial cells in progressive MS. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this paper is to determine whether respiratory enzyme deficiency and mtDNA deletions in MS were in excess of age-related changes within muscle, which, like neurons, are post-mitotic cells that frequently harbour mtDNA deletions with ageing and in disease. METHODS: In progressive MS cases (n=17), known to harbour an excess of mtDNA deletions in the central nervous system (CNS), and controls (n=15), we studied muscle (paraspinal) and explored mitochondria in single fibres. Histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, laser microdissection, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), long-range PCR and sequencing were used to resolve the single muscle fibres. RESULTS: The percentage of respiratory enzyme-deficient muscle fibres, mtDNA deletion level and percentage of muscle fibres harbouring high levels of mtDNA deletions were not significantly different in MS compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Our findings do not provide support to the existence of a diffuse mitochondrial abnormality involving multiple systems in MS. Understanding the cause(s) of the CNS mitochondrial dysfunction in progressive MS remains a research priority

Genome sequence of the Medicago-nodulating Ensifer meliloti commercial inoculant strain RRI128

Ensifer meliloti strain RRI128 is an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative, non-spore-forming rod. RRI128 was isolated from a nodule recovered from the roots of barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) grown in the greenhouse and inoculated with soil collected from Victoria, Australia. The strain is used in commercial inoculants in Australia. RRI128 nodulates and forms an effective symbiosis with a diverse range of lucerne cultivars (Medicago sativa) and several species of annual medic (M. truncatula, Medicago littoralis and Medicago tornata), but forms an ineffective symbiosis with Medicago polymorpha. Here we describe the features of E. meliloti strain RRI128, together with genome sequence information and annotation. The 6,900,273 bp draft genome is arranged into 156 scaffolds of 157 contigs, contains 6,683 protein-coding genes and 87 RNA-only encoding genes, and is one of 100 rhizobial genomes sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute 2010 Genomic Encyclopedia for Bacteria and Archaea-Root Nodule Bacteria (GEBA-RNB) project

Comparing Unmet Needs between Community-Based Palliative Care Patients with Heart Failure and Patients with Cancer

Background: As the role of palliative care (PC) has yet to be clearly defined in patients with heart failure (HF), such patients may face barriers regarding PC referral. In order to maximally meet the needs of HF patients, it is necessary to understand how they compare to the classic PC population: patients with cancer

Prevalence of transcription promoters within archaeal operons and coding sequences

Despite the knowledge of complex prokaryotic-transcription mechanisms, generalized rules, such as the simplified organization of genes into operons with well-defined promoters and terminators, have had a significant role in systems analysis of regulatory logic in both bacteria and archaea. Here, we have investigated the prevalence of alternate regulatory mechanisms through genome-wide characterization of transcript structures of ∼64% of all genes, including putative non-coding RNAs in Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1. Our integrative analysis of transcriptome dynamics and protein–DNA interaction data sets showed widespread environment-dependent modulation of operon architectures, transcription initiation and termination inside coding sequences, and extensive overlap in 3′ ends of transcripts for many convergently transcribed genes. A significant fraction of these alternate transcriptional events correlate to binding locations of 11 transcription factors and regulators (TFs) inside operons and annotated genes—events usually considered spurious or non-functional. Using experimental validation, we illustrate the prevalence of overlapping genomic signals in archaeal transcription, casting doubt on the general perception of rigid boundaries between coding sequences and regulatory elements

Feasibility of Frequent Patient-Reported Outcome Surveillance in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), including symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), provide a patient-centered description of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT)-related toxicity. These data characterize the patient experience after HCT and may have prognostic usefulness for long-term outcomes after HCT. We conducted a study of 32 patients after HCT (10 autologous HCT recipients, 11 full-intensity conditioning allogeneic HCT recipients, and 11 reduced-intensity conditioning allogeneic HCT recipients) to determine the feasibility of weekly electronic PRO collection from HCT until day (D) + 100. We used questions from the PRO version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events to capture symptoms, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health scale to measure physical and mental HRQOL. The vast majority (94%) of patients used the electronic PRO system, with only 6% opting for paper-and-pencil only. The median weekly percentage of participants who completed the surveys was 100% in all cohorts through hospital discharge, and remained 100% for the autologous HCT and reduced-intensity allogeneic HCT cohorts through D+100. Patients were satisfied with the electronic system, giving high marks for readability, comfort, and questionnaire length. Symptom severity varied by absolute level and type of symptom across the 3 cohorts, with the full-intensity allogeneic HCT cohort exhibiting the greatest median overall symptom severity, peaking at D+7. Median physical health HRQOL scores decreased with time in the 3 cohorts, and HRQOL was generally correlated with overall symptom severity. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of frequent electronic PROs in the early post-HCT period. Future studies in larger populations to explore predictive models using frequent PRO data for outcomes, including long-term HRQOL and survival, are warranted

Development and validation of the Psychological Adaptation Scale (PAS): Use in six studies of adaptation to a health condition or risk

We introduce The Psychological Adaptation Scale (PAS) for assessing adaptation to a chronic condition or risk and present validity data from six studies of genetic conditions