Ampelographic characterization - preliminary results of the nine most appreciated autochthonous Vitis vinifera L. varieties from Romania

The paper presents an up-to-date description of some autochthonous, old and valuable grapevine varieties maintained within the germplasm collection belonging to the University of Agronomical Science and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest, respectively 3 varieties for red wines ('Fetească neagră', 'Băbească neagră', ‚Busuioacă de Bohotin') and 6 varieties for white wines ('Fetească albă', 'Fetească regală', 'Galbenă de Odobeşti', 'Grasă de Cotnari', 'Tămâioasă românească' and 'Zghihară de Huşi').  The results obtained by applying standardized methodology for grape quantitative and qualitative parameters for three consecutive years, reveal the main characteristics for each variety and also the specific genotype response to particular pedoclimatic conditions.  In comparison to 'Cabernet Sauvignon' as reference cultivar, 'Băbească neagră' and 'Busuioacă de Bohotin' varieties were characterized by higher values for the sizes and weights of the berries, and 'Fetească neagră' by heavier bunches and higher sugar juice content.  The white grape varieties in comparison to 'Chardonnay' as reference cultivar, were remarked either by bigger bunches with high to very high sugar content ('Fetească regală', 'Grasă de Cotnari', 'Tămâioasă românească'), or by constancy of bunch weight and titratable acidity of must ('Fetească albă', 'Galbenă de Odobeşti' and 'Zghihară de Huşi')

Rootstocks and wild grapevines responses to salinity

A study of the effects induced by salt solutions applied on in vitro cultures and potted vines comparing five widely used rootstocks in Romania and six wild accessions from five populations of Vitis vinifera L. ssp. sylvestris (Gmelin) Hegi was performed. For in vitro test, all genotypes were analyzed for toxicity symptoms appearance in media containing 17, 32 and 49 mM NaCl. The same accessions, as potted plants, were subjected to salt treatments with 51, 68 and 102 mM NaCl, and were evaluated in terms of growth reduction and toxicity symptoms emergence after one month of salt treatment. P, K and Na contents were detected in in vitro plantlets and potted plants. Results showed significant differences among genotypes and between the in vitro and potted treatments. The wild grapevine individuals, in comparison to the rootstocks, expressed a higher ability to adapt to the salt stress in both type of treatments. In comparison with the rootstocks, the wild grapevine individuals were characterized by a higher content of P and lower contents of K and Na, which could be directly correlated with their ability to uptake and accumulate a higher level of Na and Cl into their tissues

Impact of antigen density on recognition by monoclonal antibodies

Understanding antigen-antibody interactions is important to many emerging medical and bioanalytical applications. In particular, the levels of antigen expression at the cell surface may determine antibody-mediated cell death. This parameter has a clear effect on outcome in patients undergoing immunotherapy. In this context, CD20 which is expressed in the membrane of B cells has received significant attention as target for immunotherapy of leukemia and lymphoma using the monoclonal antibody rituximab. To systematically study the impact of CD20 density on antibody recognition, we designed self-assembled monolayers that display tunable CD20 epitope densities. For this purpose, we developed in situ click chemistry to functionalize SPR sensor chips. We find that the rituximab binding affinity depends sensitively and non-monotoneously on CD20 surface density. Strongest binding, with an equilibrium dissociation constant (KD = 32 nM) close to values previously reported from in vitro analysis with B cells (apparent KD between 5 and 19 nM), was obtained for an average inter-antigen spacing of 2 nm. This distance is required for improving rituximab recognition, and in agreement with the known requirement of CD20 to form clusters to elicit a biological response. More generally, this study offers an interesting outlook in the understanding of the necessity of epitope clusters for effective mAb recognition

Description of the Vitis vinifera L. phenotypic variability in eno-carpological traits by a Euro-Asiatic collaborative network among ampelographic collections

The grapevine intra-specific variability captured an increasing interest during the last decades, as demonstrated by the number of recently funded European projects focused on the grapevine biodiversity preservation. However, nowadays, crop plants are mainly characterized by genotyping methods. The present work summarizes the phenotype data collected among 20 ampelographic collections spread in 15 countries, covering mostly of the viticultural areas in the Euro-Asiatic range: from Portugal to Armenia and from Cyprus to Luxembourg. Together with agro-climatic characterization of the experimental site, in two years, about 2400 accessions were described, following a common experimental protocol mainly focused on the carpological and oenological traits, obtaining a general overview of the distribution of the considered phenotypic traits in the cultivated Vitis vinifera species. The most replicated cultivars were selected and, for the subset of these reference cultivars, their behavior in the different environmental conditions over sites and years was described by ANOVA methods

Description of the vitis vinifera L. Phenotypic variability in eno-carpological traits by a Euro-Asiatic collaborative network among ampelographic collections

The grapevine intra-specific variability captured an increasing interest during the last decades, as demonstrated by the number of recently funded European projects focused on the grapevine biodiversity preservation. However, nowadays, crop plants are mainly characterized by genotyping methods. The present work summarizes the phenotype data collected among 20 ampelographic collections spread over 15 countries, covering most of the viticultural areas in the Euro-Asiatic region: from Portugal to Armenia and from Cyprus to Luxembourg. Together with agro-climatic characterization of the experimental site, over two years about 2,400 accessions were described. A common experimental protocol mainly focused on the carpological and oe-nological traits was followed, obtaining a general overview of the distribution of the considered phenotypic traits in the cultivated Vitis vinifera species. The most replicated cultivars were selected and, for the subset of these reference cultivars, their behavior in the different environmental conditions over sites and years was described by ANOVA methods

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries