Comparison of four methods to assess high-on platelet reactivity under P2Y12 receptor inhibitor

P2Y12 receptor inhibitors are antiplatelet agents commonly prescribed in the treatment of coronary artery disease. Their efficacy can be limited by high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR), which can be evaluated by different biological assays. Most commonly, HPR is evaluated by flow cytometric vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein-phosphorylation (VASP-P) assay, which can be time consuming. To evaluate the potential interest of novel technologies, we compared four different assays. Ninety patients receiving P2Y12 inhibitors were included. Four technologies were evaluated: the current standard test measuring VASP-P by flow cytometry, the historical reference test based on light transmittance aggregation (LTA), and two relatively novel techniques: whole blood multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) and platelet function analyzer (PFA), which are less time consuming. The three latter tests were compared with the VASP-P assay as a reference using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis: LTA has an excellent comparability with the VASP test (ROC AUC > 0.9); the other two tests (multiplate and PFA) have only satisfactory comparability (ROC AUC around 0.7) and therefore may not replace the VASP "gold standard" test, if importance is attached to a quantitative assessment of the substitution parameter of VASP. Nevertheless, if a binary approach of the anti-aggregation result is sought, then one can conclude that the three tests are equivalent since Cohen\u27s kappa coefficients are very close for the three tests (k = 0.548 for LTA; k = 0.554 for MEA; k = 0.570 for PFA/P2Y), and a similar proportion of patients are misclassified (15% for LTA, 14% for MEA, and 13.6% for PFA). Discriminant factor analysis using all the parameters provided by each test did not improve the diagnostic performance of MEA or PFA. In conclusion, only LTA shows a good comparability to the VASP assay using ROC curve analysis, probably because misclassified patients have results close to the cutoff values. All three tests have moderate agreement regarding the classification of patients as responders to P2Y12 inhibition

A Genotyping-by-Sequencing approach brings new insights into the population structure and local adaptation of Western Mediterranean Oaks

XIX ENBE Annual Meeting of the Portuguese Association for Evolutionary Biology, 18-19 December 2023, Lisboninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing the ecological risks from the persistence and spread of feral populations of insect-resistant transgenic maize

One source of potential harm from the cultivation of transgenic crops is their dispersal, persistence and spread in non-agricultural land. Ecological damage may result from such spread if the abundance of valued species is reduced. The ability of a plant to spread in non-agricultural habitats is called its invasiveness potential. The risks posed by the invasiveness potential of transgenic crops are assessed by comparing in agronomic field trials the phenotypes of the crops with the phenotypes of genetically similar non-transgenic crops known to have low invasiveness potential. If the transgenic and non-transgenic crops are similar in traits believed to control invasiveness potential, it may be concluded that the transgenic crop has low invasiveness potential and poses negligible ecological risk via persistence and spread in non-agricultural habitats. If the phenotype of the transgenic crop is outside the range of the non-transgenic comparators for the traits controlling invasiveness potential, or if the comparative approach is regarded as inadequate for reasons of risk perception or risk communication, experiments that simulate the dispersal of the crop into non-agricultural habitats may be necessary. We describe such an experiment for several commercial insect-resistant transgenic maize events in conditions similar to those found in maize-growing regions of Mexico. As expected from comparative risk assessments, the transgenic maize was found to behave similarly to non-transgenic maize and to be non-invasive. The value of this experiment in assessing and communicating the negligible ecological risk posed by the low invasiveness potential of insect-resistant transgenic maize in Mexico is discussed

Classical Morphology of Plants as an Elementary Instance of Classical Invariant Theory

It has long been known that structural chemistry shows an intriguing correspondence with Classical Invariant Theory (CIT). Under this view, an algebraic binary form of the degree n corresponds to a chemical atom with valence n and each physical molecule or ion has an invariant-theoretic counterpart. This theory was developed using the Aronhold symbolical approach and the symbolical processes of convolution/transvection in CIT was characterized as a potential “accurate morphological method”. However, CIT has not been applied to the formal morphology of living organisms. Based on the morphological interpretation of binary form, as well as the process of convolution/transvection, the First and Second Fundamental Theorems of CIT and the Nullforms of CIT, we show how CIT can be applied to the structure of plants, especially when conceptualized as a series of plant metamers (phytomers). We also show that the weight of the covariant/invariant that describes a morphological structure is a criterion of simplicity and, therefore, we argue that this allows us to formulate a parsimonious method of formal morphology. We demonstrate that the “theory of axilar bud” is the simplest treatment of the grass seedling/embryo. Our interpretations also represent Troll's bauplan of the angiosperms, the principle of variable proportions, morphological misfits, the basic types of stem segmentation, and Goethe's principle of metamorphosis in terms of CIT. Binary forms of different degrees might describe any repeated module of plant organisms. As bacteria, invertebrates, and higher vertebrates are all generally shared a metameric morphology, wider implications of the proposed symmetry between CIT and formal morphology of plants are apparent

The role of leadership in salespeople’s price negotiation behavior

Salespeople assume a key role in defending firms’ price levels in price negotiations with customers. The degree to which salespeople defend prices should critically depend upon their leaders’ influence. However, the influence of leadership on salespeople’s price defense behavior is barely understood, conceptually or empirically. Therefore, building on social learning theory, the authors propose that salespeople might adopt their leaders’ price defense behavior given a transformational leadership style. Furthermore, drawing on the contingency leadership perspective, the authors argue that this adoption fundamentally depends on three variables deduced from the motivation–ability–opportunity (MAO) framework, that is, salespeople’s learning motivation, negotiation efficacy, and perceived customer lenience. Results of a multi-level model using data from 92 salespeople and 264 salesperson–customer interactions confirm these predictions. The first to explore contingencies of salespeople’s adoption of their transformational leaders’ price negotiation behaviors, this study extends marketing theory and provides actionable guidance to practitioners

Influence of Saugeye on Black Crappie Populations in Two Northeastern South Dakota Impoundments

Saugeyes (purposeful hybrid between walleye Stizostedion vitreum and sauger S. canadense) were introduced into Lakes Richmond and Mina in Brown County, South Dakota. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine relative survival of advanced fingerling saugeyes stocked into Lakes Richmond and Mina, 2) determine changes in black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus populations that were potentially associated with the saugeye introductions in Lakes Richmond and Mina, and 3) determine food habits of saugeye in Lake Richmond. Saugeyes were stocked at a total length of 3 to 4 cm in 1992 and 1993; survival in both lakes was low. Fall sampling collected only 3 to 5 age-0 saugeyes per hour of night electrofishing at both lakes. Larger (i.e., 1 4-25 cm) saugeyes were stocked from 1 994 to 1 998, and survival was significantly (P≤0. 05) higher. During 1 994 to 1 998, fall catch of age-0 saugeyes were as high as 1 85 per hour of night electrofishing at Richmond Lake and 1 22 per hour at Mina Lake. The larger fingerlings clearly were more able to survive and establish a population in the face of predation by and competition with black crappies. Prior to the saugeye introduction program, Richmond Lake contained a high-density, slow-growing black crappie population. By the end of the study, black crappie growth rates had increased significantly (P≤0.05). Prior to the saugeye stocking program, a 20-cm black crappie typically added less than a 25-mm annual growth increment. By 1999, a 20-cm black crappie added an average increment of 70 mm. As a result, size structure increased significantly (P≤0. 05); prior to the saugeye introduction, few black crappies exceeded 25 cm, but such fish were common by 1998 and 1 999. The Mina Lake black crappie population had not historically existed at such a high density as the Richmond Lake population. However, black crappie growth still was significantly higher in 1 999 than in 1 992 at the initiation of this study. Size structure increased through 1 998, but then declined, perhaps due to natural fluctuations in black crappie recruitment. Saugeye food habits were monitored seasonally at Richmond Lake during 1998. Saugeyes in all length groups consumed age-0 black crappies during all sampling periods except early spring when age-0 fishes were not yet available. Larger (\u3e20 cm) black crappies were not observed in saugeye stomachs during this study. Thus, saugeyes in Richmond Lake likely reduced abundance of small black crappies, decreasing intraspecific competition, and resulting in the increased growth rates for crappies