In vitro propagation of Dactylosphaera vitifolii SHIMER (Homoptera: Phylloxeridae) on shoot and root cultures of a Vitis hybrid

Using a Vitis hybrid, methods of long-term micropropagation of shoots and culture of hairy roots (transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes) were developed. The growth of these organ cultures was characterized. The cultures were used as feeding substrates for grapevine phylloxera. Starting with eggs, at 23.6°C the parthenogenetic life cycle of the aphid proceeded in vitro. Within 2 weeks after inoculation, more than 80 % of the shoot cultures responded with the formation of galls on young leaf blades and swellings on petioles, and, exceptionally, young shoots. At about the same time new eggs were deposited. Gall formation and propagation of phylloxera could be perpetuated for 2.5 years by aseptical transfer of eggs to freshly micropropagated shoots every 1-3 weeks. Within 1 week after inoculation, more than 90 % of the younger parts of root cultures harboured larvae and responded with curvatures and thickenings. After 2 weeks, phylloxera oviposited and during the following weeks the number of eggs and animals increased considerably. Thus, both forms of dual culture enable leaf and root gall formation and propagation of phylloxera excluding further organisms

Calculations Predict That Carbon Tunneling Allows the Degenerate Cope Rearrangement of Semibullvalene to Occur Rapidly at Cryogenic Temperatures

Article on calculations predicting that carbon tunneling allows the degenerate cope rearrangement of semibullvalene to occur rapidly at cryogenic temperatures

Quantification of left atrial size and function in cardiac MR in correlation to non-gated MR and cardiovascular risk factors in subjects without cardiovascular disease: A population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the comparability of gated and non-gated measurements of the left atrial (LA) area and function and their association with cardiovascular risk factors have not been firmly established. METHODS: 3-Tesla MRIs were performed on 400 subjects enrolled in the KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Augsburg Region) MRI study. The LA maximum and minimum sizes were segmented in gated CINE four-chamber sequences (LAmax and LAmin) and non-gated T1 VIBE-Dixon (NGLA). The area-based LA function was defined as LAaf = (LAmax - LAmin)/LAmax. Inter-and intra-reader reliability tests were performed (n = 31). Linear regression analyses were conducted to link LA size and function with cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Data from 378 subjects were included in the analysis (mean age: 56.3 years, 57.7 % male). The measurements were highly reproducible (all intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.98). The average LAmax was 19.6 ± 4.5 cm2, LAmin 11.9 ± 3.5 cm2, NGLA 16.8 ± 4 cm2 and LAaf 40 ± 9%. In regression analysis, hypertension was significantly associated with larger gated LAmax (β = 1.30), LAmin (β = 1.07), and non-gated NGLA (β = 0.94, all p ≤ 0.037). Increasing age was inversely associated with LAaf (β = -1.93, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: LA enlargement, as measured in gated and non-gated CMR is associated with hypertension, while the area-based LA function decreases with age

Serum insulin is associated with right ventricle function parameters and lung volumes in subjects free of cardiovascular disease.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is an established risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Even impaired levels of glucose and insulin might harm organ function prior to diabetes onset. Whether serum glucose or insulin plays a direct role in cardiac dysfunction or lung volume reduction remains unclear. The aim was to investigate the relationship between glucose and insulin with the right ventricle and lung volumes within KORA-MRI FF4 study. Methods: From the KORA-MRI FF4 cohort study 337 subjects (mean age 55.7 ± 9.1 years; 43% women) underwent a whole-body 3T MRI scan. Cardiac parameters derived from a cine-steady-state free precession sequence using cvi42. MRI-based lung volumes derived semi-automatically using an in-house algorithm. Fasting serum glucose, fasting insulin levels, and HOMA index were calculated in all study subjects. Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between glucose and insulin levels with right ventricle volumes and lung volumes adjusted for age, sex, BMI, and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: In univariate and multivariate-adjusted models, high serum insulin was inversely associated with end-diastolic volume (β = −12.43, P < 0.001), end-systolic volume (β = −7.12, P < 0.001), stroke volume (β = −5.32, P < 0.001), but not with ejection fraction. The association remained significant after additional adjustment for lung volumes. Similarly, serum insulin was inversely associated with lung volume (β = −0.15, P = 0.04). Sensitivity analysis confirmed results after excluding subjects with known diabetes. Conclusions: Serum insulin was inversely associated with right ventricle function and lung volumes in subjects from the general population free of cardiovascular disease, suggesting that increased insulin levels may contribute to subclinical cardiopulmonary circulation impairment

Association between adipose tissue depots and dyslipidemia: The KORA-MRI population-based study.

Obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), however, whether adipose tissue relates to dyslipidemia, and consequently to cardiovascular events remains unknown. Thus, we investigated the association of adipose tissue with circulating lipoproteins and triglycerides (TG) in subjects without CVD. 384 participants from the KORA-MRI study (mean age 56.2 ± 9.2 years; 41.9% female) underwent whole-body 3T-MRI. Visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) derived from T1-DIXON-sequence using a semi-automatic algorithm. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and TG were measured. Linear regression was applied to examine the relationships between adipose tissue, circulating lipoproteins, and TG, adjusting for risk factors. VAT was associated with total cholesterol (per SD increase) (ß = 0.39, p < 0.001). Total adipose tissue (TAT) and VAT were inversely associated with HDL (ß = −0.09, p = 0.009; ß = −0.14, p < 0.001), and positively associated with LDL (ß = 0.32, p < 0.001; ß = 0.37, p < 0.001). All adipose tissues were associated with TG (ß = 0.20, p < 0.001; ß = 0.27, p < 0.001; ß = 0.11, p = 0.004). Stratified analysis by sex and body mass index (BMI) was confirmatory in women and in individuals with BMI < 30. Our results suggest that adipose tissue plays an important role in increasing CVD risk independent of BMI, whereas gender imbalance may be explained by accurate characterization and quantification of adipose tissue

Association of MRI-based adrenal gland volume and impaired glucose metabolism in a population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to asses adrenal gland volume by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to study its role as an indirect marker of impaired glucose metabolism and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation in a population-based cohort. METHODS: Asymptomatic participants were enrolled in a nested case-control study and underwent a 3-T MRI, including T1w-VIBE-Dixon sequences. For assessment of adrenal gland volume, adrenal glands were manually segmented in a blinded fashion. Impaired glucose metabolism was determined using fasting glucose and oral glucose tolerance test. Cardiometabolic risk factors were also obtained. Inter- and intrareader reliability as well as univariate and multivariate associations were derived. RESULTS: Among 375 subjects included in the analysis (58.5% male, 56.1 ± 9.1 years), 25.3% participants had prediabetes and 13.6% had type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Total adrenal gland volume was 11.2 ± 4.2 ml, and differed significantly between impaired glucose metabolism and healthy controls with largest total adrenal gland volume in T2DM (healthy controls: 10.0 ± 3.9 ml, prediabetes: 12.5 ± 3.8 ml, T2DM: 13.9 ± 4.6 ml; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, association of T2DM and increased adrenal gland volume was independent of age, sex, hypertension, triglycerides and body mass index (BMI), but was attenuated in subjects with prediabetes after adjustment for BMI. CONCLUSIONS: T2DM is significantly associated with increased adrenal gland volume by MRI in an asymptomatic cohort, independent of age, sex, dyslipidemia, hypertension and BMI. Adrenal gland volume may represent an indirect marker of impaired glucose metabolism and HPA axis dysfunction