Genome-Wide Transcript Profiling of Endosperm without Paternal Contribution Identifies Parent-of-Origin–Dependent Regulation of AGAMOUS-LIKE36

Seed development in angiosperms is dependent on the interplay among different transcriptional programs operating in the embryo, the endosperm, and the maternally-derived seed coat. In angiosperms, the embryo and the endosperm are products of double fertilization during which the two pollen sperm cells fuse with the egg cell and the central cell of the female gametophyte. In Arabidopsis, analyses of mutants in the cell-cycle regulator CYCLIN DEPENDENT KINASE A;1 (CKDA;1) have revealed the importance of a paternal genome for the effective development of the endosperm and ultimately the seed. Here we have exploited cdka;1 fertilization as a novel tool for the identification of seed regulators and factors involved in parent-of-origin–specific regulation during seed development. We have generated genome-wide transcription profiles of cdka;1 fertilized seeds and identified approximately 600 genes that are downregulated in the absence of a paternal genome. Among those, AGAMOUS-LIKE (AGL) genes encoding Type-I MADS-box transcription factors were significantly overrepresented. Here, AGL36 was chosen for an in-depth study and shown to be imprinted. We demonstrate that AGL36 parent-of-origin–dependent expression is controlled by the activity of METHYLTRANSFERASE1 (MET1) maintenance DNA methyltransferase and DEMETER (DME) DNA glycosylase. Interestingly, our data also show that the active maternal allele of AGL36 is regulated throughout endosperm development by components of the FIS Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), revealing a new type of dual epigenetic regulation in seeds

Demonstrating Active Distribution Grids and Active Demand 

Active distribution grids and active customers require a rethinking of ICT tools and architectures in order to connect systems, platforms and actors previously unable to exchange information across domains of the energy business. This paper presents results from an R&D project focusing on developing a reference architecture for an open smart grid middleware, able to cope with the wide range of services necessary to integrate both DSOs, retailers and consumers as well as new actors (such as aggregators and prosumers) to a common framework. Such a framework is necessary to develop, scale and design future energy-related services to customers and other relevant stakeholders in the energy system operation

National digital strategies and innovative eHealth policies concerning older adults’ dignity: a document analysis in three Scandinavian countries

Abstract Background Scandinavian countries are internationally recognised for leading the way in older adult care and in digitally transforming healthcare. Dignity has become a central value in care for older adults in all three Scandinavian countries. Investigating documents about digitalisation in these countries can offer insights into how the dignity of older adults is impacted by digitally transforming healthcare. This study aims to provide knowledge about digital strategies and eHealth policies concerning older adults’ dignity in three Scandinavian countries: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Methods National-level documents by the Norwegian Directorate of eHealth, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and the Danish Ministry of Health concerning older adults were used as data sources. In addition, a systematic search of databases, informed by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework for systematic reviews of text and opinion papers, was undertaken to find relevant papers. All extracts concerning national digital strategies or innovative eHealth policies were deductively coded. Thereafter, extracts concerning older adults were inductively coded using a thematic analytic approach. Results A total of 26 sources satisfied the inclusion criteria, 14 governmental papers and 12 other papers. The three countries’ national digital strategies focused on access to digital technologies and continuous learning for digital skills. The included papers describing national eHealth policies underlined the importance of placing the patient at the centre of healthcare and how digital systems can increase feelings of safety. Both types of documents concerned access to data, digital device security and the human dimension of care. Conclusion The findings present evidence on Scandinavian countries’ national digital strategies and innovative eHealth policies concerning older adults’ dignity. The documents describe a lack of digital competence among older adults, resulting disengagement may put their well-being and human dignity at risk. Findings also underline the importance of security and at the same time the human dimension of care: Use of new digital systems must be meaningfully integrated into digital strategies and eHealth policies. All three Scandinavian countries strategies and policies underline the importance of equal access to healthcare services, as thus they promote a stance of dignified care

Optimal Power Flow model with energy storage, an extension towards large integration of renewable energy sources

The integration of renewable energy sources (RES) into modern electrical grids contributes to satisfying the continuously increasing energy demand. This can be done in a sustainable way since renewable sources are both inexhaustible and non-polluting. Different renewable energy devices, such as wind power, hydro power, and photovoltaic generators are available nowadays. The main issue with the integration of such devices is their irregular generation capacity (in particular for wind and solar energy). Therefore energy storage units are used to mitigate the fluctuations during generation and supply. In this paper we formulate a model for the Alternate Current Optimal Power Flow (ACOPF) problem consisting of simple dynamics for energy storage systems cast as a finite-horizon optimal control problem. The effect of energy storage is examined by solving a Norwegian demo network. The simulation results illustrate that the addition of energy storage, along with demand based cost functions, significantly reduces the generation costs and flattens the generation profiles

Cerebral cortical thickness and a history of obstetric complications in schizophrenia

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have demonstrated that patients with schizophrenia have thinner brain cortices compared with healthy control subjects. Neurodevelopment is vulnerable to obstetric complications (OCs) such as hypoxia and birth trauma, factors that are also related to increased risk of developing schizophrenia. With the hypothesis that OCs might explain the thinner cortices found in schizophrenia, we studied patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls subjects for association between number and severity of OCs and variation in cortical thickness. Methods: MRI scans of 54 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 54 healthy controls were acquired at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Measures of brain cortical thickness were obtained using automated computer processing (FreeSurfer). OCs were assessed from obstetric records and scored blindly according to the McNeil-Sjostrom scale. At numerous cortical locations, putative effects of OCs on cortical thickness variation were tested for each trimester, for labour, for composite OC scores, severe OC scores, and hypoxia scores among patients and controls separately. Results: Number and severity of OCs varied among both patient and control subjects but were not associated with cortical thickness in either of the groups. Patients demonstrated thinner brain cortices but there were no significant differences in number and severity of OC scores across groups. Conclusion: In the present study, number and severity of obstetric complications were not associated with brain cortical thickness, in patients with schizophrenia or in healthy control subjects. The thinner brain cortices found in patients with schizophrenia were not explained by a history of OCs. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

An exploratory model for G x E interaction on hippocampal volume in schizophrenia; obstetric complications and hypoxia-related genes

Background Smaller hippocampal volume has repeatedly been reported in schizophrenia patients Obstetric complications (OCs) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variation in schizophrenia susceptibility genes have independently been related to hippocampal volume We investigated putative independent and interaction effects of severe hypoxia-related OCs and variation in four hypoxia-regulated schizophrenia susceptibility genes (BDNF, DTNBP1, GRM3 and NRG1) on hippocampal volume in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Methods Clinical assessment, structural MRI scans, and blood samples for genotyping of 32 SNPs were obtained from 54 schizophrenia patients and 53 control subjects Information on obstetric complications was collected from original birth records Results Severe OCs were related to hippocampal volume in both patients with schizophrenia and healthy control subjects Of the 32 SNPs studied, effects of severe OCs on hippocampal volume were associated with allele variation in GRM3 rs13242038, but the interaction effect was not specific for schizophrenia. SNP variation in any of the four investigated genes alone did not significantly affect hippocampal volume. Conclusions. The findings suggest a gene-environment (G x E) interaction between GRM3 gene variants and severe obstetric complications on hippocampus volume, independent of a diagnosis of schizophrenia Due to the modest sample size, the results must be considered preliminary and require replication in independent samples. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc All rights reserve