Mealiness of Forelle pears - Quo vadis

The original publication is available at http://www.actahort.org/books/671/671_52.htm‘Forelle’ (Pyrus communis), a late season blushed pear cultivar grown in South Africa, requires a minimum of 12-weeks cold storage (-0.5 °C) to ripen evenly. Mealiness, a dry texture disorder, may develop at this time. In contrast to other pear cultivars, longer cold storage periods result in less mealiness. This could be related to insufficient total ACC build up and ethylene production, during the first 12 weeks of cold storage, for juicy texture development, during ripening. ‘Forelle’ pears were stored for 3 weeks at -0.5°C, treated with ethylene (100 μL L-1, 24h, 20°C), stored at 20°C for 2 days and thereafter 3 weeks at -0.5°C. Ethylene treatment led to an increase in mealiness after this period. However there were no differences in treated and control fruit following further ripening at 15°C for 7 days. Mealiness could not be linked to insufficient ethylene during shorter storage periods. Harvest maturity, a factor known to influence mealiness, was tested by harvesting fruit 2 weeks prior to commercial harvest, during commercial harvest, and 2 and 4 weeks after commercial harvest. Mealiness occurred at all harvest dates after 6 weeks at -0.5°C and 7 days at 15°C. Storage temperature was also tested as another factor influencing mealiness. Fruit were stored at -0.5°C, 4°C and 7.5°C for 6 weeks and ripened for 7 days at 15°C. Fruit stored at 4°C and 7.5°C ripened with 0 and 8% mealiness, respectively, in contrast to 70% in control fruit. Results could, however, not be confirmed in 2002 and 2003 as all treatments exhibited low mealiness levels (<4%). As high temperatures prior to harvest may influence mealiness, overhead evaporative cooling was applied during 2003 from early fruit development or from 2 weeks prior to harvest. Little to no mealiness developed in all treatments making it difficult to conclude if cooling prior to harvest affects mealiness

Improving transparency in data access processes: Developing best practice standards and promoting system-wide change through a competitive funding call

Introduction Transparency in the use of data for research benefits the public and researchers by fostering trust and enabling efficient data sharing. Public support for access to their data for research depends on robust data security, the absence of conflicting interests, and a clear demonstration of public benefit, all of which must be evident through transparent practices. A lack of clarity in data access processes can delay research, highlighting the need for clear and streamlined approval procedures. To maintain what is often referred to as a `social license to operate', organisations must meet and uphold societal expectations, with transparency being a key dimension of that responsibility. Objective To develop and foster adoption of a set of transparency standards for the data science community, supporting trustworthy and streamlined data use for health and socio-economic research and planning. Methods A multi-stakeholder deliberation was undertaken, informed by two reviews of existing data access procedures across participating organisations. Stakeholders included healthcare and research organisations, data custodians, regulators, industry representatives, academic experts, and members of the public. Results The review and deliberation identified missed opportunities to inform and involve the public in data access procedures, along with inconsistencies in data access processes and supporting materials across the organisations. In response, we developed the Transparency Standards, comprising 28 recommended actions grouped into four themes: provision of clear data access guidance; clear website navigation designed to meet the needs of public and research users; regular review and iterative improvement of processes; and reporting of data access outcomes and information security findings. A targeted funding call facilitated the adoption of standards in 19 organisations, resulting in reusable transparency materials and transferable knowledge to support wider implementation. Conclusion The Transparency Standards support data custodians in strengthening openness and accountability in data access processes, helping to build public trust while simplifying procedures for researchers. Their broad adoption demonstrates a shared commitment to the ethical use of data. However, varying levels of implementation point to the need for continued investment to sustain progress and respond to public and researcher expectations

Validation of CIP2A as a Biomarker of Subsequent Disease Progression and Treatment Failure in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia

It would be clinically useful to prospectively identify the risk of disease progression in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Overexpression of cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) (CIP2A) protein is an adverse prognostic indicator in many cancers. Methods: We examined CIP2A protein levels in diagnostic samples from the SPIRIT2 trial in 172 unselected patients, of whom 90 received imatinib and 82 dasatinib as first-line treatment. Results: High CIP2A levels correlated with inferior progression-free survival (p = 0.04) and with worse freedom from progression (p = 0.03), and these effects were confined to dasatinib recipients. High CIP2A levels were associated with a six-fold higher five-year treatment failure rate than low CIP2A levels (41% vs. 7.5%; p = 0.0002), in both imatinib (45% vs. 11%; p = 0.02) and dasatinib recipients (36% vs. 4%; p = 0.007). Imatinib recipients with low CIP2A levels had a greater risk of treatment failure (p = 0.0008). CIP2A levels were independent of Sokal, Hasford, EUTOS (EUropean Treatment and Outcome Study), or EUTOS long-term survival scores (ELTS) or the presence of major route cytogenetic abnormalities. No association was seen between CIP2A levels and time to molecular response or the levels of the CIP2A-related proteins PP2A, SET, SET binding protein 1 (SETBP1), or AKT. Conclusions: These data confirm that high diagnostic CIP2A levels correlate with subsequent disease progression and treatment failure. CIP2A is a simple diagnostic biomarker that may be useful in planning treatment strategies

3D genomics across the tree of life reveals condensin II as a determinant of architecture type

We investigated genome folding across the eukaryotic tree of life. We find two types of three-dimensional (3D) genome architectures at the chromosome scale. Each type appears and disappears repeatedly during eukaryotic evolution. The type of genome architecture that an organism exhibits correlates with the absence of condensin II subunits. Moreover, condensin II depletion converts the architecture of the human genome to a state resembling that seen in organisms such as fungi or mosquitoes. In this state, centromeres cluster together at nucleoli, and heterochromatin domains merge. We propose a physical model in which lengthwise compaction of chromosomes by condensin II during mitosis determines chromosome-scale genome architecture, with effects that are retained during the subsequent interphase. This mechanism likely has been conserved since the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes

Estimating Grizzly and Black Bear Population Abundance and Trend in Banff National Park Using Noninvasive Genetic Sampling

We evaluated the potential of two noninvasive genetic sampling methods, hair traps and bear rub surveys, to estimate population abundance and trend of grizzly (Ursus arctos) and black bear (U. americanus) populations in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Using Huggins closed population mark-recapture models, we obtained the first precise abundance estimates for grizzly bears ( = 73.5, 95% CI = 64–94 in 2006;  = 50.4, 95% CI = 49–59 in 2008) and black bears ( = 62.6, 95% CI = 51–89 in 2006;  = 81.8, 95% CI = 72–102 in 2008) in the Bow Valley. Hair traps had high detection rates for female grizzlies, and male and female black bears, but extremely low detection rates for male grizzlies. Conversely, bear rubs had high detection rates for male and female grizzlies, but low rates for black bears. We estimated realized population growth rates, lambda, for grizzly bear males ( = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.74–1.17) and females ( = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.67–1.20) using Pradel open population models with three years of bear rub data. Lambda estimates are supported by abundance estimates from combined hair trap/bear rub closed population models and are consistent with a system that is likely driven by high levels of human-caused mortality. Our results suggest that bear rub surveys would provide an efficient and powerful means to inventory and monitor grizzly bear populations in the Central Canadian Rocky Mountains

Multiple Invasions into Freshwater by Pufferfishes (Teleostei: Tetraodontidae): A Mitogenomic Perspective

Pufferfishes of the Family Tetraodontidae are the most speciose group in the Order Tetraodontiformes and mainly inhabit coastal waters along continents. Although no members of other tetraodontiform families have fully discarded their marine lives, approximately 30 tetraodontid species spend their entire lives in freshwaters in disjunct tropical regions of South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. To investigate the interrelationships of tetraodontid pufferfishes and thereby elucidate the evolutionary origins of their freshwater habitats, we performed phylogenetic analysis based on whole mitochondrial genome sequences from 50 tetraodontid species and closely related species (including 31 newly determined sequences). The resulting phylogenies reveal that the family is composed of four major lineages and that freshwater species from the different continents are independently nested in two of the four lineages. A monophyletic origin of the use of freshwater habitats was statistically rejected, and ancestral habitat reconstruction on the resulting tree demonstrates that tetraodontids independently entered freshwater habitats in different continents at least three times. Relaxed molecular-clock Bayesian divergence time estimation suggests that the timing of these invasions differs between continents, occurring at 0–10 million years ago (MA) in South America, 17–38 MA in Central Africa, and 48–78 MA in Southeast Asia. These timings are congruent with geological events that could facilitate adaptation to freshwater habitats in each continent