Improving Information and Performance in Grain Marketing: an Assessment of Current Market Information Systems, and Recommendations for Developing a Public Grain MIS

This paper focuses on one dimension which is at the core of all modern economies: how to provide private and public agents with timely and accurate information regarding current and expected future market conditions. Its objective is to show the need for a public market information system for agricultural markets in Ethiopia, and to present concrete proposals that can be reviewed, debated, and modified as necessary by the relevant Ethiopian authorities in collaboration with Food Security Research Project (FSRP) personnel.food security, food policy, Crop Production/Industries, Marketing, Q18,

Regulatory T cells control the dynamic and site-specific polarization of total CD4 T cells following Salmonella infection

FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) control inflammation and maintain mucosal homeostasis, but their functions during infection are poorly understood. Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells can be identified by master transcription factors (TFs) T-bet, GATA3, and RORγT; Tregs also express these TFs. While T-bet+ Tregs can selectively suppress Th1 cells, it is unclear whether distinct Treg populations can alter Th bias. To address this, we used Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium to induce nonlethal colitis. Following infection, we observed an early colonic Th17 response within total CD4 T cells, followed by a Th1 bias. The early Th17 response, which contains both Salmonella-specific and non-Salmonella-specific cells, parallels an increase in T-bet+ Tregs. Later, Th1 cells and RORγT+ Tregs dominate. This reciprocal dynamic may indicate that Tregs selectively suppress Th cells, shaping the immune response. Treg depletion 1–2 days post-infection shifted the early Th17 response to a Th1 bias; however, Treg depletion 6–7 days post-infection abrogated the Th1 bias. Thus, Tregs are necessary for the early Th17 response, and for a maximal Th1 response later. These data show that Tregs shape the overall tissue CD4 T cell response and highlight the potential for subpopulations of Tregs to be used in targeted therapeutic approaches

Predicting Driving Performance in Older Adults with the Useful Field of View Test: A Meta-Analysis

This investigation examines the Useful Field of View (specifically theUFOV® test), as a predictor of objective measures of driving performance.PubMed and PsycInfo databases were searched to retrieve eight independentstudies reporting bivariate relationships between the UFOV® test and drivingmeasures (driving simulator performance, state-recorded crashes, and on-roaddriving). Cumulative meta-analysis techniques were used to examine thepredictive utility of the test, to determine whether the effect size was stable acrossstudies, and to assess whether a sufficient number of studies have been conductedto conclude that the test is an effective predictor of driving competence. Resultsshowed that the study samples could have been drawn from the same population.The weighted mean effect size across all studies revealed a large effect, Cohen’sd=0.945, with poorer UFOV® test performance associated with negative drivingoutcomes. This relationship was robust across multiple indices of drivingperformance and several research laboratories. A concrete measure of sufficiencyrevealed that an additional 513 studies averaging a null result must be conductedto bring the p-value for the cumulative effect size to greater than .05. Thisconvergence of evidence across different points in time and different researchteams confirms the importance of the UFOV® assessment as a valid and reliableindex of driving performance and safety. Corroborating this finding, a recent largefield study in Maryland has further established the UFOV® test as a usefulscreening instrument to identify at-risk older drivers. Taken together, thesefindings could have far-reaching implications for public policy

Reward processing electrophysiology in schizophrenia : effects of age and illness phase

Background: Reward processing abnormalities may underlie characteristic pleasure and motivational impairments in schizophrenia. Some neural measures of reward processing show age-related modulation, highlighting the importance of considering age effects on reward sensitivity. We compared event-related potentials (ERPs) reflecting reward anticipation (stimulus-preceding negativity, SPN) and evaluation (reward positivity, RewP; late positive potential, LPP) across individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HC), with an emphasis on examining the effects of chronological age, brain age (i.e., predicted age based on neurobiological measures), and illness phase. Methods: Subjects underwent EEG while completing a slot-machine task for which rewards were not dependent on performance accuracy, speed, or response preparation. Slot-machine task EEG responses were compared between 54 SZ and 54 HC individuals, ages 19 to 65. Reward-related ERPs were analyzed with respect to chronological age, categorically-defined illness phase (early; ESZ versus chronic schizophrenia; CSZ), and were used to model brain age relative to chronological age. Results: Illness phase-focused analyses indicated there were no group differences in average SPN or RewP amplitudes. However, a group x reward outcome interaction revealed that ESZ differed from HC in later outcome processing, reflected by greater LPP responses following loss versus reward (a reversal of the HC pattern). While brain age estimates did not differ among groups, depressive symptoms in SZ were associated with older brain age estimates while controlling for negative symptoms. Conclusions: ESZ and CSZ did not differ from HC in reward anticipation or early outcome processing during a cognitively undemanding reward task, highlighting areas of preserved functioning. However, ESZ showed altered later reward outcome evaluation, pointing to selective reward deficits during the early illness phase of schizophrenia. Further, an association between ERP-derived brain age and depressive symptoms in SZ extends prior findings linking depression with reward-related ERP blunting. Taken together, both illness phase and age may impact reward processing among SZ, and brain aging may offer a promising, novel marker of reward dysfunction that warrants further study

Transgenic Mice Expressing Lipoprotein Lipase in Adipose Tissue: ABSENCE OF THE PROXIMAL 3′-UNTRANSLATED REGION CAUSES TRANSLATIONAL UPREGULATION

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a key enzyme in lipoprotein and adipocyte metabolism. Defects in LPL can lead to hypertriglyceridemia and the subsequent development of atherosclerosis. The mechanisms of regulation of this enzyme are complex and may occur at multiple levels of gene expression. Because the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) is involved in LPL translational regulation, transgenic mice were generated with adipose tissue expression of an LPL construct either with or without the proximal 3′-UTR and driven by the aP2 promoter. Both transgenic mouse colonies were viable and expressed the transgene, resulting in a 2-fold increase in LPL activity in white adipose tissue. Neither mouse colony exhibited any obvious phenotype in terms of body weight, plasma lipids, glucose, and non-esterified fatty acid levels. In the mice expressing hLPL with an intact 3′-UTR, hLPL mRNA expression approximately paralleled hLPL activity. However in the mice without the proximal 3′-UTR, hLPL mRNA was low in the setting of large amounts of hLPL protein and LPL activity. In previous studies, the 3′-UTR of LPL was critical for the inhibitory effects of constitutively expressed hormones, such as thyroid hormone and catecholamines. Therefore, these data suggest that the absence of the 3′-UTR results in a translationally unrepressed LPL, resulting in a moderate overexpression of adipose LPL activity

The roles of age at puberty and energy restriction |in sow reproductive longevity: a genomic perspective

Approximately 50% of sows are culled annually with more than one-third due to poor fertility. Our research demonstrated that age at puberty is an early pre-breeding indicator of reproductive longevity. Age at puberty can be measured early in life, has a moderate heritability, and is negatively correlated with lifetime number of parities. Detection of age at puberty is tedious and time consuming and is therefore not collected by the industry, which limits genetic progress. Genomic prediction is a viable approach to preselect gilts that will express puberty early and have superior reproductive longevity. The hypothesis that genetic variants explaining differences in age at puberty also explain differences in sow reproductive longevity was tested. Phenotypes, genotypes, and tissues from the UNL resource population (n \u3e 1700) were used in genome-wide association analyses, genome, and RNA sequencing to uncover functional polymorphisms that could explain variation in puberty and reproductive longevity. A BeadArray including 56,424 SNP explained 25.2% of the phenotypic variation in age at puberty in a training set (n = 820). Evaluation of major windows and SNPs of subsequent batches of similar genetics (n = 412) showed that if all SNPs located in the major 1-Mb windows were tested, they explained a substantial amount of phenotypic variation (12.3 to 36.8%). Due to differences in linkage disequilibrium status, the most informative SNP from these windows explained a lower proportion of the variation (6.5 to 23.7%). To improve genomic predictive ability, the limited capability of BeadArray was enhanced by potential functional variants uncovered by genome sequencing of selected sires (n = 20; \u3e20X). There were 11.2 mil. SNPs and 2.9 mil. indels discovered across sires and reference genomes. The role of gene expression differences in explaining phenotypic variation in age at puberty was investigated by RNA sequencing of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) in gilts (n = 37) with different pubertal statuses. Seventy genes, including genes involved in reproductive processes, were differentially expressed between gilts with early and late puberty status (Padj \u3c 0.1). Dietary restriction of energy 3 mo before breeding delayed puberty by 7 d but improved the potential of a sow producing up to three parities (P \u3c 0.05). Energy restriction was associated with differential expression in 42 genes in the ARC, including genes involved in energy metabolism. This integrated genomic information will be evaluated in commercial populations to improve the reproductive potential of sows through genomic selection. This project is supported by AFRI Competitive grant no. 2013-68004-20370 from the USDA-NIFA. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer

Genetic trends for yield and key agronomic traits in pre-commercial and commercial maize varieties between 2008 and 2020 in Uganda

Estimating genetic gains is vital to optimize breeding programs for increased efficiency. Genetic gains should translate into productivity gains if returns to investments in breeding and impact are to be realized. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic gain for grain yield and key agronomic traits in pre-commercial and commercial maize varieties from public and private breeding programs tested in (i) national performance trials (NPT), (ii) era trial and, (iii) compare the trends with the national average. The study used (i) historical NPT data on 419 improved maize varieties evaluated in 23 trials at 6-8 locations each between 2008 and 2020, and (ii) data from an era trial of 54 maize hybrids released between 1999 and 2020. The NPT data was first analyzed using a mixed model and resulting estimate for each entry was regressed onto its first year of testing. Analysis was done over all entries, only entries from National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), or private seed companies. Estimated genetic gain was 2.25% or 81 kg ha-1 year-1 from the NPT analysis. A comparison of genetic trends by source indicated that CIMMYT entries had a gain of 1.98% year-1 or 106 kg ha-1 year-1. In contrast, NARO and private sector maize entries recorded genetic gains of 1.30% year-1 (59 kg ha-1 year-1) and 1.71% year-1 (79 kg ha-1 year-1), respectively. Varieties from NARO and private sector showed comparable mean yields of 4.56 t ha-1 and 4.62 t ha-1, respectively, while hybrids from CIMMYT had a mean of 5.37 t ha-1. Era analysis indicated significant genetic gain of 1.69% year-1 or 55 kg ha-1 year-1, while a significant national productivity gain of 1.48% year-1 (37 kg ha-1 year-1) was obtained. The study, thus, demonstrated the importance of public-private partnerships in development and delivery of new genetics to farmers in Uganda

Mechanism of subunit interaction at ketosynthase-dehydratase junctions in trans-AT polyketide synthases

Modular polyketide synthases (PKSs) produce numerous structurally complex natural products with diverse applications in medicine and agriculture. They typically consist of several multienzyme subunits that utilize structurally-defined docking domains (DDs) at their N- and C-termini to ensure correct assembly into functional multi-protein complexes. Here we report a fundamentally different mechanism for subunit assembly in trans-AT modular PKSs at the junction between ketosynthase (KS) and dehydratase (DH) domains. This involves direct interaction of a largely unstructured docking domain (DD) at the C-terminus of the KS with the surface of the downstream DH. Acyl transfer assays and mechanism-based cross-linking established that the DD is required for the KS to communicate with the acyl carrier protein appended to the DH. Two distinct regions for binding of the DD to the DH were identified using NMR spectroscopy, carbene foot-printing and mutagenesis, providing a foundation for future elucidation of the molecular basis for interaction specificity