COMT Val158Met polymorphism and socioeconomic status interact to predict attention deficit/hyperactivity problems in children aged 10–14

The functional Val158Met COMT polymorphism appears to affect a host of behaviours mediated by the pre-frontal cortex, and has been found associated to the risk for disruptive behaviours including ADHD. Parental socioeconomic status (SES) has also been reported as a predictor for the same childhood disorders. In a general population sample of 575 Italian pre-adolescents aged 10–14, we examined the association of the functional Val158Met COMT polymorphism and SES—both as linear and interactive effects—with oppositional defiant problems, conduct problems, and attention deficit/hyperactivity problems, as defined by the newly established Child Behaviour Check-List/6-18 DSM oriented scales. Multivariate- and subsequent univariate-analysis of covariance showed a significant association of COMT × SES interaction with CBCL 6/18 DOS attention deficit/hyperactivity problems (p = 0.004), and revealed higher scores among those children with Val/Val COMT genotype who belonged to low-SES families. We also found a significant association of SES with attention deficit/hyperactivity problems and conduct problems DOS (p = 0.04 and 0.01, respectively). Our data are consistent with a bulk of recent literature suggesting a role of environmental factors in moderating the contribution of specific genetic polymorphisms to human variability in ADHD. While future investigations will refine and better clarify which specific environmental and genetic mechanisms are at work in influencing the individual risk to ADHD in pre-adolescence, these data may contribute to identify/prevent the risk for ADHD problems in childhood

Characteristics and patterns of care of endometrial cancer before and during COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has correlated with the disruption of screening activities and diagnostic assessments. Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological malignancies and it is often detected at an early stage, because it frequently produces symptoms. Here, we aim to investigate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on patterns of presentation and treatment of EC patients. Methods: This is a retrospective study involving 54 centers in Italy. We evaluated patterns of presentation and treatment of EC patients before (period 1: March 1, 2019 to February 29, 2020) and during (period 2: April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021) the COVID-19 outbreak. Results: Medical records of 5,164 EC patients have been retrieved: 2,718 and 2,446 women treated in period 1 and period 2, respectively. Surgery was the mainstay of treatment in both periods (p=0.356). Nodal assessment was omitted in 689 (27.3%) and 484 (21.2%) patients treated in period 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). While, the prevalence of patients undergoing sentinel node mapping (with or without backup lymphadenectomy) has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (46.7% in period 1 vs. 52.8% in period 2; p<0.001). Overall, 1,280 (50.4%) and 1,021 (44.7%) patients had no adjuvant therapy in period 1 and 2, respectively (p<0.001). Adjuvant therapy use has increased during COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the characteristics and patterns of care of EC patients. These findings highlight the need to implement healthcare services during the pandemic

Practice patterns and 90-day treatment-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer

To evaluate the impact of the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) Trial on patterns of care and surgery-related morbidity in early-stage cervical cancer

Canagliflozin and renal outcomes in type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

BACKGROUND Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide, but few effective long-term treatments are available. In cardiovascular trials of inhibitors of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2), exploratory results have suggested that such drugs may improve renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned patients with type 2 diabetes and albuminuric chronic kidney disease to receive canagliflozin, an oral SGLT2 inhibitor, at a dose of 100 mg daily or placebo. All the patients had an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of 30 to <90 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and albuminuria (ratio of albumin [mg] to creatinine [g], >300 to 5000) and were treated with renin–angiotensin system blockade. The primary outcome was a composite of end-stage kidney disease (dialysis, transplantation, or a sustained estimated GFR of <15 ml per minute per 1.73 m2), a doubling of the serum creatinine level, or death from renal or cardiovascular causes. Prespecified secondary outcomes were tested hierarchically. RESULTS The trial was stopped early after a planned interim analysis on the recommendation of the data and safety monitoring committee. At that time, 4401 patients had undergone randomization, with a median follow-up of 2.62 years. The relative risk of the primary outcome was 30% lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group, with event rates of 43.2 and 61.2 per 1000 patient-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.59 to 0.82; P=0.00001). The relative risk of the renal-specific composite of end-stage kidney disease, a doubling of the creatinine level, or death from renal causes was lower by 34% (hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P<0.001), and the relative risk of end-stage kidney disease was lower by 32% (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.86; P=0.002). The canagliflozin group also had a lower risk of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.95; P=0.01) and hospitalization for heart failure (hazard ratio, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.80; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in rates of amputation or fracture. CONCLUSIONS In patients with type 2 diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of kidney failure and cardiovascular events was lower in the canagliflozin group than in the placebo group at a median follow-up of 2.62 years

Design and baseline characteristics of the finerenone in reducing cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in diabetic kidney disease trial

Background: Among people with diabetes, those with kidney disease have exceptionally high rates of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality and progression of their underlying kidney disease. Finerenone is a novel, nonsteroidal, selective mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has shown to reduce albuminuria in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) while revealing only a low risk of hyperkalemia. However, the effect of finerenone on CV and renal outcomes has not yet been investigated in long-term trials. Patients and Methods: The Finerenone in Reducing CV Mortality and Morbidity in Diabetic Kidney Disease (FIGARO-DKD) trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of finerenone compared to placebo at reducing clinically important CV and renal outcomes in T2D patients with CKD. FIGARO-DKD is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, event-driven trial running in 47 countries with an expected duration of approximately 6 years. FIGARO-DKD randomized 7,437 patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate >= 25 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and albuminuria (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio >= 30 to <= 5,000 mg/g). The study has at least 90% power to detect a 20% reduction in the risk of the primary outcome (overall two-sided significance level alpha = 0.05), the composite of time to first occurrence of CV death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure. Conclusions: FIGARO-DKD will determine whether an optimally treated cohort of T2D patients with CKD at high risk of CV and renal events will experience cardiorenal benefits with the addition of finerenone to their treatment regimen. Trial Registration: EudraCT number: 2015-000950-39; ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02545049

Opportunities for biotechnology research on Sorghum Stalk Rot and virus diseases

Although considerable progress has been made using conventional technology in identification and characterization of viral and stalk rot diseases of sorghum, there is still an incomplete understanding of the genetics of resistance, and many viral diseases remain uncharacterized. Biotechnology (cDNA) Will playa n increased role in virus detection and identification, and in marker assisted selection in breeding for sorghum virus resistance,and to discern the genetic basis of resistance to the stalk rot comlex quickly and more precisely. Biotechnology Will also aid in the identification of quantitave trait loci (QTL) associated with specific Fusarium and Macrophomina stalk rots responses and drought tolerance.Bien que des progres considerables aient ete realises avec la technique conventionelle d'identification et de caracterization des maladies virales et de stalk rot de sorgho, il reste a comprendre la resistance genetique et a caracteriser beaucoup de maladies virales. La biotechnologie (DNA) jouera un role preponderant dans la detection et l'identification des viroses, dans l'amelioration de la resistance aux virus a l'aide de la selection, grace aux marqueurs et dans la determination rapide et precise des bases genetiques de resistance au complexe stalk rot. La biotechnologie aidera aussi a l'identification de traits quantitatifs (QLT) au loci associes au fusarium et au Macrophomia stalk rots et a la tolerance a la secheresse.EEA ManfrediFil: Giorda, L. M. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; Argentina.Fil: Martínez, M. J. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; Argentina.Fil: Martínez, M.J. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Laboratorio de Fitopatología; Argentina

Identification and evaluation of an isolate of sugarcane mosaic virus

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Bibliography: leaves 163-168.Not availabl

Interactions of virus accumulation, disease severity, and disease incidence as heritable indicators of host resistance to MDMV-A and their influence on yield

Typescript (photocopy).Significant differences were observed among sorghum cultivars in the amount of MDMV-A accumulated over time. Virus concentration (estimated as ELISA values, A410 nm) increased for 30 days following inoculation and then decreased. ELISA values were significantly different among genotypes depending on i) age of the plant when inoculated, ii) temperature, and iii) leaf position. 'Subliminal" infections of MDMV-A were detected in both symptomless inoculated seedlings and older leaves of mature plants. No virus was detected in the inoculated leaves of the cultivars QL3-Tx, QL3- India. QL11- or their F1 hybrids. Virus accumulation differed significantly within and among cultivars with mosaic or red-leaf symptoms. The association between 'resistance' to MDMV-A with restricted virus accumulation in infected plants was cultivar specific. To reduce the intrinsic variations due to differences in virus accumulation over time, area under the curve of ELISA values versus time (AUViPC) was proposed as an additional parameter for identifying cultivar 'resistance'. Statistical analysis on AUViPC were used to separate cultivars with different levels of resistance to virus accumulation. Virus accumulation, severity of the disease and yield reduction in 12 cultivars were used as parameters for multiple regression analysis. The best model to explain the variation in yield was: Y = 2.66 + 3.51 x1 + 0.137 x2 - 1.20 x3; where x1 = virus accumulation (ELISA values), x2 = square of symptom severity, x3 = interaction of host symptoms and virus accumulation, and Y = proportional decrease in yield/panicle (probit transformation). A diallel analysis of four parents differing in 'resistance' to MDMV-A (as estimated by area under the disease progress curves and virus accumulation) was carried out to study the genetic of 'resistance' to MDMVA. The additive-dominant model for area under the disease progress curve was not adequate because of the presence of extranuclear factors indicated by significant differences (P=0.01) between reciprocal crosses and F2 segregation values differing from the Mendelian ratios; this cytoplasmic effect was detected in RTx430. The diallel analysis for virus accumulation showed that the genetic variation is mainly additive. Dominance for resistance to virus accumulation accounted for the non-additive variation..

Fusarium stalk rot in Argentina

Sorghum crop in Argentina is grown under dryland conditions in several distinct ecological regions. Water déficits may occur during the growing season in ome of these regions. Lodging, root and stalk rot are usually associated with drought stress and photosynthetic stress induced by greenbug damage during grain filling. The fungal isolates most prevalent are species of Fusarium from the Liseola section with Fusarium moniliforme (=Gibberella fujikuroi) as the most serious casual agent of root and grain mold. Greenbug resistance is closely correlated with lodging resistance and is used as an indicator during selection. Research initiated on screening techniques for resistance on early growth stages of the sorghum plant is discussed. Areas of research needed in Argentina are listed.EEA ManfrediFil: Giorda, L. M. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; Argentina.Fil: Martínez, M. J. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias. Laboratorio de Fitopatología; Argentina.Fil: Martínez, M. J. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; Argentina.Fil: Chulze, S. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología; Argentina

Effect of planting date on Fusarium spp. and Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex incidence and its relationship with soya bean seed quality

Fifteen soya bean genotypes from maturity groups IV, V and VI were planted on three dates at Manfredi Experimental Station - INTA, Córdoba Province, Argentina. Seeds were harvested at maturity and evaluated for seed infection by Fusarium spp. and Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex, and for physical and chemical parameters. There was a significant negative correlation between planting date (PD) and fungal incidence (P = 0.05). A higher percentage of fungal incidence at earlier PD was consistent with lower seed weight and volume, higher oil content and no change in protein content. The highest values of fungal incidence were associated with increased oleic acid and decreased linoleic and linolenic acid contents. These results suggest that planting late maturity cultivars or delaying the planting of early and mid-season cultivars may reduce seed infection by Fusarium spp. and Diaporthe/Phomopsis complex.Fil: Meriles, Jose Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Giorda, Laura Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Córdoba. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Maestri, Damian. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentin