Morphological versus molecular markers to describe variability in Juniperus excelsa subsp. excelsa (Cupressaceae)

41 p.Background and aims: Juniperus excelsa M.-Bieb. is a major forest element in the mountains of the eastern part of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean regions. This study comprises the first morphological investigation covering a large part of the geographical range of J. excelsa and aims to verify the congruency between the morphological results and molecular results of a previous study. Methodology: We studied 14 populations sampled from Greece, Cyprus, Ukraine, Turkey and Lebanon, from which 11 have previously been investigated using molecular markers. Three hundred and ninety four individuals of J. excelsa were examined using nine biometric features characterising cones, seeds and shoots; and eight derived ratios. Statistical analyses were conducted in order to evaluate the intra and interpopulation morphological variability. Principal results: The level of intra-population variability observed did not show any geographic trends. The total variation mostly depended on the ratios of cone diameter/seed width and seed width/seed length. The discrimination analysis, the Ward agglomeration method and barrier analysis results showed a separation into three main clusters of the sampled populations. These results confirmed, in part, the geographic differentiation revealed by molecular markers with a lower level of differentiation and a less clear geographic pattern. The most differentiated populations using both markers corresponded to old, isolated populations in the high altitudes of Lebanon (>2000 m). Moreover a separation of the northern Turkish population from the southern Turkish populations was observed using both markers. Conclusions: Morphological variation together with genetic and biogeographic studies together make an effective good tool for detecting relict plant populations and also populations subjected to more intensive selection.The research was conducted within the statutory research programme of the Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kórnik, Poland and supported by the Research Council of Saint-Joseph University of Beirut.Peer reviewe

Different Without Disagreement: Understanding Polarization in the United States

A prevailing belief is that Americans hold a shared set of values that finds expression in and is informed by our nation’s founding documents. It is puzzling, then, to acknowledge that the United States is more polarized now than at any time since Reconstruction. Our research examined possible explanations for the tension between Americans holding a shared set of values and their being highly polarized, especially concerning the following issues: abortion, capital punishment, gun control, and same-sex marriage. We found evidence that suggests there could be two types of polarization: substantive and superficial. Based on a metric we term ‘scattering,’ a measure of consensus regarding the most pertinent value for a given issue, we argue that polarization on capital punishment and gun control is substantive, while polarization on abortion and same-sex marriage is merely superficial. We argue that substantive polarization is to be preferred to superficial polarization

Francisella tularensis Transmission by Solid Organ Transplantation, 20171.

In July 2017, fever and sepsis developed in 3 recipients of solid organs (1 heart and 2 kidneys) from a common donor in the United States; 1 of the kidney recipients died. Tularemia was suspected only after blood cultures from the surviving kidney recipient grew Francisella species. The organ donor, a middle-aged man from the southwestern United States, had been hospitalized for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome, pneumonia, and multiorgan failure. F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (clade A2) was cultured from archived spleen tissue from the donor and blood from both kidney recipients. Whole-genome multilocus sequence typing indicated that the isolated strains were indistinguishable. The heart recipient remained seronegative with negative blood cultures but had been receiving antimicrobial drugs for a medical device infection before transplant. Two lagomorph carcasses collected near the donor's residence were positive by PCR for F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (clade A2). This investigation documents F. tularensis transmission by solid organ transplantation

A three-factor model of common early onset psychiatric disorders: temperament, adversity, and dopamine

Commonly comorbid early onset psychiatric disorders might reflect the varying expression of overlapping risk factors. The mediating processes remain poorly understood, but three factors show some promise: adolescent externalizing traits, early life adversity, and midbrain dopamine autoreceptors. To investigate whether these features acquire greater predictive power when combined, a longitudinal study was conducted in youth who have been followed since birth. Cohort members were invited to participate based on externalizing scores between 11 to 16 years of age. At age 18 (age 18.5 ± 0.6 y.o.), 52 entry criteria meeting volunteers had a 90-min positron emission tomography scan with [(18)F]fallypride, completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and were assessed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. The three-factor model identified those with a lifetime history of DSM-5 disorders with an overall accuracy of 90.4% (p = 2.4 × 10(−5)) and explained 91.5% of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [95% CI: .824, 1.000]. Targeting externalizing disorders specifically did not yield a more powerful model than targeting all disorders (p = 0.54). The model remained significant when including data from participants who developed their first disorders during a three-year follow-up period (p = 3.5 × 10(−5)). Together, these results raise the possibility that a combination of temperamental traits, childhood adversity, and poorly regulated dopamine transmission increases risk for diverse, commonly comorbid, early onset psychiatric problems, predicting this susceptibility prospectively

Spleen Tyrosine Kinase Is a Critical Regulator of Neutrophil Responses to Candida Species

Neutrophils are recognized to represent significant immune cell mediators for the clearance and elimination of the human-pathogenic fungal pathogen Candida. The sensing of fungi by innate cells is performed, in part, through lectin receptor recognition of cell wall components and downstream cellular activation by signaling components, including spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk). While the essential role of Syk in macrophages and dendritic cells is clear, there remains uncertainty with respect to its contribution in neutrophils. In this study, we demonstrated that Syk is critical for multiple cellular functions in neutrophils responding to major human-pathogenic Candida species. These data not only demonstrate the vital nature of Syk with respect to the control of fungi by neutrophils but also warn of the potential infectious complications arising from the recent clinical development of novel Syk inhibitors for hematologic and autoimmune disorders.Invasive fungal infections constitute a lethal threat, with patient mortality as high as 90%. The incidence of invasive fungal infections is increasing, especially in the setting of patients receiving immunomodulatory agents, chemotherapy, or immunosuppressive medications following solid-organ or bone marrow transplantation. In addition, inhibitors of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) have been recently developed for the treatment of patients with refractory autoimmune and hematologic indications. Neutrophils are the initial innate cellular responders to many types of pathogens, including invasive fungi. A central process governing neutrophil recognition of fungi is through lectin binding receptors, many of which rely on Syk for cellular activation. We previously demonstrated that Syk activation is essential for cellular activation, phagosomal maturation, and elimination of phagocytosed fungal pathogens in macrophages. Here, we used combined genetic and chemical inhibitor approaches to evaluate the importance of Syk in the response of neutrophils to Candida species. We took advantage of a Cas9-expressing neutrophil progenitor cell line to generate isogenic wild-type and Syk-deficient neutrophils. Syk-deficient neutrophils are unable to control the human pathogens Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, and Candida auris. Neutrophil responses to Candida species, including the production of reactive oxygen species and of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), phagocytosis, and neutrophil swarming, appear to be critically dependent on Syk. These results demonstrate an essential role for Syk in neutrophil responses to Candida species and raise concern for increased fungal infections with the development of Syk-modulating therapeutics

Francisella tularensis Transmission by Solid Organ Transplantation, 2017

In July 2017, fever and sepsis developed in 3 recipients of solid organs (1 heart and 2 kidneys) from a common donor in the United States; 1 of the kidney recipients died. Tularemia was suspected only after blood cultures from the surviving kidney recipient grew Francisella species. The organ donor, a middle-aged man from the southwestern United States, had been hospitalized for acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome, pneumonia, and multiorgan failure. F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (clade A2) was cultured from archived spleen tissue from the donor and blood from both kidney recipients. Whole-genome multilocus sequence typing indicated that the isolated strains were indistinguishable. The heart recipient remained seronegative with negative blood cultures but had been receiving antimicrobial drugs for a medical device infection before transplant. Two lagomorph carcasses collected near the donor’s residence were positive by PCR for F. tularensis subsp. tularensis (clade A2). This investigation documents F. tularensis transmission by solid organ transplantation