Isolation of Agrobacterium vitis from grapevine propagating material by means of PCR after immunocapture cultivation

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Effects of biochar on dry matter production and competitive ability of Rumex obtusifolius L.

Der Stumpfblättrige Ampfer (Rumex obtusifolius L.) ist ein gefürchtetes Unkraut im intensiv bewirtschafteten Grünland. In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, ob die Biokohle durch eine Verminderung des pflanzenverfügbaren N-Gehaltes im Boden für die Ampfer-Regulierung ein­gesetzt werden kann. Dazu wurde ein Gefäßversuch im Freien durchgeführt. Der Stumpfblättrige Ampfer und zwei Gräser, Italienisches Raygras (Lolium multiflorum) und Wiesen-Knaulgras (Dactylis glomerata), wuchsen in Reinkultur. R. obtusifolius wurde auch in Mischungen mit L. multiflorum angesät. Die Zufuhr von Biokohle zum Boden bewirkte eine Verminderung der Konzentration an N, S, Ca und Mg in der oberirdischen Phytomasse bei allen Arten. Dies dürfte auf einen Verdünnungseffekt zurückzuführen sein. Die K-Konzentration nahm nur beim Stumpfblättrigen Ampfer im Vergleich zur Kontrolle zu. Der höhere K-Gehalt im Boden infolge Biokohle-Zufuhr dürfte dafür verantwortlich sein. Beim Stumpfblättrigen Ampfer war K und nicht N das wachstumslimitierende Nährelement. Ein hoher pflanzenverfügbarer K-Gehalt im Boden dürfte die Massenvermehrung des Stumpfblätt­rigen Ampfers im Grünland deutlich fördern. Durch die Zufuhr von Biokohle und dem daraus resultierenden höheren K-Gehalt im Boden hat das durchschnittliche Spross-Trockengewicht beim Stumpfblättrigen Ampfer um 247%, beim Italienischen Raygras um 65% und beim Wiesen-Knaulgras um 108% im Vergleich zur Kontrolle zugenommen. Durch interspezifische Konkurrenz mit L. multiflorum wurde R. obtusifolius im Sprosswachstum deutlich gehemmt. Die Biokohle hat die Wettbewerbs­fähigkeit des Stumpfblättrigen Ampfers nicht vermindert und kann daher auch nicht zur Ampfer-Regulierung eingesetzt werden. Die vorliegenden Untersuchungsergebnisse können als Grundlage für vorbeugende Maßnahmen zur Ampfer-Regulierung dienen. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2016.08.03, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2016.08.03Rumex obtusifolius L. (broad-leaved dock) is one of the most troublesome weeds in intensively managed grassland. This study investigated the potential of biochar (BC), produced from woody green waste residues, to support its control. For this purpose, a pot experiment was conducted out of doors in Austria. It was expected that R. obtusifolius could be controlled by reducing available N content in the soil. R. obtusifolius and two grass species, Lolium multiflorum and Dactylis glomerata, were grown from seeds in monocultures, respectively. Moreover, R. obtusifolius was grown in mixtures with L. multiflorum. Due to a pure BC addition to soil (3% by wt), the concentrations of N, S, Ca and Mg in the shoot biomass decreased relative to the control in all three species, suggesting a dilution effect. The K concentration, however, increased only in R. obtusifolius, indicating its high absorp­tion capacity for K. In R. obtusifolius, K rather than N was the most growth-limiting nutrient element. The K level in soil appears to be important in controlling its distribution. To prevent Rumex infestation and/or to reduce existing infestations, a high soil K supply should be avoided. The average shoot dry weight of all three species was significantly higher when BC was applied (by 247%, 65% and 108%, in R. obtusifolius, L. multiflorum and D. glomerata, respectively), presumably because of a better K supply in soil. R. obtusifolius responded to interspecific competition with L. multiflorum by a density-dependent reduction of its shoot growth. BC did not decrease the competitive ability of Rumex in mixtures with Lolium. It is concluded that the addition of woody green waste BC to soil is no successful strategy for controlling R. obtusifolius in grassland. However, the results of this study can serve as a basis for preventive measures to Rumex control. DOI: 10.5073/JfK.2016.08.03, https://doi.org/10.5073/JfK.2016.08.0

Bestimmung der Schweinefettqualität für die Zuchtwertschätzung

Bei der Herstellung von Fleischprodukten spielt die Fettqualität eine entscheidende Rolle. Auskunft über die wesentlichen Qualitätskriterien des Schweinefettes, das Oxidationspotential und die Konsistenz, gibt der Anteil an mehrfach ungesättigten Fettsäuren (PUFA) und die Jodzahl. Diese Merkmale sind bei Schweizer Schweinen auch bezahlungsrelevant. Für die Ausprägung von PUFA-Gehalt und Jodzahl spielt neben der Fütterung auch die Genetik eine wichtige Rolle. Um die Fettqualität bei der Zucht berücksichtigen zu können, wurde an der Mast- und Schlachtleistungsprüfungsanstalt MLP in Sempach eine Nahinfrarotspektroskopie-Schnellmethode entwickelt, bei der Einzeltiere routinemässig und schnell auf die Fettqualitätsmerkmale gesättigte, einfach ungesättigte und mehrfach ungesättigte Fettsäuren (SFA, MUFA, PUFA), Jodzahl, Fettgehalt und Wassergehalt untersucht werden können. Mit Hilfe dieser Messmethode wurden annähernd 2000 Prüftiere untersucht. Die daraus berechneten Erblichkeiten liegen im mittleren bis hohen Bereich. Damit ist eine züchterische Bearbeitung dieser Fettqualitätsmerkmale möglich. Die Zucht auf einen geringen PUFA-Gehalt – wie er von den Abnehmern gefordert wird – wird sich aufgrund der positiven Korrelation auch gegen leeres Fettgewebe (hoher Wassergehalt) auswirken. Die eher ungünstige Beziehung zwischen PUFA und Fleischfläche (0,3) ist weniger stark ausgeprägt als die Beziehung zwischen PUFA und Magerfleischanteil (MFA, 0,61). Demnach ist das derzeitige Bestreben der Zucht, den MFA eher durch einen höheren Fleischansatz als durch eine verringerte Fettmenge zu erhöhen auch für die Fettqualität positiv

13N-ammonia myocardial perfusion imaging with a PET/CT scanner: impact on clinical decision making and cost-effectiveness

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of 13N-ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) on clinical decision making and its cost-effectiveness. Materials and methods: One hundred consecutive patients (28 women, 72 men; mean age 60.9 ± 12.0years; range 24-85years) underwent 13N-ammonia PET scanning (and computed tomography, used only for attenuation correction) to assess myocardial perfusion in patients with known (n = 79) or suspected (n = 8) coronary artery disease (CAD), or for suspected small-vessel disease (SVD; n = 13). Before PET, the referring physician was asked to determine patient treatment if PET would not be available. Four weeks later, PET patient management was reassessed for each patient individually. Results: Before PET management strategies would have been: diagnostic angiography (62 of 100 patients), diagnostic angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; 6 of 100), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; 3 of 100), transplantation (1 of 100), or conservative medical treatment (28 of 100). After PET scanning, treatment strategies were altered in 78 patients leading to: diagnostic angiography (0 of 100), PCI (20 of 100), CABG (3 of 100), transplantation (1 of 100), or conservative medical treatment (76 of 100). Patient management followed the recommendations of PET findings in 97% of the cases. Cost-effectiveness analysis revealed lower costs of €206/patient as a result of PET scanning. Conclusion: In a population with a high prevalence of known CAD, PET is cost-effective and has an important impact on patient managemen

Delineating disorder-general and disorder-specific dimensions of psychopathology from functional brain networks in a developmental clinical sample

The interplay between functional brain network maturation and psychopathology during development remains elusive. To establish the structure of psychopathology and its neurobiological mechanisms, mapping of both shared and unique functional connectivity patterns across developmental clinical populations is needed. We investigated shared associations between resting-state functional connectivity and psychopathology in children and adolescents aged 5–21 (n =1689). Specifically, we used partial least squares (PLS) to identify latent variables (LV) between connectivity and both symptom scores and diagnostic information. We also investigated associations between connectivity and each diagnosis specifically, controlling for other diagnosis categories. PLS identified five significant LVs between connectivity and symptoms, mapping onto the psychopathology hierarchy. The first LV resembled a general psychopathology factor, followed by dimensions of internalising- externalising, neurodevelopment, somatic complaints, and thought problems. Another PLS with diagnostic data revealed one significant LV, resembling a cross-diagnostic case-control pattern. The diagnosis-specific PLS identified a unique connectivity pattern for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). All LVs were associated with distinct patterns of functional connectivity. These dimensions largely replicated in an independent sample (n = 420) from the same dataset, as well as to an independent cohort (n =3504). This suggests that covariance in developmental functional brain networks supports transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology.publishedVersio

Sustainable reduction of antibiotic-induced antimicrobial resistance (ARena) in German ambulatory care: study protocol of a cluster randomised trial

Background: Despite many initiatives to enhance the rational use of antibiotics, there remains substantial room for improvement. The overall aim of this study is to optimise the appropriate use of antibiotics in German ambulatory care in patients with acute non-complicated infections (respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis and otitis media), community-acquired pneumonia and non-complicated cystitis, in order to counter the advancing antimicrobial resistance development. Methods: A three-armed cluster randomised trial will be conducted in 14 practice networks in two German federal states (Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia) and an added cohort that reflects standard care. The trial is accompanied by a process evaluation. Each arm will receive a different set of implementation strategies. Arm A receives a standard set, comprising of e-learning on communication with patients and quality circles with data-based feedback for physicians, information campaigns for the public, patient information material and performance-based additional reimbursement. Arm B receives this standard set plus e-learning on communication with patients and quality circles with data-based feedback tailored for non-physician health professionals of the practice team and information material for tablet computers (culture sensitive). Arm C receives the standard set as well as a computerised decision support system and quality circles in local multidisciplinary groups. The study aims to recruit 193 practices which will provide data on 23,934 patients each year (47,867 patients in total). The outcome evaluation is based on claims data and refers to established indicators of the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net). Primary and secondary outcomes relate to prescribing of antibiotics, which will be analysed in multivariate regression models. The process evaluation is based on interviews with surveys among physicians, non-physician health professionals of the practice team and stakeholders. A patient survey is conducted in one of the study arms. Interview data will be qualitatively analysed using thematic framework analysis. Survey data of physicians, non-physician health professionals of the practice team and patients will use descriptive and exploratory statistics for analysis. Discussion: The ARena trial will examine the effectiveness of large scale implementation strategies and explore their delivery in routine practice. Trial registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN58150046 . Registered 24 August 2017

Shared pattern of impaired social communication and cognitive ability in the youth brain across diagnostic boundaries

Background Abnormalities in brain structure are shared across diagnostic categories. Given the high rate of comorbidity, the interplay of relevant behavioural factors may also cross these classic boundaries. Methods We aimed to detect brain-based dimensions of behavioural factors using canonical correlation and independent component analysis in a clinical youth sample (n = 1732, 64 % male, age: 5–21 years). Results We identified two correlated patterns of brain structure and behavioural factors. The first mode reflected physical and cognitive maturation (r = 0.92, p = .005). The second mode reflected lower cognitive ability, poorer social skills, and psychological difficulties (r = 0.92, p = .006). Elevated scores on the second mode were a common feature across all diagnostic boundaries and linked to the number of comorbid diagnoses independently of age. Critically, this brain pattern predicted normative cognitive deviations in an independent population-based sample (n = 1253, 54 % female, age: 8–21 years), supporting the generalisability and external validity of the reported brain-behaviour relationships. Conclusions These results reveal dimensions of brain-behaviour associations across diagnostic boundaries, highlighting potent disorder-general patterns as the most prominent. In addition to providing biologically informed patterns of relevant behavioural factors for mental illness, this contributes to a growing body of evidence in favour of transdiagnostic approaches to prevention and intervention.publishedVersio

The BCL-2 family member BOK promotes KRAS-driven lung cancer progression in a p53-dependent manner.

A variety of cancer entities are driven by KRAS mutations, which remain difficult to target clinically. Survival pathways, such as resistance to cell death, may represent a promising treatment approach in KRAS mutated cancers. Based on the frequently observed genomic deletions of BCL-2-related ovarian killer (BOK) in cancer patients, we explored the function of BOK in a mutant KrasG12D-driven murine model of lung cancer. Using KrasG12D/+ Bok-/- mice, we observed an overall tumor-promoting function of BOK in vivo. Specifically, loss of BOK reduced proliferation both in cell lines in vitro as well as in KrasG12D-driven tumor lesions in vivo. During tumor development in vivo, loss of BOK resulted in a lower tumor burden, with fewer, smaller, and less advanced tumors. Using KrasG12D/+ Tp53Δ/Δ Bok-/- mice, we identified that this phenotype was entirely dependent on the presence of functional p53. Furthermore, analysis of a human dataset of untreated early-stage lung tumors did not identify any common deletion of the BOK locus, independently of the TP53 status or the histopathological classification. Taken together our data indicate that BOK supports tumor progression in Kras-driven lung cancer

Identification of biology-based breast cancer types with distinct predictive and prognostic features: role of steroid hormone and HER2 receptor expression in patients treated with neoadjuvant anthracycline/taxane-based chemotherapy

Introduction: Reliable predictive and prognostic markers for routine diagnostic purposes are needed for breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We evaluated protein biomarkers in a cohort of 116 participants of the GeparDuo study on anthracycline/taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for operable breast cancer to test for associations with pathological complete response (pCR) and disease-free survival (DFS). Particularly, we evaluated if interactions between hormone receptor (HR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression might lead to a different clinical behavior of HR+/HER2+ coexpressing and HR+/HER2- tumors and whether subgroups of triple negative tumors might be identified by the help of Ki67 labeling index, cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6), as well as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) expression. Methods: Expression analysis was performed using immunohistochemistry and silver-enhanced in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays (TMAs) of pretherapeutic core biopsies. Results: pCR rates were significantly different between the biology-based tumor types (P = 0.044) with HR+/HER2+ and HR-/HER2- tumors having higher pCR rates than HR+/HER2-tumors. Ki67 labeling index, confirmed as significant predictor of pCR in the whole cohort (P = 0.001), identified HR-/HER- (triple negative) carcinomas with a higher chance for a pCR (P = 0.006). Biology-based tumor type (P = 0.046 for HR+/HER2+vs. HR+/HER2-), Ki67 labeling index (P = 0.028), and treatment arm (P = 0.036) were independent predictors of pCR in a multivariate model. DFS was different in the biology-based tumor types (P < 0.0001) with HR+/HER2- and HR+/HER2+ tumors having the best prognosis and HR-/HER2+ tumors showing the worst outcome. Biology-based tumor type was an independent prognostic factor for DFS in multivariate analysis (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that a biology-based breast cancer classification using estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and HER2 bears independent predictive and prognostic potential. The HR+/HER2+ coexpressing carcinomas emerged as a group of tumors with a good response rate to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and a favorable prognosis. HR+/HER2- tumors had a good prognosis irrespective of a pCR, whereas patients with HR-/HER- and HR-/HER+ tumors, especially if they had not achieved a pCR, had an unfavorable prognosis and are in need of additional treatment options. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT0079337